Premium Essay

Strategic Operations Issues

In:

Submitted By andrewsam
Words 1480
Pages 6
Introduction
Strategy is about making choices, trade-offs; it's about deliberately choosing to be different. Michael Porter, view on 8th April 2014, (www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/michaelpor381643.html)
In the long term, the major objective for operations and processes is to provide the business with some form of strategic advantage. This is why the management of business’s processes and operations and its intended overall strategy must be logically connected.
Operations strategy can be defined as a pattern of decisions and actions that shapes the long- term vision, objectives and capabilities of the operation and its contribution to overall strategy.
But strategies are not always easy to identify. This is because of their intangible nature and the length of time taken for them to be realized. Nevertheless operations strategies can be identified by what they should do.
First it should provide a vision for the operation’s resources to contribute to the business as a whole. Secondly it should define the exact means of the operation’s performance objectives. Third it should identify the broad decisions that will help the operations achieve its objectives.
The operations strategy must connect from top (Corporate level) and the bottom (experience learnt) of the business.
Strategic operations must align market requirements with operations resources. Dell is a good example of market-resource alignment.
Operations strategy must set a path for improvement which clearly indicating how the improvement is to take place. This is best addressed by the trade-off between performance objectives in terms of the “efficient frontier” model. (Chapter 2, pg. 34-35).

Executive Summary
The rate at which organisations learn may soon become their only sustainable source of competitive advantage. (Peter Senge.)
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Strategic Operations Issues

...Strategic Operation Issues Executive Summary This paper reviews a core process of the Light and Power organisation with a view to seeking opportunity for change in the performance of process against the organisation’s strategic objectives. The organisation is currently not performing to target and improvement is required. By examining the design of a core process of the business and mapping process flow the impact of current design and capacity on outputs is able to be quantified and possible gains that can be made by changing the process design discussed. Investigation supports the premise that changing process design can increase the organisations performance against strategic objectives and set targets. The recommendation is made to pursue process change based on the theories discussed and the benefits the change can bring which will increase the organisations productivity and asset readiness whilst working to reduce costs. This result would increase the organisations performance to target. 1 Strategic Operation Issues Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... 1 The Organisation ........................................................................................................................ 3 Operation Issue .......................................................................................................................... 4 Examining the Process Issues...

Words: 3841 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

Hghfgh

...CURRICULLUM - TERM II 1. Module Title: Production and Operations Management 2. Module Description: The module employs a systems approach to examine the production and information systems of organisations, with a focus on the integration of transformation activities of firms to produce goods and services and the information systems that link these processes. Throughout the module the use of information technology to carry out these functions and improve operations will be emphasised. This module is also intended to be a survey of the operating practices and procedures found in both manufacturing and service delivery firms. It will focus on those business processes and procedures used to transform various inputs into finished goods and services. The value added aspects of Operations Management such as purchasing, material requirements planning, inventory control and project management are also covered. 3. Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of the module the students will be able to: describe how organisations can reduce waste and improve quality. explain the impact and importance of the customer-supplier-competitor relationship within business operations. apply quantitative tools and techniques for planning, predicting, measuring and monitoring operations. base strategic decisions on information derived from these tools and techniques. understand the relationship between operations and each of the other major business functions such as Marketing...

Words: 3197 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Operations Strategy

...OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT -1 Term 2, B2014-16, Oct-Dec 2014 Operations Strategy OPM 1 Term 2, B2014-16, Oct-Dec 2014 Session 02 Operations Strategy Prof. Kedar P. Joshi MISSION & STRATEGY OPM 1 Term 2, B2014-16, Oct-Dec 2014 Session 02 Operations Strategy Prof. Kedar P. Joshi 2 Developing Missions and Strategies Mission statements tell an organization where it is going The Strategy tells the organization how to get there OPM 1 Term 2, B2014-16, Oct-Dec 2014 Session 02 Operations Strategy Prof. Kedar P. Joshi Mission  Mission - where are you going?  Organization’s purpose for being  Answers ‘What do we provide society?’  Provides boundaries and focus OPM 1 Term 2, B2014-16, Oct-Dec 2014 Session 02 Operations Strategy Prof. Kedar P. Joshi Strategic Process Organization’s Mission Functional Area Missions Marketing OPM 1 Term 2, B2014-16, Oct-Dec 2014 Operations Session 02 Operations Strategy Finance/ Accounting Prof. Kedar P. Joshi Sample Missions Sample Company Mission To manufacture and service an innovative, growing, and profitable worldwide microwave communications business that exceeds our customers’ expectations. Sample Operations Management Mission To produce products consistent with the company’s mission as the worldwide low-cost manufacturer. OPM 1 Term 2, B2014-16, Oct-Dec 2014 Session 02 Operations Strategy Prof. Kedar P. Joshi Sample Missions Sample...

Words: 3342 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Nestle

...United Arab Emirates, has been experienced growth and this has a direct concern to the threat of competition to Qantas (Vesperman, Wald & Gleich 2008, pp. 388-394). All these factors above are a contributed force to Qantas to remain competitive. This paper seeks To address the approaches that should be engaged by Qantas that are necessary to ensure ongoing competitive advantages for the future of the airline industry within this hypercompetitive environment. 2. Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness Strategic management is a continuous process that involves reviewing and directing the activities of a business and the environment threats and opportunities within which it operates. Strategic management has grown from an initial emphasis on planning to become a broad management approach that helps organisation, align its direction with its objectives to attain strategic competitiveness. Strategic competitiveness refers to the A competitive advantage is achieved when a firm produces at lower operation costs compared to the other players...

Words: 1516 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Management

...2 Operations Strategy Defining how firms compete Chapter Objectives • Introduce the concept of operations strategy and its various components, and show how it relates to the overall business strategy of the firm. Illustrate how operations strategy pertains to adding value for the customer. Identify the different ways in which operations strategy can provide an organization with a competitive advantage. Introduce the concept of trade-offs between different strategies and the need for a firm to align its operations strategy to meet the needs of the particular markets it is serving. Explain the difference between order-qualifiers and order-winners as they pertain to operations strategy. Describe how firms are integrating manufacturing and services to provide an overall “bundle of benefits” to their customers. • • • • • STEELMAKER DOFASCO DOES A TURNAROUND THROUGH STRATEGIC REFOCUSING It is no secret that Canadian steelmakers are under pressure. The industry is increasingly facing competition from steelmakers in developing countries such as Brazil, China, and India where labour costs are low. While some other Canadian steel makers struggle, Hamiltonbased Dofasco, in business since 1912, has turned around its losses from a decade ago through a revised strategy. The company also owns or has partial ownership in facilities in the United States and Mexico. Until the late 1980s, the company competed on price by producing as much steel as possible at the lowest possible...

Words: 2809 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Marketing and Exports Co-Ordinator

...Strategic component answers the question "why do security enterprise problems exist?" This question of security leads to developing security policies that deal with people issues, and evaluates internal/external risks. Organizations are urging top executives to make information security a priority. Therefore, quality and trustworthiness of information are becoming key business issues (Ezingeard et al, 2005). To better accomplish information security in an organization, a management level infrastructure approach is needed. Just as information and data characteristics are different at the different levels of management, information security has different characteristics at the different levels of management. These levels of management are strategic, tactical, and operational. At the operations level, transaction data is produced and serves as input to create information. Maintaining and monitoring of integrity, confidentiality, and availability of the transaction data are primary objectives which are supported by organizational procedures and guidelines. At the tactical level, information is interpreted and utilized in decision making. Implementations of preventative, detective, and responsive controls are a primary objective which is supported by organizational standards. Further analysis/aggregation of the information creates knowledge to help make strategic level decisions Information security policy provides a framework to ensure that systems are developed and operated in...

Words: 1173 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Guide to Individual Case Preparation Case Notes Template

...organization performed in recent years in terms of return on investment, market share, and profitability? (This section must be based on and present evidence of your conduct of appropriate numerical analyses of the firm’s market and financial performance i.e. ratio analyses and/or change (and percentage change) over time in key market and financial measures over time.) Your task is to conduct analyses and discover possible problems facing the company, not to just present data. What are the organization’s current mission, objectives, strategies and policies? B. Corporate Governance Who are the Board of Directors and what is their level of involvement in strategic management? C. Top Management What person or group constitutes top management? Have they established a systematic approach to strategic management? Are strategic decisions made ethically in a socially responsible manner? Is top management sufficiently skilled to cope with likely future challenges? II. External Environment A. General Environment (required) What general environmental forces are currently affecting both the organization and the industries in which it competes? Which of these forces present future threats or opportunities? Are these forces...

Words: 1898 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Business Strategy

...Connecting business strategy and operations Michael Donovan Tags: lean manufacturing Most companies have a strategic plan. However, over the years I have seen it time and again. Strategy, although perceived by some as defined, is largely misunderstood across the organization, not tied-in to operations and therefore poorly executed in operations and as a result ignored as the hour-to-hour, crisis-to-crisis mode of management becomes more firmly entrenched. Does your company have an operations strategy developed and being executed to carry the strategic plan? In all likelihood, the answer is no. The most common missing ingredient to success in companies I have seen over the years is a well-planned and defined action plan for improvement that is being consistently and constantly well-executed. The symptoms can vary but, in essence, what is missing are: well-defined and agreed-upon business goals, operational objectives, action plans and performance measures. As a result, some functions within the company are often diametrically opposed to one another and operate in a way that makes meaningful business performance improvement nearly to outright impossible. Companies need a way to focus and stay focused. They need, in effect, a well-defined and well-executed strategy and action plan. No strategic plan in and of itself can help a company change and move ahead to capture more market share, improve products, increase customer satisfaction, or whatever is recommended within...

Words: 730 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Unknown

...Execution Premium: Linking Strategy to Operations for Competitive Advantage Q&A with HBS professor Robert S. Kaplan by Martha Lagace Companies often manage strategy in fits and starts. Though executives may formulate an excellent strategy, it easily fades from memory as the organization tackles day-to-day operations issues, doing what HBS professor Robert S. Kaplan calls "fighting fires." A new book due in August by Kaplan and David P. Norton aims to make strategy a continual process. The Execution Premium: Linking Strategy to Operations for Competitive Advantage (HBS Press) shows managers how to weave organizational principles into a more effective management system that respects the differences between strategy and operations yet integrates them in a powerful way. Kaplan and Norton introduced the Balanced Scorecard, a performance measurement system, in 1992. The Execution Premium is their fifth book as coauthors. Kaplan recently explained the ideas behind The Execution Premium and how they bridge the common divide between strategy and operations. Q: What particular issues around execution need to be better addressed in business? A: There are two key issues. First is leadership. Without strong visionary leadership, strategy will not be executed effectively. The second key issue is to recognize that strategy and operations (or tactics) are both important but different. The normal course of events is for companies to focus on day-to-day operations and short-term problem solving. Management...

Words: 2607 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Wassup Strategic Mgt

...Chapter One Scope of Strategic Management 1 Major Issues to Consider Global considerations impact virtually all strategic decisions. E-commerce has become a vital strategic management tool. The natural environment has become an important strategic issue. 2 Strategic Management Defined Art and science of formulating, implementing, and evaluating crossfunctional decisions that enable an organization to achieve its objectives. 3 Terminology “Strategic Management” Synonymous with “Strategic Planning” • Strategic management Used more often in academia • Strategic planning Used more often in the business world 4 Terminology Strategic management Refers to: Strategy formulation Strategy implementation Strategy evaluation Strategic planning Refers to: Strategy formulation 5 Brief History 1950s Term strategic planning originates 1960s – 1970s Strategic planning very popular Widely viewed as panacea for problems 6 Brief History 1980s Strategic planning cast aside Planning models did not yield higher returns 1990s–2000 Revival of strategic planning Widely practiced in business world 7 Strategic-Management Process Three Stages Strategy Formulation Strategy Implementation Strategy Evaluation 8 Strategy Formulation Vision & Mission Opportunities & Threats Strengths & Weaknesses Long-Term Objectives Alternative Strategies Strategy Selection 9 Strategy Implementation Annual Objectives Policies ...

Words: 1105 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Strategic Ihrm

...Chapter 2 Strategic International Human Resource Management CHAPTER OVERVIEW This chapter is about Strategic International Human Resource Management (SIHRM). While the first chapter described the new global business realities and introduced IHRM, this chapter describes international business strategy and how IHRM supports and enhances the international business strategies of the firm. The chapter starts with a general description of the process of international strategic management and then follows with an explanation of the evolution of international business strategy and describes how IHRM fits into the overall strategic management of the MNE. This includes describing the links of global business strategy to the performance of HR responsibilities in international business and discussing the outcomes that a strategically managed international business might expect from effectively tying together an international business strategy and SIHRM. The chapter then summarizes the findings of research studies on the nature and role of strategic IHRM. LEARNING OBJECTIVES * Describe the development of SIHRM and the process of international strategic management. * Describe the evolution of the MNE in terms of various stages of internationalization and the methods firms use to enter international markets. * Describe the process for developing MNE strategy and IHRM strategy and the relationship between the two. * The extent and nature of research into...

Words: 2870 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Implication of Strategic Change in British Airways

...Abstract Business strategy is important for organizations to operate, and it significantly impacts on every department of organizations. If the strategy has changed, it will cause many problems. In the process of implementing these changes, there is support or resistance from shareholders. This report focuses on analyzing BA’s strategic changes and dealing with managing these changes. In tradition, HRM is the organizational function that deals with requirement, training, assessment and rewarding of employees, while also managing people and the workplace culture and environment. Now the new role of HRM refers to overcome the challenge form implementing changes of organizational strategies. The case also indicates that the flexible HRM plays a significant role of dealing with the disputes between employees and management. Key words: strategy management, British Airways, change management, labor dispute Implication of strategic change in British Airways 1. Introduction Generally, a company makes strategies based on the changing environment. But if the strategies changes, there are many barriers to conduct. Human resource is performed as the most valuable asset of organizations. How to manage and more efficiently utilize the asset is so significant for organization to operate and develop. Obviously, there are resistance form employees. Therefore, human resource department is responsible for coordination in the organization. Human...

Words: 3419 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Mba - Strategic Management

...Task – 1 AC1.1 Discuss models of strategic change Types of Change Evolution: Transformational change implemented gradually through interrelated initiatives; likely to be proactive change undertaken in anticipation of the need for future change Adaptation: Change undertaken to realign the way in which the organisation operates, implemented in a series of steps Revolution: Transformational change that occurs via simultaneous initiatives on many fronts; more likely to be forced and reactive because of the changing competitive conditions that the organisation is facing Reconstruction: Change undertaken to realign the way in which the organization operates, with many initiatives implemented simultaneously; often forced and reactive because of a changing competitive context. AC1.2 Evaluate the relevance of models of strategic change to organisations in the current economy. Kotter’s model suggests that change is a gradual process and it should be dealt like wise. The change starts itself starts when and urgency in the organisation is created either to fulfill new requirement and need to resolve current issues. This leads to formation of vision and clear objectives which defines the change to be taken forward. In current economic scenario, where the industry is in very competitive environment and the economic recession has further tightened its position, it becomes necessary for the organisation to win the confidence of the staff and employees and keep them involved...

Words: 1574 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Obama Care

...Introduction Strategy one, in review of CanGo’s requirements, has spent the previous two weeks in discussions to learn and discover the business and needs of CanGo operations.   During this period, Strategy One has identified areas that present specific operations issues and has made recommendations for each of these areas below.   The issues discovered and discussed are strategic planning, organization, finance, project management, a project team, and project resource allocation and are presented in the information below with recommended resolutions. Week 1 Issues Issue #1 The first issue identified by Strategy One is in the area of strategic planning.   CanGo has been a successful company to date by being a trail blazer and leader in the online retail resource vertical.   In order for CanGo to continue its success, remain a leader and expand its offerings, strategic planning must be implemented in the management of the company.   “The strategic management process is made up of four elements: situation analysis, strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and strategy evaluation. These elements are steps that are performed, in order, when developing a new strategic management plan. Existing businesses that have already developed a strategic management plan will revisit these steps as the need arises, in order to make necessary changes and improvements.”   (Bushman, 2007)   There is an admitted lack of planning in the current organization.   By documenting the trending...

Words: 4593 - Pages: 19

Premium Essay

Mastering the Management System

...cycle that links strategy and operations, and know what tools to apply at each stage of the cycle. the Management System by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton NOT LONG AFTER ITS SUCCESSFUL IPO, the Conner Corporation (not its real name) began to lose its way. The company’s senior executives continued their practice of holding monthly one-day management meetings, but their focus drifted. The meetings’ agenda called for a discussion of operational issues in the morning and strategic issues in the afternoon. But with the company under pressure to meet quarterly targets, operational items had started to crowd strategy out of the agenda. Inevitably, the review of actual monthly and forecast quarterly financial performance revealed revenues to be lower, and expenses to be higher, than targeted. The worried managers spent hours discussing how to close the gap through pricing initiatives, capacity downsizing, SG&A staff cuts, and sales hbr.org 1808 Kaplan.indd 63 | January 2008 | Harvard Business Review 6 3 12/5/07 5:32:05 PM | Mastering the Management System campaigns. One executive noted, “We have no time for strategy. If we miss our quarterly numbers, we might cease to exist. For us, the long term is the short term.” Like Conner, all too many companies – including some well-established public corporations – have learned how Gresham’s Law applies to their management meetings: Discussions about bad operations inevitably drive out discussions...

Words: 9164 - Pages: 37