Assingments % - Root Cause Analysis and Quality Improvement Strategies for Benevento Foods

An Evaluation of The Dilemma at Benevento Foods: Understanding Cause and Effect and Recommendations for Improvement

For this Assignment, you will continue to evaluate the same scenario from the previous week (Benevento Foods). For this evaluation, you will use systems thinking tools to perform a root cause analysis and examine the results as well as identify complexities. You will also summarize the dilemma that the business owner is facing (including the root causes) and provide recommendations for improving quality and making long-term improvements.

Continuing from last week’s scenario, you will create an additional business report for Marco Benevento, the owner of Benevento Foods, a manufacturer and distributor of food products to hotels and restaurants. As a reminder, Mr. Benevento has received a complaint from one of his customers that several pieces of rubber have been found in one of the baking mixes. The customer is placing all incoming orders on hold until the issue is resolved. Adding to the situation, the annual BRC Food Safety audit is scheduled for the end of the month. Mr. Benevento knows that you are working toward completing your MBA and wonders if there are any techniques you have learned that may help to identify the causes of the quality issue. As you begin to tell him about system thinking and root cause analysis, he is impressed and asks you to take charge of finding the root cause(s) of the quality issue and to provide him with recommendations for improvements. After reviewing the case, you will compile an additional business report using the template provided, including specific examples from the case as well as relevant citations from the Learning Resources, the Walden Library, and/or other appropriate academic sources to support your evaluation.

To prepare for this Assignment:

· Review the case study Benevento Foods: When the Rubber Hits the Dough.

o Wood, D., Vachon, S., & Singh, M. (2015). Benevento foods: When the rubber hits the dough. Ivey Publishing. http://hbr.org

· Review, as needed, the following resource: How to Analyze a Business Case Study (PDF)Download How to Analyze a Business Case Study (PDF)

· Download the Week 3 Assignment Template (Word document) Download Week 3 Assignment Template (Word document).

Submit your 5- to 6-page business report, including the following:

Understanding Cause and Effect

Using a systems approach to evaluate the dilemma at Benevento Foods, address the following in 3–4 pages:

· Develop a robust effect-cause-effect logic tree diagram using the 5-Why tool to identify the root cause(s) of the quality issue. The diagram itself can be drawn by hand or with software. (Note: Tables are not appropriate; it must be in the form of a diagram.)

· In addition to the diagram, explain the effect-cause-effect flow leading to the root cause(s). (Reminder: The concept of systems thinking and its associated tools are new to the owner.)

· Create an appropriate causal loop diagram to capture the fundamental system behaviors, outcomes, and causes of the quality issue at Benevento Foods. The diagram itself can be drawn by hand or with software. (Note: Tables are not appropriate; it must be in the form of a diagram).

· In addition to the diagram, explain the causal loop flow of the diagram. (Reminder: The concept of systems thinking and its associated tools are new to the owner.)

· There are both detail complexity and dynamic complexities at work at Benevento Foods. Through a system’s thinking viewpoint, evaluate the complexities that have led to the identified dilemma.

Recommendations for Improvement

You are to provide the owner with a summary of your findings and your recommendations to include the following in approximately 2 pages:

· Based on your evaluation, summarize the dilemma at Benevento Foods, including the identified root cause(s) of the quality issue and systemic issues that you discovered.

· Develop a set of at least three immediate recommendations, based on your evaluation, to improve the quality of the product.

· Develop a set of at least three recommendations for longer-term improvements based on systems thinking.

Struggling with where to start this assignment? Follow this guide to tackle your assignment easily!

Step-by-Step Guide for Completing the Business Report on Benevento Foods

📌 Section 1: Understanding Cause and Effect (3–4 Pages)

Step 1: Create a 5-Why Effect-Cause-Effect Diagram

Start with the final effect: rubber found in baking mix.
Ask “Why?” up to 5 times to trace back to the root cause.
Construct this as a diagram (not a table), showing each link clearly.
Use tools like Lucidchart, Draw.io, PowerPoint, or hand-draw and scan.

Step 2: Explain the 5-Why Diagram

Walk Mr. Benevento through the cause-and-effect chain.
Use simple, clear language—he’s new to systems thinking.
Example:

“The rubber was found because maintenance was scheduled during production. This occurred due to a lack of communication between departments…”

Step 3: Develop a Causal Loop Diagram

Identify feedback loops (reinforcing or balancing) in the system:
- Poor scheduling ➝ Increased downtime ➝ Rushed maintenance ➝ Quality issues ➝ Customer complaints ➝ Pressure to rush ➝ More issues.
Show relationships using arrows and positive/negative influence symbols.
Use the same diagram software or a drawing.

Step 4: Explain the Causal Loop Flow

Describe how the loops perpetuate the quality issue.
Discuss interactions between people, departments, and processes.
Highlight both detail complexity (many small problems) and dynamic complexity (how issues evolve over time).

📌 Section 2: Recommendations for Improvement (2 Pages)

Step 5: Summarize the Dilemma

Recap what happened:
- Customer complaints
- Upcoming BRC audit
- Internal coordination breakdown
List the root causes from your diagrams.
Identify systemic problems: siloed communication, inadequate preventive maintenance protocols, lack of quality monitoring.

Step 6: Offer Immediate Recommendations

Provide at least 3 short-term actions:

Suspend maintenance during production shifts.
Conduct a full review of equipment conditions and contamination risks.
Train production and maintenance staff on cross-departmental communication.

Step 7: Offer Long-Term, Systems-Based Recommendations

Suggest at least 3 strategic improvements:

Implement a centralized scheduling system for all plant activities.
Adopt ISO 22000 or Six Sigma methodologies to monitor process quality.
Establish an internal audit team to prepare continuously for third-party inspections like BRC.

Step 8: APA References

Use at least 2 scholarly sources from Walden Library or reputable journals.
Examples:

Senge, P. M. (2006). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. Currency.
Wood, D., Vachon, S., & Singh, M. (2015). Benevento Foods: When the rubber hits the dough. Ivey Publishing.

✅ Final Tips

Use professional, business-appropriate tone.
Stick to the assignment structure from the Week 3 template.
Diagrams must be well-labeled and integrated into your report.
Proofread for grammar, format, and APA accuracy.