Operations Management: An Integrated Approach, 5th Edition

CASE: Creature Care Animal Clinic (B)

Company Background

Creature Care Animal Clinic is a suburban veterinary clinic specializing in the medical care of dogs and cats. Dr. Julia Barr opened the clinic three years ago, hiring another full-time veterinarian, a staff of three nurses, an office manager, and an office assistant. The clinic operates Monday through Friday during regular business hours, with half days on Saturdays and extended hours on Wednesday evenings. Both doctors work during the week and take turns covering Wednesday evenings and Saturdays.

Dr. Barr opened the clinic with the intent of providing outpatient animal care. Overnight services are provided for surgical patients only. No other specialized services are offered. The facility for the clinic was designed for this type of service, with a spacious waiting and reception area. The examining and surgical rooms are in the rear, just large enough to accommodate their initial purpose.

As time has passed, however, the number of patients requesting specialized services has increased. Initially the requests were few, so Dr. Barr tried to accommodate them. As one of the nurses was also trained in grooming services, she began to alternate between her regular duties and pet grooming. Pet grooming was performed in the rear of the reception area, as it was spacious and there was no other room for this job. At first this was not a problem. However, as the number of pets being groomed increased, the flow of work began to be interrupted. ...