Operations Management Assignment Sample

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1.0. Introduction

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Today, with the rapid growth and the enhancement of the business competitiveness, companies are actively involved towards widening the share in the markets through the proper involvement of rapid operations and quality management information systems. These are not only associated with the overall performance enhancement through the effective operational management that is the process that generally plans. Control and supervise manufacturing and production procedures and the service delivery (Khalfan et al., 2020). Operations management in this respect, is also active in dealing with the business operations and helps effectively towards managing, controlling and supervising the goods, services and people more systematically. 

Today the growth of a competitive business environment is also allowing the businesses to increase their revenues through effective management of operations and quality management information. While doing so, the businesses are also enabling the continuation of growth for the company. Hence, the concepts of operations and quality management information procedure in the contemporary environment is certainly useful to manage and to deal with efficient engagement in the production and financial profitability. As these are responsible for all aspects of creating goods and services for the companies (Nguyen, 2020). therefore, today, most of the companies are actively acquiring a range of operations and quality management information systems to meet the changing demands. The current paper is therefore focusing towards the significance of quality and operations management within Unilever, as chosen organization. 

2.0. Operations and Quality Management information

The growth of business competitiveness in the contemporary business environment is actively involved towards widening the flow of market share and business competitive advantages. While doing so, the operational management also is dealing with the processes for production strategies that each of the organizations are incorporating to gain collaborative growth approaches. In a much detailed manner. Furthermore, the quality management can also be understood as the completion of the production processes by ensuring customer satisfaction. Each of these procedures are therefore becoming the most systematic and appropriate technique that acts as the overseeing of all activities and tasks that needs to be maintained in a much systematic and desired level of excellence (Ricardianto et al., 2022). These are also working towards meeting the business objectives by properly incorporating a systematic and appropriate set of developmental parameters to deal with the strategic procedures and ensuring a smoother operational practices. While doing so, the approaches of quality management frameworks also include a variety of determination of a quality policy, creating and implementing the quality planning and assurance as well as the quality control and overall improvement of quality procedures. Each of these elements can also largely be defined as the total quality management approach. In such respect, the involvement of different business approaches and widening the competitive growth procedures more systematically. The contemporary organizations in this respect, are also involved towards ensuring positive and productive involvement of business operations and gaining collaboratively higher sets of developmental policy procedures. In such respect, the incorporation of production and the quality of goods and services are also critical in considering the competition in the business sector (Liu et al., 2020). Hence, the involvement of different developmental elements are therefore certainly vital for understanding the scopes for business performance and gaining collaborative business development opportunities. Furthermore, the involvement of business competitiveness also requires to have a proper set of total quality management that seems like an intuitive process, which came about as a revolutionary idea in the beginning of the 20th century. In such respect, the overall performance and development of the overall development of the business operations and quality management procedures which are among the most important strategies towards survival of the businesses as a whole (Santa et al., 2018).

3.0. Background information to the chosen industry

Retail industry is a vast sector that ranges from departmental stores to coffee machines, from digital storefront to town square, from foods to clothing and it is a never ending game. The retail sector is often known to be one of the most important players in the economic sphere of a country. This industry can also be described as the litmus test for a country that identifies the economic level and well-being of a country. In every healthy economy the high production rate and wealth is being reflected through the rate of consumption. This is known as concentrated retail;. This is because in every emergency situation the retail industry suffers the most. In close note the retail industry can be defined as the market that includes the overall activities of selling goods and services by an organization directly to the consumer for their personal and family use.

The UK retail industry is continuously growing and currently it consists of 3000,000 separate businesses. It employs more than 3 million people that represents nearly 8% of the overall UK market (Ons, 2021). Along with that it also satisfies the needs of the goods and services of consumers along with their aspirations. However, according to the data of 2019,retail sales in the UK were more than £439 billion. Among which 39 pence, 12 pence, 9 pence, and 8 pence were spent in food shops, clothing shops, automotive fuel, and household goods shops respectively. However, the retail industry is facing a certain loss due to the covid 19 impact. In 2020 the overall sales revenue fell by almost 1.9 percent compared to 2019 which is the largest annual fall on the record (Brc, 2018). The consumer retail sector has faced the largest fall of negative 21.5% and negative 22.2 percent in 2020 and following. 

3.1. Background information to the chosen company

Unilever is one of the largest retail joints in the UK. Located in the Port Sunlight, the historic home of this company holds one of the most important collections of business records around the world. This retail giant started its business in in 1980ss by introducing the Sunlight soap whose founders were the Lever brothers. In the 1920s the margarine producing company of Van Den Bergh joined with another margarine producer in Bohemia and these three companies named Unie located in Holland (Unilever, 2022). In the 1930s the Lever Brothers merged with the Unie and with their first names they named the company as Unilever. Currently the company operates in more than 190 countries with more than 3.4 billion consumers and holds more than 400 brands (Unilever, 2022). As of 2022 more than 149,000 employees work under the name of this company. Following the revenue of the brand it can be seen that it has earned more than 52.444 billion pound revenue in 2021 even during the covid situation. The turnover rate of this company increased by 3.4 percent thus resulting in a 9.6 billion pound profit which is far more than many other competitors in this industry (Unilever, 2022). 

4.0. Operations and Quality Management theories and their practices

It is significant to understand that the modern operational management systems are actively revolving around four different theories, these includes

• Business process redesign: this process is very much specific, as its goal is to provide support to the companies dramatically for overall restructuring and the organization through the designing of the business processes. It also works towards dealing with the overall flow of operational and designing workflow and the business processes within an organization (Anitah et al., 2019). 
• Reconfigurable manufacturing systems: this theory is also actively involved towards widening the competitive growth procedures for the performance management and widening the competitive growth procedures in a much dynamic and effective manner. It also allows the companies for overall adjustment of the systems rapidly for building the capacity to which they can continue production and how efficiently they function in response to market as well as its intrinsic system changes. 
• Six Sigma: This is also an important element in the contemporary operational practices that focuses on quality. It refers to the control of limits which are placed under the six standard deviation procedure from the normal distribution mean. The implementation of the six sigma procedure is also actively involved towards defining the step sequences and the financial targets including increasing profits or reducing the overall costs (RAHAL. and ZENNIR, 2020). 
• Lean Manufacturing: This is also one of the most crucial and critical elements in the contemporary business environment, that deals towards building a strong technique of elimination of waste within the manufacturing and operational processes. This theory is also greatly associated with the wastes that creates through overburdening or uneven workload

Each of the above mentioned elements are certainly useful in enhancing the flow of business operations and widening the competitive frameworks, more systematically and efficiently. Each of these theories are also active in managing the comparative growth procedures and enhancing the business developmental opportunities to meet the changing customer demands. 

4.1. Current operations and quality management challenges

In the contemporary competitive business environment, the significance of current operations and quality management to deal with the business performance. In this respect, the companies are also facing a range of challenges in meeting the overall business operations. These challenges are therefore includes:

• Over reliance on Theory: The overall development of organizational quality management and the performance enhancement policy procedures are also systematically important. But the overall reliance on theory is becoming more challenging and risky business for the business operations to implement the operations and the quality management procedures
• Excess Documentation: The rapid development of the operational and quality management challenges are able to meet the development and enhancement procedures, the system has developed a range of excess documentation procedures to enhance the comparative growth procedures and widening the flow of businesses. In such respect, the procedures overwhelmed with the excess documentation is making it more challenging for the business to enhance and meet the objectives, as it is no longer able to serve its purpose (Sinulingga, 2019). 

There are a number of other challenges also involved within the parameters of quality and operational management. These includes:

• Tighter bureaucracy
• Supply chain complexity
• Lack of resources and the lack of time management procedures
• Insufficient Motivation
• Resistance to Technology
• Lack of Quality Equipment

These procedures are therefore actively effective in dealing with the overall operational management and the business performance in a much detailed and accurate manner. 

5.0. Scopes and purposes of operations and quality management theories in practical business sections

Every activity as well as actions that really should be completed in order to maintain a certain degree of differentiation are controlled via quality management, which involves the development and execution of quality policies, strategies, assurance, control, and improvement. The capacity of a firm to develop and run efficiently is primarily reliant on its quality management system. It is also a great tool in the battle for new customers as a method of enhancing the customer service experience. Quality must be maintained at all times in order for your firm to be successful.

Businesses may have systems in place to guarantee that their goods meet the highest quality standards and perform properly. The objective is to make consumers happy while simultaneously boosting the company's profitability. Quality management may help you convert prospective consumers into long-term customers by constantly improving your goods, absorbing changes, and eradicating flaws. It provides organisations with the tools they need to thrive when it comes to creating goods and services that customers really desire. Long-term advantages include a competitive advantage and greater market share. Operations management is critical in every organisation or industry. In order to make the quality management better various literature have developed the six-sigma quality management framework. 

Even if it is not obvious, OM has a role in every sector. Productivity, high-quality items, and satisfied customers all contribute to lower product support costs. Profits increase as a consequence. Only operations management is capable of doing so. Reducing operating expenses also leads to less waste. Operations management guarantees that the intended number and quantity of things are produced. Operations management ensures that people are effectively matched with available resources in order to deliver the optimum outcomes. Productivity can only be assured by effective activity management.

5.1. Clear identification of challenges faced by chosen industry

The company has achieved excellent success in terms of business competition as well as customer satisfaction. Despite this, the market continues to confront a number of issues that must be addressed in the foreseeable future. The risk linked with the supply chain is one of the most important operational threats that may occur in any organization. Despite the fact that Unilever has recovered from the shock of the Covid catastrophe, according to the firm's own statement, the supply chain continues to be vulnerable to disruptions in the physical or environmental environment, as well as industrial disasters, according to the business. Despite the company's attempts to limit risk, it is likely that customer satisfaction and product quality would decrease as a consequence of the company's new supply chain. Beyond supply chain risk, long-term viability is a significant concern since it has a direct influence on the company's long-term profitability and public reputation, in addition to other factors.

6.0. Application of continuous improvement within the organization through developing options

The company Unilever, can actively enhance the comparative set of developmental parameters to meet the changing demands of business performance and widening the financial and operational practices. In such respect, the company must also need to engage with wider sets of frameworks to meet the quality and operational policy procedures.

These includes:

• It must need to address the technology related issues and challenges in a much firm and systematic manner to manage the flow of operates
• Unilever must also need to address the issues of non-compliance and compatibility of the operational and quality management frameworks to deal with the systematic enhancement parameters.
• The aspects of lack of employee engagement procedures must also need to be addressed in a much detailed and systematic manner to maintain the collaborative developmental parameters. 

Each of these recommendations are therefore vital for the organization to deal with the enhanced operational frameworks and maintain the systematic developmental procedures to meet the productive and creative work environment. 

7.0. Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be said that the policy procedures to meet the quality and operational practices are certainly useful for the businesses in dealing with the effective set of developmental parameters and gaining collaborative growth procedure. In the contemporary environment, the development of systematic operational and quality management frameworks are also becoming major factors for the businesses in dealing with the customers and the changing business requirements. In such respect the development of effective connection between employees and management are becoming crucial components as a firm progresses. The current paper is able to provide a detailed analysis of the quality and operational parameters that the companies need to develop to enhance their operational frameworks and financial revenue generations. 

References

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Gunawan, F., 2021. The impact of firm size, firm age, and environmental management on the relationship between operational performance and corporate performance on Unilever Indonesia case (Doctoral dissertation, Universitas Pelita Harapan). 

Khalfan, I., Said, S., Jamaluddin, Z. and Widyarto, S., 2020. Conceptual Framework on Quality Management Practices and Operational Performance for ISO 9001 Certified Construction Industries. International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, 10(2), pp.200-210. 

Liu, H., Wu, S., Zhong, C. and Liu, Y., 2020. The sustainable effect of operational performance on financial benefits: evidence from chinese quality awards winners. Sustainability, 12(5), p.1966. 

Nguyen, T.H., 2020. Impact of leader-member relationship quality on job satisfaction, innovation and operational performance: A case in Vietnam. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 7(6), pp.449-456. 

Ons, 2021, Impact of covid in retail sector, Accessed on: 5.4.2021, 

RAHAL, F. and ZENNIR, I., The Impact of Green Supply Chain Management on Operational Efficiency. 

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Santa, R., Ferrer, M., Jørsfeldt, L.M. and Scavarda, A., 2018. The impact of the quality of the service from IS/IT departments on the improvement of operational performance: the point of view of users of technological innovations. International Journal of Business Information Systems, 28(2), pp.125-146. 

Sinulingga, R.A., 2019. Risk Management System in PT. Unilever Indonesia, Tbk. TIJAB (The International Journal of Applied Business), 3(1), pp.38-58. 

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Unilever, 2022, Brands details, Accessed on: 5.4.2021, Available at: https://www.unilever.com/brands/all-brands/&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1649166408392788&usg=AOvVaw13uwPtSVBwVASLpsB5qECl

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Yang, H., Rao, P., Simpson, T., Lu, Y., Witherell, P., Nassar, A.R., Reutzel, E. and Kumara, S., 2020. Six-sigma quality management of additive manufacturing. Proceedings of the IEEE, 109(4), pp.347-376.