Operations and Service Management

Operations and Service
Management

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Main Body.......................................................................................................................................3
Identify one operation management practice within a chosen organisation.................................3
Critically analyse how this operation management practice impacts the organisation in regards
to efficiency..................................................................................................................................5
Evaluate how technology could be embedded in this process or evaluate how this has already
been achieved...............................................................................................................................6
What supporting functions are linked to this operation management practice and evaluate how
can they assist with ensuring organisational success....................................................................8
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Operation management is basically referring to the administration of several business
practices that helps to create a highest level of efficiency within business organisation. These
aspects are basically concerned with converting the goods and material into finished goods as
well as services. These operational management practices are delivery-focused which ensuring
that an organisation successfully turns inputs to outputs in more effective manner(Barnes, 2018).
This report is based on Marks and Spencer which is a British multinational retailer that selling
clothing, food products, home-made products and soon. The organisation was founded by
Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in the year of 1884. This report is going to cover operation
management practices of M&S as well as impact of such over the business efficiency.
Furthermore, the impact of technology over the process of firm in order to achieve target
objectives and goals. At last, it will be going to cover supporting functions of firm in order to
ensuring the success of firm.
MAIN BODY
Identify one operation management practice within a chosen organisation
It refers to the management of business operations which helps in creating a high level of
efficiency within an organisation. It is concerned with conversion of raw material and labour into
finished goods and services in an optimal way so as to maximise firm’s profits. It involves in
optimum utilization of organisations resources. These resources can be employees, technology,
plants and equipment’s, etc. It aims at achieving high operational profits by maintaining a
balance between cost with the revenues earned. It ensures minimal wastage in the business
processes.
Operational Management Processes involves variety of approaches which can be used for
coordinating with the supply chain management, inventory management, etc. that leads to the
success of a retail store on the basis of their efficient performance in comparison with that of its
competitors. Few of the operational management processes are explained below:
Quality Management- It is the formal system of documenting processes, producers. Roles
and responsibilities for achieving the set standard quality. It involves determining the quality

policy, creation and implementation of quality planning and assurance and also quality control
measures and quality improvement. It is also called total quality management.
Supply Chain Management- It is the process that defines the flow of goods and services i.e.
the movement of raw material, work in progress and finished goods either to stores or the end
user of it. It involves designing, planning, execution, control and monitoring of the passage of
goods and services. Its aim is to create net value, build competitive infrastructure and
synchronizing the supply with the demand of the goods and services and measure its global
performance(Pollitt, Birchall, and Putman, 2016).
Inventory Management- It controls the flow of goods and services which begins from the
purchase of raw material from vendors and ends at the final sales made to the customer. It
ensures the availability of right product in right quantity at the right time in the right location.
The supply chain management in case of Marks and Spencer is the wheeling and dealing
with the suppliers that addresses a successful decision area. The supply chain is integrated with
the advance information technologies that increases these bargaining power. It is directly linked
with the cost reduction in the business processes. It helps managers and vendors in collaborating
with the decision of movement of certain amounts of merchandises spread across the supply
chain. It indirectly helps the management in maintaining a competitive advantage in the market
and to gain a better customer acceptance. It controls and coordinate the business processes to
customer’s requirement on regular basis and to improve its efficiency and effectiveness on an
ongoing period(Mahadevan, 2015).
As the most trusted brand Marks and Spencer on the high street believes to reassure its
customers and key stakeholder as being their fair partners. Also it tries to cover the prices paid to
suppliers and producers of the raw material. They also include the responsibility for ensuring
good work environment throughout the chain and develops a level of integrity. They not only
pay fair prices to the suppliers but also helps local communities enjoying better work place
conditions. It involves process of order, handle, storage and usage of the raw material and other
required components. Also it manages the sales of finished stock.
Their food supply chain is very complex as it consists of approx. 400 plus suppliers
producing over 800 sites located in nearly 44 countries. The supplier source for raw material has