Essay Example on Operations Management

An operational plan is an essential component in the management of an organization as it outlines some of the issues that need to be addressed within the speculated period. Organization managers need to establish operational plans that meet all the requirements in sustaining the functionality of their organizations in order for them to realize the best output productivity. Development of a new department named the Training and Development of the Administrative and Sales Team for my employer at a Personal Recruitment Company is an issue of concern due to the tight budget which it has impacted on the company. A budget that is less costly and more efficient needs to be developed to cut the expenses which are likely to be incurred in spite of the new setup. When coming up with the several important aspects to be addressed as much as the operational plan is considered, it is significantly essential to have certain plans, goals, and recommendations in place to support the strategic plan (Slack, 2015). The primal role of an organization is always to realize more sales in the market with regards to the competitive nature of the economic environment. Consequently, numerous factors attribute to the number of sales made by the organization. These include:

Aiming at customer retention

This will encompass several mechanisms that function to keep the constant purchasing power of the customers.

Contingencies plans

These plans will help to alleviate the risks that come along with the execution of the strategic plan and suppose it does not work out as planned.

Raising funds

The manager also needs to keep close contact with people who are financing the operations of the organization. For instance, investors will ensure that the financial requirements of the company are met and, therefore, the manager of the company will have enough funds in initiating the development of the new department.

Qualified personnel

A company requires personnel who are well trained on the effective operations of the company so that the productivity of the company can be maximal, failure to which the company will not make any progress.

Low cost budget

Having a budget that takes into consideration low operational costs will help the company to realize maximum profit, unlike the case when the operational costs are higher than the cash sales of the company.

Proper scheduling and time framing

Establishment of appropriate seasons when the sales are high will help elevate the companys level of cash influx.

Assessment 2

Source of capital is operational plan that has an effect on the strategic plan in the sense that the companys relation with its financiers might be jeopardized thereby leading to alteration in the operations of the company. Contingencies plans also have a significant impact on the running processes of the company. The personnel in the company have a primal role in stabilizing the operational condition of the company. Change in the operational input will determine the quality of production of the company.

Resources and goals to meet the goals outlined in (1) include investments, outlining of effective contingency plans, deploying qualified personnel, and effective operational input priorities.

With regards to operational goals, the relevant personnel to consult include the investors as they have a significant impact in the funding process of the organization. The Board of Directors consequently has a major implication in execution of the necessary changes in the organization with regards to the operational goals. The staffs in the organization have to be incorporated in coming up with the operational plan as they are the ones who will be greatly affected by the changes that take place.

To maintain a record of the consultation process, several communication methods need to be implemented; these include meetings, surveys, questionnaires, informal sessions, newsletters, interviews, and brainstorming sessions. These processes are effective as the information obtained through them is not presumed obsolete or biased.

Formal feedbacks are highly rigorous and are presumed specific as they aim at directly involving the relevant parties which are involved in the operational process.

i) To increase sales growth by 30% in 2015

ii) To improve consumer attraction rate by 25% in 2014

i) Acquisition of new employees

ii) Training of the current staff

Before developing a business proposal it is primal to take into consideration various components that need to be addressed in the business proposal. First and foremost, the business proposal needs to be properly studied in order for the clients requirements to be established as per his/her request. Relevant methodologies need to be employed in fulfilling the clients wishes so as to solve the problem. The business proposal should aim at outshining the competitors. For example, for a mobile retail shop a customer needs to be convinced about the authenticity of a mobile phone and its specifications as per his/her needs. The manager in this case will therefore be required to have sales people who are conversant with the knowledge about the various gadgets sold at the retail shop. The type of phones that will be sold at the retail shop is another important issue that needs to be considered. Location of the business matters due to close proximity to the consumers.

Flow chart for relevant parties to approve the business proposal

Entrepreneur

Customers

Investors

Board of Directors

Suppliers

Legal Authorities

Manufacturers

The staff has to be informed about the plan and the necessary changes that are expected to take place as far as the operational process of the company is involved. The proposal has to be clearly understood by the staff to reduce rifts that might come along after the proposal has been implemented. Sharing the information with the staff is a smart goal to ensure that they understand the details of the business proposal; this also allows creates an open room for discussion about relevant changes that need to be effected to ease on the burden of the staff and the company. Feedbacks obtained after sharing the information is a major determinant of the extensiveness of the proposal (Krajewski, Ritzman, & Malhotra, 2013).

i) Paying the suppliers on time will enforce their supply rate to the company

ii) Offering the highest bids in the market for suppliers attracts supplies

iii) Outlining clear goals which are achievable gains trust to the companys from the suppliers

iv) Making friends with the suppliers is an effective way of maintaining the business relationship

v) Understanding the suppliers needs and meeting their requirements keeps them from shifting their supply services.

Monitoring the companys cash flow rate will help determine if there is any improvement on the effected changes after executing the organizations operational plan based on the KPI, Smart goals, communication, and feedback processes. Customers influx rate also helps in establishing the performance rate of the organization.

Standard and quality production by the company.

While monitoring financial information, the cash flow rate and the amount of liabilities will help in establishing the financial position of the organization. When the amount of liabilities is higher than the rate of flow of income, then the organization will realize high losses. Ultimately, when the sales are higher than the liabilities, huge profit margins will be realized.

Training the personnel

This will elevate the working performance of the personnel for efficient productivity

Organization of seminars and evaluation programs

Taking the staff out to seminars helps in making them to acquire new skills essential in working on their lines of duty

Finding alternative means in running the operational process

For instance acquiring equipments which the employers are conversant with

Getting rid of the under-qualified personnel

Eradication of low-performing individuals enhances progressiveness of the organization

Acquisition of qualified personnel

Changing the orientation of the personnel greatly impacts on the output level of the organization.

Creating an interaction-free zone for the employees in the designated departments alleviates the existing indifferences between the colleagues. Organizing forums that are aimed at discussing the specific issues affecting the employees at the organization. Promotional activities also foster good interaction relationship among employees.

Critique the variation (staff involvement)

Review and consultations (consumers response, investors)

Expert view (experts and manufacturers)

Marketability (suppliers)

Establishing the effectiveness of the variation (management)

Developing a foundational basis for the variation

Execution of the variation

Statistical observation on the market view about the variation

Making necessary changes in case of any from the feedback responses

Widely marketing the variation

References

Krajewski, L. J., Ritzman, L. P., & Malhotra, M. K. (2013). Operations management: Processes and supply chains (Vol. 1). New York: Pearson.

Slack, N. (2015). Operations strategy. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.