Operations Management
Total Wordcount: 3000-3500
PART 1: Case Study (60%)
Case Study of Crescent Form Studios (CFS)
“It’s incredible how much our business model has evolved in just a few years. From being a traditional manufacturer, we’ve become a fully integrated design and production service. Most of our new revenue now comes from strategic partnerships with luxury design labels. Essentially, we co-develop product lines with these brands and provide end-to-end manufacturing and distribution. We’ve transitioned from a B2C model to a relationship-driven B2B approach.” — Rami Al-Rashid, CEO, Crescent Form Studios (CFS)
CFS had grown to become one of the most profitable home and lifestyle product companies in the Middle East. Established in the early 1970s, the company originally focused on industrial plastic mouldings for oil and gas clients, as well as a basic range of household items—buckets, bins, and storage containers—marketed under the “Crescent” name.
The Move into Premium Consumer Products
CFS’s transformation into a premium homeware provider was led by Zara Khan, the company’s Head of Product and Marketing, who had previously worked in the home décor retail sector.
“Working in home décor taught me how even simple products could command high prices if paired with design innovation and branding. We noticed a gap for modern, minimalist kitchenware and home items with a regional identity. We decided to design a cohesive range that we could pitch to boutique lifestyle stores, concept retailers, and high-end department stores.” — Zara Khan, Marketing Director, CFS
Within 18 months of launching the “CFS Living” collection, the company had listings in over 2,800 outlets across the GCC, complete with branded retail displays. Social media buzz, influencer endorsements, and features in regional lifestyle magazines quickly turned the range into a trend. Within two years, the premium line accounted for nearly 80% of the company’s revenue and over 90% of its profit.
Do You Need Assignment of This Question
The Shift Toward Designer Partnerships
“Over the past five years, we’ve been co-developing products with top design houses from Europe and the Gulf. They bring the vision, and we bring technical expertise, manufacturing precision, and a strong logistics network. We even customize our distribution so it feels like it comes directly from their brand.”— Zara Khan
The company’s most successful partnership was with Maison Farouq, a Paris-based design firm. What set CFS apart was not only its high-calibre in-house designers but its engineering capability to turn complex ideas into marketable, manufacturable products. 4
These partnerships were often long-cycle, high-margin projects that carried the partner’s brand name. Though design was the door-opener, CFS’s value proposition included its vertically integrated production, customer service, and distribution.
Manufacturing Capabilities
CFS’s main manufacturing site is located 15km outside Dubai. The facility uses advanced plastic injection moulding machines, most of them large, multi-cavity, and fully automated. Products typically flow from moulding to assembly to quality control. Newer designs often require back-and-forth flows across moulding and assembly, adding process complexity.
One proposal under consideration was to dedicate a separate pilot cell for testing new moulds and producing limited batches of complex items. But this would involve investment in capacity that might sit idle.
“We replaced all our small moulding machines with large, multi-cavity units. They’re harder to switch over, but far more efficient. A single machine can now produce 16 units per minute compared to 3 on the old ones—a 530% boost. Standardizing machines also helps with planning—we can switch any mould to any machine, which gives us flexibility.” — Omar Said, Operations Director, CFS
To manage volume and cut costs, CFS outsourced most production of its legacy Crescent products to small local moulders. However, coordination and quality control were inconsistent.
“We underestimated the complexity of subcontracting. It’s not just about handing over designs; it’s about ensuring alignment on quality and timing. We’ve learned that managing subcontractors is a capability we still need to develop.”— Omar Said
Distribution and Planning
The planning and distribution function is central to CFS’s operations. Lina Darwish, Planning Manager, reports to Zara Khan and oversees production schedules, warehousing, and customer deliveries.
“We try to sequence production from light to dark colours to save cleaning time. Colour changes are quick—about 15 minutes—but changing a mould can take three hours. With the growing product variety, we’ve had to reduce batch sizes, which has lowered overall machine utilization. Forecasts would help—but even our own marketing team gives us short notice for campaigns.”— Lina Darwish
Orders for CFS Living and designer-branded products are processed through a customer support centre adjacent to the distribution centre. While Gulf-region deliveries use the company’s own fleet, European orders rely on freight carriers. An express service is available, but internal data showed 40% of express deliveries were triggered by CFS, not customers—mostly to cover out-of-stock items. 5
Buy Answer of This Assessment & Raise Your Grades
Key Challenges Facing CFS
Despite commercial success, several internal challenges loomed. The influence of the design team was growing rapidly. Zara Khan emphasized:
“Our future depends on our creative talent. Designers who can build strong relationships with our partners are directly responsible for most of our growth.”
However, manufacturing leaders felt frustrated.
“Designers don’t always consider the impact of their decisions. They push boundaries without understanding production constraints. Ironically, I see more of Maison Farouq’s designers than our own.”— Omar Said
Sales forecasting also remained a tension point. Omar advocated for tighter forecasting, while Zara emphasized the unpredictability of a fashion-led market.
“Of course he wants more stable forecasts. But when you sell trend-driven products, weekly accuracy is almost impossible. Still, I admit he does a great job reacting quickly.”
CFS’s leadership team was now debating the next strategic move: expand into furniture? Globalize further? Or specialize even more in plastic homewares?
“Both of our biggest transformations came from leveraging internal strengths—first our aerospace-grade moulding, then our design credibility. What’s next for us? That’s the real question.”— Rami Al-Rashid, CEO
Discussion Questions
- What are the operational risks and benefits of Crescent Form Studios shifting from a B2C to a B2B business model focused on partnerships with design houses? How should the company align its operations to support this transition effectively?
- Considering the complexities of mould changeovers and production scheduling described in the case, what lean, or process improvement techniques could CFS apply to increase manufacturing efficiency and reduce downtime?
- How can the design and manufacturing departments improve collaboration to reduce conflict and ensure that product designs are both innovative and feasible to produce at scale? What organizational changes might support this?
Part 2 (30%)
- In the context of continuous improvement and operational excellence, how can Lean principles and Six Sigma methodologies be strategically integrated within an organization to drive sustainable performance improvements, and what are the key challenges in aligning these approaches with broader business objectives?
- Discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming operations management, and what are the potential benefits and challenges of implementing AI-driven systems in your organisation or an organisation you are familiar with. You could consider areas such as supply chain optimization, inventory control, and demand forecasting.
Are You Looking for Answer of This Assignment or Essay
The post Operations Management Case Study Assignment: Integrating Lean, Design, and AI for Sustainable Growth at CFS appeared first on Students Assignment Help UK.