Summary:

Angaza Taa was a company that fabricated handmade tote bags. Founded by Ally Karabu in her dorm room at Huron University in London, Ontario, the company had been built on Karabu’s commitment to community development and environmental awareness. Reflecting these values, Angaza Taa donated 30% of its proceeds to grassroots social initiatives in South and East Africa. In the early stages of Angaza Taa, Karabu recognized that her current operations were not sufficient to handle large orders and the increasing demand. Karabu was faced with making a decision based on operational efficiencies, costs, timing and alignment with customer priorities. Students are asked to perform a process identification as well as a process flow analysis to determine a solution to the bottleneck in Angaza Taa’s manufacturing process. Students will also qualitatively and financially analyze each alternative to determine which best aligns with the goal of meeting demand. This operational management case is designed for an introductory business course at the undergraduate level. It could also be taught in a social enterprise or entrepreneurship-based course.