Operations and Project Management: A Case Study of Barker and Stonehouse

Operations and Project
management

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................4
An introduction to chosen organization.......................................................................................4
An explanation of operation vs operations management.............................................................4
Critique of the implementation of operations management principles within organization.......5
An analysis of the extent to which the operations management of the organization in the case
study meets the requirements of the organization.......................................................................6
Discussion of continuous improvement as a philosophy and describing the Lean principles.....7
A continuous improvement plan, including your justified recommendations for improvement
within organization......................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
Part 2..............................................................................................................................................10
Project management plan:..........................................................................................................10
ON-SITE CATERING SERVICE.................................................................................................10

Overview of case study:.............................................................................................................10
Product life cycle:......................................................................................................................10
Analysis of methodologies and tools.........................................................................................17
Critical evaluation of effectiveness of PLC in application with the project..............................18
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Operation management is one of the most common but important term in every business
organization, this may include project management process in which allow firm to manage their
operation in effective manner. This study is based on Barker and Stonehouse, this company is
one of the finest furniture manufacturing firm in the UK dealing in customizable furniture
industry (Wolniak, 2020). This report will discuss effectiveness of operation management
principles and concept of continuous improvement in an operational context. At last this report
will discuss project life cycle (PLC) and its key stages for management of project and application
of PLC on chosen case study.
MAIN BODY
An introduction to chosen organization
Barker and Stonehouse is one of the finest furniture brand in the UK dealing in
customizable range of furniture products, this company manage their operation in effective
manner by applying operation management and project management plan. Barker and
Stonehouse provide customizable products allowing consumer to choose their desired concept
for furniture including design, colour and even shape. This company have critical manufacturing
equipment allowing them to fulfil every demand of consumer, this brand carefully manage their
demand of consumer because they consider this as tough project and operation. Barker and
Stonehouse have strong customer base allowing them to stay stable even in highly competitive
market, this company reduce operational workload by apply key principles of project
management, product of Barker and Stonehouse is approved with Project Life cycle Process
allowing firm to craft every product according to the demand (Guo and Zhang, 2022). Each
product of Barker and Stonehouse went through PLC allowing firm to capture all weak points,
this company consider customizing their product design and concept keeping them competitive
in the market. However, this company still need effective operation management plan allowing
them to fulfil every requirement, considering operation and project management principles.
An explanation of operation vs operations management.
Business operations simply refers as an activity which helps the organization to increase
their value of the enterprises and earn a definite amount of profit. The business performance can
be improved in effective manner by the appropriate usage of the activities and planning which
supports to generate the sufficient revenues to cover the expenses and earn a profit for the

owners of the business. Whereas, operation management simply defines as business practices to
create the highest level of efficiency possible within the organization where they are concerned
with converting materials and labor into goods and services from where the efficient amount of
profit can be obtained (Araz, Choi, Olson and et.al., 2020). The operations and operational
management differs from each other where operations are responsible for balancing an optimal
output from different inputs whereas operational management is a multidisciplinary area because
there are various resources in an operation.
However, operation are responsible for producing goods and products and delivering the
services to the clients and customers from where they can improve their organizational growth
and development in definite manner. To run any company or an organization it becomes
important for the management to understand the concepts of operations and operational
management from where the effective outcome can be achieved. Operational functions includes
managing the process of production to delivering the services where the company needs to plan,
organize, lead and control the activities in definite order (Mangla, Kusi-Sarpong and et.al.,
2020). Thus, the organization Barker and Stone house who is British furniture retailer which is
situated at United Kingdom has enforced and understand the significance of the operational
management at their business enterprise. The company Barker and Stone house has followed and
practices all the operational functions at their business and perform the activities which results
them in successful manner. The company creates and do the proper operational planning in
relation with budgeting, product designing, quality control, forecasting and even appropriate
supply chain management which overall leads the organization to obtain profitable outcome.
Critique of the implementation of operations management principles within organization
Operational management process involves the proper planning from where the company
can perform the work activity in definite manner and can acquire the definite amount of results
and outcome. However, the company Barker and Stone house implements ad follow the
operational process by the support of Taylor's theory of scientific management where it helps
them to do the operations in definite manner. The Taylor's theory focuses on the belief where
people work hard as they are not efficient as optimizing the way the work was done. The theory
has four principles of scientific management where it highlights:
 Develop science for each element
 Train, teach and develop the work

 Cooperation
 Divide work and responsibilities
These above mentioned principles states different meaning where first principle express
that employee of the company should gather the objective data on work, perform experiments
and standardize policies and procedures based on results of experiments. The company's
operational management delivers the extra wages to the employees and carefully examines and
test to ensure the way they are working by their abilities at all times (Hani, 2021). Providing the
extra wages is a benefit for the company as the employee will put more efforts and hard work to
perform the work effectively. However, the second principle refers where the organization
Barker and Stone house puts their focus on selecting, training, teaching and developing the
workers. The company understands and provides the effective training and development sessions
for the improvement areas of the employees and workers where they can enhance their skills and
abilities in definite manner and can enable them to grow their professional career as well.
Providing the training programs is a strength for the organization, but they also limit and
bounded with the time which can be a kind of limitation for the company to deliver the training's
on weekly basis. Furthermore, the third principle is cooperation with the workers where the
organization gives the opportunities to the employee to perform the tasks as a team where all
employees can interact with each other in definite manner and can deliver the results effectively
(Kurt and Aymelek, 2022). However, due to language differences employees of the company
cannot be able to connect with each other in wider manner which limits the cooperation. The
fourth principle explains that divide the work and responsibilities where the Barker and Stone
house company implement this form of strategy and principle at their workplace which helps the
employees to understand their work and duties in definite manner.
An analysis of the extent to which the operations management of the organization in the case
study meets the requirements of the organization
As per the case study, it has been evaluated that Barker and Stone house has made the
appropriate objectives in regard with the operational functions which helps them to put their best
efforts and hard work and can achieve their set goals (Corsiglia and Hunter, 2018). Operational
management of the organization includes the cost reduction, quality areas and even productivity
level where the organization already set the objectives for the better development of the
company. Cost reduction term simply defines whereas product prices should be reduced for the