Operations Management: A Case Study of Clarks International Ltd.

Operations Management
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
PROJECT TASK.............................................................................................................................3
a)......................................................................................................................................................3
b)......................................................................................................................................................4
c)......................................................................................................................................................6
d)......................................................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11
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INTRODUCTION
Operations management refers to organising all the activities of a business that are
involved in manufacturing, development and implementation of a product/service. When
efficient use of resources is involved in this designing and redesigning process of products then it
is called effective operations management. The programs that are classified in this section are
manufacturing, production, equipment maintenance, labour relations, system analysis, cost
control, etc. Productivity increases when a company uses such management technique with deep
applications in its product cycle. Clarks International Ltd. is a company that manufactures and
sells throughout the globe. It was founded by Cyrus Clark and James Clark in 1825 in England.
Technical inventions and advancements helped this company to achieve great market reputation
and brand name. In UK, it is listed as 13th largest private multinational. This report aims to
acquire better understanding for operations management through Clarks.
PROJECT TASK
a)
The organisation chosen for the report is Clarks International Ltd. As is known, the
company was founded in 1825 by brothers Cyrus and James Clark. It is a retail industry venture
that manufactures and sells shoes for men and women. Known for high quality products and
exemplary services the company has obtained a trade mark reputation after having global stores.
This organisation has been handling 1000 outlets and franchises in all parts of world. Although
84% of these stores are owned and maintained by company itself while 16% shares are amongst
employees and other businesses (About Us, 2016).
One of the most prominent products of company is Desert Boot. It is known for its
unique design and material quality. Despite of a great journey of ups and downs, Clarks has
managed to keep pace with trending changes in demands of consumers. Legal rights were
inherited through generations of Clark family. The company never experimented in letting any
outsider handle operations of businesses. Diverse structure and constant growth has made Clarks
a beautiful example for developing a vision in operations management. Authentic and original
products have been plus point for marketing strategies. Technological advancements led to
money saving policies.
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In today’s world, the company has been selling all its products on all e-commerce portals
and has achieved a great recognition in stylish and trendy shoes. Contemporary materials and
best in class craftsmanship have gathered a different position of Clarks in hearts of consumers.
Stakeholders are people who depict interests in all activities of organisation be it products,
services, investments or involvement in social activities. The internal and external stakeholders
of organisation are described below:
Internal stakeholders: Suppliers, employees, business partners, franchisers and owners are
internal stakeholders for Clarks Ltd.
External stakeholders: Shareholders, customers, government, local retailers are external
stakeholders for company.
b)
Clarks International Ltd. has been working from about 190 years. Such a huge journey
can only be achieved through great management techniques (Corporate Services, 2016). The
operational management of this company are very strong. Following operational functions are
managed by the business globally:
1. Brand: The organisation has been working by creating, innovating and inventing
exceptional styles and trademarks in shoe industry. This technique has helped it acquire
good brand reputation amongst customers.
2. Business Improvement and Procurement: With advancements in technology through
internet, it is very important that companies must also engage their profits in spreading
roots across the globe. This function of business improvement and procurement helps in
developing and establishing centres in different parts of world with effective planning
and management of resources (Slack, 2015).
3. Customer Services: For a product manufacturing firm, customer satisfaction is the first
priority. All the queries related to company and its products from the customers are
handled by this functional department. The media used for this purpose is email, social
media, phone and post. Complaints, requests and all sorts of customer related problems
are heard and solved through these portals.
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