| SYLLABUS DOT POINTS | Business Case Study 1 | Business Case Study 2 |
| role of operations management
o strategic role of operations management – cost leadership, good/service differentiation o goods and/or services in different industries o interdependence with other key business functions |
NOTE: 60 words (+/- 10 per cent) for EACH business case study
Outline the relationship between operations and other key business functions for each business case study |
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| Operations are cross coordinated with Financial management to optimize higher revenue. The operations team focuses on reducing costs through the transport sector, thus minimizing expenses. The type of goods does not change in the quest to bring the balance. The relations with other business functions are independent and departmental. They all work together, peculiarly, to achieve the objective.
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The managerial team coordinates operations and is mandated to achieve better product quality. The company uses laying-off employees’ strategy as the most sustainable way to stay afloat and minimize cost during a crisis. The interdependence with other business functions is high as the managerial has intervened in the process of both cost minimization and laying off employees. | |
| influences
o globalization, technology, quality expectations, cost-based competition, government policies, legal regulation, environmental sustainability o corporate social responsibility – the difference between legal compliance and ethical responsibility – environmental sustainability and social responsibility |
NOTE: 150 words (+/- 10 per cent) for EACH case study
Discuss at least TWO influences in operations management for EACH business case study |
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| The main concern is technology, cost-based competition, government policies, and globalization. Technology is a major factor as the transport sector needs alterations, and thus, cheaper forms of transporting products sought. Since the main objective is cutting the cost, the aspect of cost-based competition cannot be ousted. The norm expected by the government concerning the criteria used in the transport industry has to undergo a breakdown and assimilation of newer ways to achieve cost-effectiveness.
In such a case, legal compliance refers to the company’s adherence to all legislative expectations, while being ethical would be in accordance with the population’s cultural beliefs. The people around have ideas that form the basis of right and wrong. In a cooperate case, it is the values, principles, culture, and law that provides ethics. Environment sustainability would imply being environment friendly regardless of the proceedings. Social responsibility is the commitment, through a mandate, to serve the people. |
The organizations seek to continually sustain their actions by not laying off the workers who provide quality f service. The need to lay off these employees has been made possible by the art of making sure the company has profitable.
Since the laying off procedure deals with the workers of the company, the intervention of legal regulation comes into action. There is no instance where the company would drop off workers and continue soldiering on. The process needs to be smooth and effectively comply with the regulations set up by the law. The procedure of one to comply with the dictates of the law, as highlighted by the government, makes up legal compliance. What seems good or bad in the face of the managers, and the values of the company develop ethics. Environmental sustainability would refer to practices that do not cause pollution. Conversely, social responsibility is the obligation to take care of the population. |
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| operations processes
o inputs – transformed resources (materials, information, customers) – transforming resources (human resources, facilities) o transformation processes – the influence of volume, variety, variation in demand and visibility (customer contact) – sequencing and scheduling – Gantt charts, critical path analysis – technology, task design, and process layout – monitoring, control and improvement o outputs – customer service warranties |
NOTE: 170 words (+/- 10 per cent) for EACH case study
Analyse the operations processes for EACH business case study |
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| The operations processes entail cost-effectiveness. Keeping the cost of the products as low as possible and creatively destroying the market. It has transformed into a giant that cannot be compared to the competitors through the customer satisfaction process.
The company is transforming its model of carrying out business to ensure it taps maximum profit. Taking over the transport sector would change the facilities such as more cargo holders or trains and human labor needed. The movement of goods has to be in large capacities to sustain the low prices in the stores. Also, these cargoes will enable the provision of varieties, thus keeping customers. The art of sequencing using critical path analysis tools would create an environment of proper analysis conduction. Technology traces the processes in the stores also provides a platform for reaching out to the consumers. Monitoring practices are essential to the inventory recording team as the system would prove efficient. The output creates customer satisfaction since improved services and products are the results. |
It is incorporating finance to the industry to encourage the incorporation of staff in other chain stores. A transformation to become a competitor of Walmart in the retail industry avails more products and customers. Incorporating more resources solidifies its stay in the industry.
It is transforming through the high-performance culture made possible by the human resource team. Also, providing facilities necessary to induce a change in the retail industry. The art of laying off employees does not create variation in the movement of products into the store. Since more stores are expected to close, the demand and visibility would significantly reduce leading to a lack of customer contact. The art of assimilating technology is untraceable as the company focuses on achieving profits by reducing labor costs. Monitoring improvements are possible in achieving improvements in the stores as the state of the nation betters. The result is that the customer service would greatly suffer from lack of enough attention. Also, since jobs will be lost, people within the region would not be in a position to visit the stores. |
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| Operations strategies
o performance objectives – quality, speed, dependability, flexibility, customisation, cost o new product or service design and development o supply chain management – logistics, e-commerce, global sourcing o outsourcing – advantages and disadvantages o technology – leading edge, established o inventory management – advantages and disadvantages of holding stock, LIFO (last-in-first-out), FIFO (first-in-first-out), JIT (just-in-time) o quality management – control – assurance – improvement o overcoming resistance to change – financial costs, purchasing new equipment, redundancy payments, retraining, reorganising plant layout, inertia o global factors – global sourcing, economies of scale, scanning and learning, research and development
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Assess how at least TWO operations strategies have responded to key influences.
NOTE: 200 words (+/- 10 per cent) for EACH case study |
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| The operations have a strategy of acting fast to cut cost. It is also notable that the industry is flexible in executing its duties to become a world recognized brand in the retail market. Also, the industry has the potential to be independent. The strategy of taking over the transport sector in the quest to cut off the middlemen in between and thus save cost has been assimilated in time. The decision is wise, showing effectiveness and bright staff. Since it has the capability of self-managing the transport sector, the dependability rate is low and thus an added advantage. The flexible nature has attributed it to the effectiveness of executing the breakthroughs required.
The art of taking new service design has been mastered, thus taking on self-sufficient transport connections. The supply chain management has strategically managed its systems to comply with the new decisions of cutting down costs flexibly. E-commerce is crucial is expanding the market scope. Technology is essential for e-commerce and the industry, as a whole, since it creates the hub for innovation. Holding stock is advantageous since it enables the growth of current stock and, thus, no exhaustion (FIFO). Also, in an instance where products do not sell, there might be a problem with holding stock. |
The performance objectives seek to save on cost and quality. Employees have to be laid off to cover costs and enhance quality.
There is no development of the new product as the service remains the same despite measures to reduce costs. The involvement of the supply chain management is limited since the managerial team seems to take the post of responsibly taking the actions. Outsourcing is advantageous in bringing cheap labor. Conversely, it is a vice in the current scene since labor is excess. Quality management seeks to control the threshold of products in the store and thus to assure the customers of the best ones. Resistance to change is a downfall to the resisting party. The moment the company refuses to take the measures that would encourage profitability, then bankruptcy would be the destination. The economies of scale enhance the art of knowing the extent of damage the company would need to take care of when a decision is made. The global economy decides on the position of the market. The pandemic has caused havoc that can not be subject to assumptions. Inventory management in a chain store is crucial since it is a detector of the loss and management of goods within the premises. |
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