Vauxhall's Operational and Project Challenges

This assignment examines the challenges faced by Vauxhall's operational and project managers. It delves into the necessary skills for effective management, such as conflict resolution and customer understanding. The report also identifies potential project risks and proposes methods for overcoming them. Finally, it outlines Vauxhall's operational strategies, including planning and monitoring.

Operations and Project
Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Q1 Compare the challenges of operation manager and project manager....................................1
Q2 Roles And Skills Required Management Of Operation And Projects...................................3
Q3 Plan For Highlighting The Risk That Company Will Experience And How To Overcome
Such Risks....................................................................................................................................5
Q4 strategies of operations...........................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Vauxhall cars is an international car brand, that's a totally owned subsidiary of German
manufacturer Opel which is closely-held by way of Groupe PSA of France. Moreover, Vauxhall
sells passenger vehicles and mild industrial vehicles under the Vauxhall brand name; and used to
sell trucks, buses and vehicles beneath the Bedford motors name. Moreover, Vauxhall has been
the second one-largest-promoting car in the united kingdom for greater than two decennial.
Further, this report will highlight the challenges of operation manager and project manager of the
company like competencies, responsibilities to manage the relationship between the manager and
the employees etc (Pagell and et.al., 2015). Further, the project will highlight the roles and skills
required to manage the operations and projects of the company like leadership, planning of
resources, communication skills, motivational skills etc. On the other hand, the assignment will
outline the risks that will be faced by the projects of the company and along with it highlights the
methods to overcome those risk.
Q1 Compare the challenges of operation manager and project manager
Operations managers of Vauxhall are answerable for assigning departments assets for an entire
corporation to be operate profitably and effectively. Moreover, dealing with effectively assets
could be very disturbing because it required managers capable of constantly innovate to create
new commercial enterprise strategies. Further, the task of operation manager is a challenging
as they need to handle creativity as an incorporated business system and to make it worthy.
Moreover, operation manager of the company handles ordinary operations and is chargeable for
the powerful and successful control of labor, productiveness, quality and protection measures as
set up for Operations section.
A project manager of Vauxhall is the individual liable for leading an assignment from its
origination to carrying into an action. However, the activities of project manager consists of
designing, executing and coping with the people, assets and scope of the task. Moreover, project
managers ought to have the potential to create clear and possible objectives. Thus, the project
manager has an obligation and authorization to complete the assignment (Cleden,2017).
Challenges
Coping with the competitive commercial enterprise practices within the company is a
primary challenge for an operation manager of Vauxhall. Moreover, the monetary department of
the enterprise may choose to communicate via electronic mail, for instance, whilst the director
1

might also opt for memos. Thus, these differences in enterprise process can have a destructive
impact on the activities after they effect the effectivity or skillfulness of handing over good
quality products and services.
On the flip side, the primary challenge that a project manager probably faces is inner
company's problem (Larso and Gray,2017). Moreover, sometime company no longer outline the
aims or goals of an enterprise before initiating it and this may lead to massive problem for the
project manager in long term operation of the business. Further, an inefficient project execution
will really fail at the cease. Thus, it's miles very crucial that objectives, finances, and time period
are mentioned before the assignment initiates.
Another challenge that the operation manager faces that they have given responsibility to
built strong client and employee plan of action that renowned the company's effect on the social,
cultural and monetary surroundings. However, company have adopted environmentally amiable
strategies as an objective to develop sustainability. Thus, these strategies are trying to find to
dispose of waste and turn the company's interest to minimizing poor outcomes at the
surroundings that lessen the well-being of nearby purchasers.
On the flip side, a project effectiveness depends on the people who initiates the project.
Thus, being a project manager, the second challenge he may experience is to operate with those
people who are not experienced group contributors or team members and lack the talent to
address the difficult tasks. Thus, this challenge will reduce the effectiveness of the work of
project manager and in a few instances will lead to the end of the assignment. Thus, it's miles
very critical that project manager are allocated with group individuals that are skilled for the
process or proper education is furnished to make sure that they're ready for the project to initiate.
Safety management is also a major challenge the operation managers of Vauxhall faces
while performing responsibilities (Harrison, and Lock,2017). However, managers generally
enforce protection regulations to prevent occupational injuries and working losses as a
consequence of legal proceeding and regulatory punishments.
As compare to operation manager, project supervisor of the company faces the challenge
that the project related risks inside the venture are low. Thus, this is a very difficult task
specifically if there are internal elements of the company that are impacting the work of project
manager. However, the project manager can lower the risks via accumulating enough statistics
2

about the project, constructing true among the team individuals and understanding which section
of the assignment is not viable and modifying it before the project end ineffectively.
Q2 Roles And Skills Required Management Of Operation And Projects
Roles
Overview financial statistics and Budgets: The major role of operations manager and
project manager of the Vauxhall company is to supervise the introduction and management of
budgets within every department of the company. However, robust leaders will often manage the
expenses and restrict a branch's expenses maintain the company's strong economic condition.
Moreover, they will additionally adopt cost-advantage evaluation, searching for to achieve the
lower costs of materials and manage production techniques in order to get the effective and
efficient output of the activities (Rezvani, and et.al., 2016).
Planning of resources: The role of operation manager and project manager of the
company is to create a viable plan that accomplish the aims and goals of the venture and adjust
with the organization's general techniques to carry out its operations. However, this isn't always
a program with which to run the venture, but an essential a part to get popularity of the
assignment. Moreover, the plan of resources is to set the task’s scope and figuring out what
resources are to be had, determining the time and economic dedication, as well as a way to
screen and analyze the project development.
Leadership: Leading the employees is the major role of the operation manager and the
project manager of the company. Therefore, it can be considered the maximum crucial
responsibility to manage the operations and the projects. However, they have to coordinate with
other member of the company to make certain that the assignment and the operations are running
smoothly and efficiently. Moreover, they have to maintain an ordinary test on the projects and
operations. Thus, they make sure that the task crew participants are meeting the time limits and
following the instructions.
SKILLS
Understanding customers needs: An efficient operation manager and project manager
of the Vauxhall ought to have an understanding of patron needs which in turn require a
knowledge of what satisfies a customer, it may include, an immediate response to purchaser
queries, a secure environment or fair price guarantee. Moreover, by way of understanding what
3

makes the customers satisfied, they will be in a position to interact with them and offer steering
to the subordinates on how to attend to clients' needs.
Communication skills: A successful operation manager and project manager is aware of
how to communicate on many distinct tiers with different types of customers. It includes the
capability to convey their message throughout to group of workers, top management and the
customers is an essential ability to be able to be positioned to the test every day. However, by
using a big range of conversation styles consisting of verbal, written and gestures strategies, will
enable them to establish relationship with customers (Meng and Boyd,2017).
Motivation skills: An effective operation manager and project manager knows the
significance of constructing a robust team and developing strong relationships among team
participants. Thus, this could be done by using knowledge and fulfilling the needs and solving
the queries of the personnel.
Conflict management: An effective operation manager and project manager should
posses the skill of solving the conflicts that occur between the team members. However, this skill
help the superior to maintain harmony within the company which will help the company to
accomplish its goals.
Intelligence and Competency: Effective operation manager and project manager take
posses the skill of taking their obligations critically and try to put their best efforts for achieving
amazing results. However, such people posses the profound knowledge and look at the problems
from all the angles. Further, they always look for the opportunities to gain the knowledge and
use their skills at their best level. Moreover, within the place of job, they've a recognition for
being smart, confident, encouraged and potential.
Time management: Operation manager and project posses the skill of managing the time
properly that results in better performance and high productiveness. Moreover, they manage the
operations and project by attaining extraordinary capabilities to set priorities, aspirations, outline
overall performance standards, consequences and determine inputs and outputs of the project.
Moreover, their thoughts is usually searching for advanced and better ways of having the activity
performed (Kong and Ko, 2017).
Organizing: Effective operation and project manager posses the skill of dealing with their
organization, data files and agreements. Such manager don’t waste time searching out a file they
have lost it. Further, they keep personal records securely, keep it and permanently delete it when
4

they don't require it. Thus, these managers never get late for conferences because they by no
means lose their objectives.
Q3 Plan For Highlighting The Risk That Company Will Experience And How To Overcome
Such Risks
There are many projects which could be adopted by the managers of the Vauxhall company like
expansion of business, up-gradation of technology, product improvement etc. Thus, while taking
these projects the company may face various kinds of risks like time management risk, resource
planning risk, financial risk, quality risks, distribution risk.
Time management risk: When time is not properly managed by the company then it
may results in the failure of project. However, there are many reasons for poor management of
time like procrastination, this factor is the major risk that arise due to ineffective time
management. Project managers of the company may delay the project initiation due to the fear
that their reputation will be damaged or the owner of the company will not approve their project,
thus due to such factor the project manager won't be able to initiate their project on time which
will lead to failure of projects which in turn affects objectives to accomplish their goals.
Moreover, there are some project are unable to solve the issues on time which in turn leads to the
failure of plan.
Thus, the project manager of company can overcome the time management risk by taking
proper action like the manager should initiate their project on time without any fear of its
approval or the fear of its image, they should begin their project and should put all their efforts to
make it successful (Dicke and et.al., 2015).
Quality issues: Quality issues are the major issues that are faced by the companies as if
the doesn't met with the quality expectations of the customers and the stakeholders like the
quality of car breaks are poor, quality of A.C inside the car are poor and the quality of car
infrastructure is not up-to expectation etc, such issues will disappoint the customers and lead to
the failure of the project. However, if the project plan of the company is extending the standard
of the quality level then it may lead to the waste of resources which will result in increase in cost
of the company.
However, the company can overcome the quality issues by making quality management
plan which will include quality standards which are to be met by the company, quality
measurement tools through which company can evaluate the quality of its products and make
5

certain changes to improve if required. Further, the project manager must analyze the cost
benefit tools through which they can maintain the quality standard and at the same time can
maintain the expenses of the company related to the quality of products.
Distribution risks: The Vauxhall company may face the risk of supplier chain
management like shortages of the cars, increase in the cost of supplying the cars, nature or man-
made disasters etc, such issues if distribution may lead to the loss for the company and thus
declines the sales of company.
However, the project manager can overcome the risk of supply chain by adopting the
various supply chain software that help the manager to foresee the demand of the car the future
and accordingly manage the distribution of cars efficiently like automating the distribution
process of the cars, evaluating the information regarding the distribution system etc (Pagell and
et.al., 2015).
Q4 strategies of operations
Vauxhall company should adopt various strategies to manage its operations and to maintain the
value of its products.
Planning: The company should pre-plan regarding its products and services which they
have to deliver to its customer. Moreover, the project manager of the company should set the
quality standard for providing it products and according to which they should deliver their
products. Further, the company should plan the technologies they are required to be adopt in
order to supply more improved cars to their customers (Cleden,2017).
Monitoring: After making the plans the project manager should monitor that how these
plans are being executed like what all technologies the company need to adopt, how the quality
of the product is achieved by the company and how to reduce the cost of the company.
Allocation of resources: The company have to make sure that the resources are allocated
properly like cash, workers, technology, materials, and other resources through which company
can achieve its objective efficiently and effectively by using the resources optimally.
Product designing and development : The company should design the stricture of existing
car and the new cars in such a way that fulfill the expectations of the customers. Moreover, the
company should consider the various stages of product development and according to those
stages they should develop their product. Further, while designing the car structure the company
6

should consider the marketing techniques, engineering methods and other factors that help the
company to design its product properly and effectively.
Production system: However, while designing the car structure the company should
consider the expectation of the customer while making the structure of the car that means
according to the desires of the consumers (Harrison, and Lock,2017). Further, the company
should also consider the standardized method while designing the car that means they should
develop the cars design by keeping in mind the loner term demand for the car model that means
keeping it simple and elegant which attracts the middle class family members.
Canvas Business Model Of Vauxhall
Key partners: The key partners of company include employees, customers and
competitors of the company. However, there are various competitors of the company like
Toyota, Ford, Honda etc.
Key activities: This factor includes, research and development department, technology
department, designing sector, production department and logistics.
Value proposition: Vauxhall provide reliable and affordable passenger cars. Further,
provide excellent break quality to its customer and the infrastructure of car is also captivating
that attracts huge customers to buy the car. Moreover, the company adopts agile supply chain
method in order to produce products according to the needs of the customers.
Key resources: Vauxhall recruits around 20 lakhs employee and operate its business in
more than 50 countries. Moreover, the company have various brand leaders through they
promote their business (Dicke and et.al., 2015). Further, the company have large distribution
channel through they distribute their cars world-wide.
Customer relationships: The company provide various after sales service to its
customers that retain the trust of customers by providing various advanced services. Further, they
provide auto-pilot features in their cars that attracts the customers to buy the cars of Vauxhall.
Channels: Vauxhall adopts various channels to promote and distribute its product like
dealers and suppliers, various social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc,
website of the company, various sponsors etc.
Customer segments: The customer segment of the company encompasses for large and
middle class families, can be used by all ages of customers, expert drivers and various travel
agent companies etc.
7

CONCLUSION
This report briefly summarizes about the challenges that will be faced by the operational
manager and the project manager of Vauxhall company. Further, the report have highlighted
about the roles and skills that are required to manage the operations and the projects of the
company like conflict management, understanding customer needs etc. On the flip side, the
project have highlighted about the risk that will be face by the projects of the company and the
also comment on the methods to overcome those factors. Eventually, the assignment have
highlighted about the strategies of operations that will be followed by company like planning,
monitoring etc.
8

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Pagell, M and et.al., 2015. Are safety and operational effectiveness contradictory requirements:
The roles of routines and relational coordination. Journal of Operations
Management.36.pp.1-14.
Cleden, D., 2017. Managing project uncertainty. Routledge.
Larson, E.W. and Gray, C.F., 2017. Project management: The managerial process. McGraw-
Hill Education.
Harrison, F. and Lock, D., 2017. Advanced project management: a structured approach.
Routledge.
Rezvani, A and et.al., 2016. Manager emotional intelligence and project success: The mediating
role of job satisfaction and trust. International Journal of Project
Management.34(7).pp.1112-1122.
Meng, X. and Boyd, P., 2017. The role of the project manager in relationship
management. International Journal of Project Management.35(5).pp.717-728.
Kong, E. and Ko, S., 2017, December. A Team Exercise as a Teaching Tool for Online
Students: Learning for Knowledge Sharing, Team Skills and Resource Management.
In International Conference on Intellectual Capital and Knowledge Management and
Organisational Learning (pp. 139-144). Academic Conferences International Limited.
Dicke, T and et.al., 2015. Reducing reality shock: The effects of classroom management skills
training on beginning teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education.48.pp.1-12.
9