Operations Management

Assignment Title: Individual analysis of the importance of Operations Management and related Concepts to a case study (an organization) of student's choice.

Assignment Brief

Introduction

If the Marketing function is to identify the needs of customers, then the Operations Management function has the role of providing the required products or services in a way that satisfies the criteria imposed by the market. A critical appreciation of the main operational tasks of Operations Management concepts in your chosen case study example is an essential starting point in this process, and the effective and efficient operation of this function is therefore important if the organization is to be successful.

Assignment

Looking at your company at organizational level, or department level critically assess the operational methods and strategies adopted to provide the product(s) in a way that give(s) maximum satisfaction to the customers or clients.

A good answer will identify the criteria applied by the customer in assessing satisfaction

I.e. the order-winning and order-qualifying criteria. You should

a) Provide a critical of the principal operations tasks to satisfy these criteria

b) Analyse the process strategies and procedures employed to ensure that these tasks are carried as effectively providing such analysis with appropriate theoretical underpinning.

c) Provide a critical evaluated reflection of the Value-Added contribution you have made to your chosen case study as a result your application of operations management principles and related knowledge.

The organization may not have an operations/production department defined in such terms, but it will still produce something or provides a service for the use of somebody.

The report, excluding appendices, should be 3000 words +/- 10% in length. For your guidance, it will consist of:

i. An introduction in which you describe your organization and what you and your department's contribution is to the organization.

ii. An accurate description of which the customers are - they may be external or internal - and what they expect from the output in terms of the broad market criteria discussed in the recommended text (Slack, Brandon-Jones & Johnston, 2013). From this, using the models in the text, you should be able to identify what the operations objectives are. This should then suggest the sort of process that ought to be operating. (The different process types and their ability to meet the range of operations objectives are explained at length in the module material).

iii. You should then describe the process in these terms and explain how and why it helps or hinders in the achievement of the operations objectives i.e. its ability to supply a product which meets the customer's needs. This is the essential analysis that shows your ability to apply the module content to your experience.

iv. Having analysed the process, describe what changes you recommend to make - and explain why these are necessary in terms of improving the ability to meet the operations objectives. You need to give some guidance on the feasibility of the changes, how they ought to be implemented, a cost benefit etc., etc., where these are possible given the case organization context.

Your work will be assessed against the following criteria:
1. Knowledge - Your work should show knowledge of the module content.
2. Understanding - Your report should demonstrate an understanding of operations management.
3. Insight - Your report should show an ability to analyse the operation in the light of the module content and your own reading.
4. Clarity - Your report should be well structured and clearly presented.

You should include a shortlist of references to support your observations and assertions.

Assignment Structure

Choose a company that:
You have been working or worked before
You have been its customers and use its product and services
General requirements:
General background
Describe its products/services, current business agenda
What customers expect, and how to help achieve competitive advantages
Analyze existing operations functions
Identify key areas for improvements
Specifically recommend action plans for these improvements

1)General Background:
The company name (can be pseudonym)
Headquarter location, founder, current CEO, founding year, regions of operations
Business areas (if too diversified choose one business product division or product line)
Current business performance:
Financial performance: profits, sales turnover
Marketing performance: market share, reputation

2)Describe its products/services, current business agenda: (150 words)
Its major product and services, what are they? (50)
What benefits are marketing promising to customers? (100)

3)What customers expect, and how to help achieve competitive advantages: (500 words)
What are the strengths of these products/services from customer/competitor's perspective? (150 words)
What are the weaknesses or potential weakness? (150)
Is the operations strategy supporting its marketing strategy? Why or why not? (150-200 words)

4)Analyze existing operations functions (1000 Words):
Identify at least 4 functions of operations that affect its operations competitiveness (each function 250 words):
For each function: (250)
Identify and briefly describe its current practice (100)
Which operations competitive priorities it is related to (50)?
Explain why or why not the function is not supporting operations / marketing competitive agenda (50)?
Ideally what should the function deliver? (50)

5) Identify key areas (4) for improvements: (1000 Words)
Each area of improvement (250)
Use the right operations concepts to identify reasons the function / activity is not performing (100)
Suggest new design or modification to the practice for better performance (100)
What new resources may be needed for the improved practice (50)

6)Summary and recommendation (200 Words)

Summarize the new practices for the 4 areas and what benefits they will bring (100)
Use a timeline to suggest implementation phases and action plan (can be in table format). (100)

This assignment is intended to give you an opportunity to show that you are capable of applying your knowledge of operations management, not only in describing the issues faced by the organization, but also in explaining them and justifying your proposed actions to improve them. You are invited to review all the models and concepts that we have discussed.