Conclusion

This project has been a good experience for us to learn about how the material we learned in class is applied out in the real world. When we first when into this project, we believed that the conceptual theory cannot be applied specifically to a job and turn it into a common practice, a common practice that some of the most successful businesses still practice today. We tried to focus on the quality of their products and how they stress the importance of quality work down to the factory line.

We believe that this company is one that shows strength and great possibilities for even more success. The satisfaction of the customer is very important to this company because without the customer they would not be in business. On our interview and trip of the factory we noticed some customer thank you cards and letters. Customers are very satisfied with their product. It is clear that when this company was started in 1921 with just a vision and an idea, founder William Alboum saw no boundaries. We were able to get insight into unfamiliar territory such as cowboy hats and see how principles learned in Operations Management could be applied. Although we gave our recommendations based on our newly gained knowledge, it is also important to note that their system works very well for them. In business today it seems to be all about making an extra dollar and cutting corners to do it. W. Alboum Hat Company appears to be a very straight-forward business whose primary goal is giving the customer exactly what they want, when they want, at the best price possible. This is a company that is able to make money while following their mission, so it is safe to call it a success. They must always seek out on more ways to improve their product so that they can continue to in business.

Overall this was a great experience on learning how to work together as a group to achieve one common goal. With this company we saw how teamwork truly pays off. We hope W. Alboum Hats continues to improve and continues to succeed.