Operations and Service Management in ASDA

This report discusses the impact of supply chain management on ASDA's efficiency and how technology can be embedded in the process. It also explores the support functions linked to operation management practices such as purchasing, operational activities, logistics, and resource management.

OPERATIONS AND
SERVICE MANAGEMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK...............................................................................................................................................3
1- Identifying one operation management practice within ASDA..............................................3
2- Critically analyse how this operation management practice impact the supermarket in
regard to efficiency......................................................................................................................4
3. Evaluating how technology could be en rooted in the process or evaluating how this has
already been achieved .................................................................................................................6
4. Support functions are linked to the operation management practices. ...................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Operations and service management refers to procedure of managing essential and
beneficial operational activities of an organization, that contribute to increase productivity and
performance level (Wolniak, 2020). The current assignment will be based on ASDA, which falls
under the category of leading supermarkets in the UK. The study will explain one operational
management practice within chosen supermarket, and also specify how this practice impact
business in regard to efficiency. Furthermore, the report will also justify how technology could
be embedded in procedure of supply chain management and supporting functions that are linked
to chosen management practice that assist with assuring organizational success.
TASK
1- Identifying one operation management practice within ASDA
The success and growth of any company, either large or small, public or private depends
on operational management practices. Each practice may contribute to increase organizational
performance and productivity level, which is quite essential and beneficial for business growth in
the market. In case of ASDA, supply chain management may play this role in effective and
appropriate manner, as it may support to grow company effectively and enhance their customer
satisfaction successfully. Supply chain management practice refers to the procedure of managing
flow of products and services that an organization plan to offer or provide individual customer,
who tend to purchase quality goods (Tan, 2020). This practice may include some key elements
such as active streamlining of a venture supply side practices and activities that enable
administration to take pleasure of increasing customer value and gaining competitive advantages.
Supply chain management operational practice encompasses different types of steps such as
planning, sourcing, making, delivering and returning that affect success and progress factors of
ASDA.
Planning element of chosen operation management practice is imperative to manage
inventory and production procedure as well as to control both activities effectively (Aslam and
et.al., 2021). In the retail industry, supermarket and its management may always attempt to
match supply with aggregate demand of needs in term of developing a course of action by
utilizing analytics. Planning may provide them chance to reach desire outcomes by using
analytical data. Another element of supply chain management practice is sourcing that determine
vendors who may produce or manufacture goods, for purpose of meeting plan or actual demand

in the most effective and productive manner. Making, delivering and returning are the other
components that makes supply chain management operation effective and beneficial in chosen
organizational context (Habib and et.al., 2021). As per the need or requirement of target
audience, firm may move to conduct a specific practice such as making which enable them to
perform all the useful activities that are related to alteration of raw material to final item. The
best element that make supply chain management practice more effective and essential for
ASDA success is delivering (What is supply chain management, 2018). As this component may
contribute to direct or indirect integrate with target customer, that may take interest to purchase
goods offer by the chosen supermarket. The process of return is considered as post delivery
customer support action or decision that relate with each form of returned items. This term may
also fall under the category of supply chain management practice elements, which in turn
provide desire outcomes to the organization.
Supply chain in the ASDA is managed and monitor in term of hiring skilled people who
are able to perform in this section and use technologies to monitor everything, from raw material
collection to final formation of products.
2- Critically analyse how this operation management practice impact the supermarket in regard
to efficiency.
Supply chain management practice may put positive impact on ASDA and its success as
it may support company to provide or offer customers quality products on time which they tend
to purchase and use (Khan and et.al., 2022). It may contribute to increase operational
effectiveness or efficiency of venture in term of delivering goods that individual person may buy
and refers others to do so, which in turn lead to enhance their satisfaction, that is important for
management to do that. In the recent time, with effective supply-chain-management practice
organization may stand competitive, that play significant role in its success in the intense
competitive market, where competition level is increase day by day. This practice may never
been so difficult as it enables venture to manage, production, distribution and other operational
practice that integrate with that across varied contents.
Supply chain management as chosen operational management practice may affect
positively upon ASDA in regard to efficiency in form of making communication better with
sustainable and profitable suppliers (Alghasawneh and et.al., 2021). It may drive the attention of
administration toward collaborating and conducting collaborative practice with those suppliers

who may support to satisfy target audience. Individual supplier that comprehend venture cost
constraint and aims might be particularly essential for ASDA with tight margins. It may support
to make communication and collaboration with these types of suppliers even better than other
brands.
Along with above benefits, supply chain management may provide more advantages to
ASDA in term of putting positive impact that enable firm to increase profits and generate
revenue more than other supermarkets existing in the UK retail industry. It can be said that
supply chain affect positively upon company in form of increasing operational and other
operations' efficiency such as quality control (Sharma and et.al., 2021). It is important for
company to make a good control on products quality operation, which is possible with support of
supply chain. With effective supply chain management and productive network, ASDA may
control over its suppliers along with procedure of quality control, which is may improve even
better than last few months or weeks. It may drive the attention of company toward
implementing some systems or software that improve the key aspect effectively and successfully.
Inventory management refer to the procedure of managing each product and service that
meet customers need appropriately and systematically.
The major issue that arise in the supply chain operation is poor inventory management,
but in case of ASDA is may solve by the effective supply chain administration as it may able to
manage inventory according to customer need that affect positively upon brand image in the
market. While, it can be critically analysed that supply chain management may put negative
impact on organization in the context of efficiency, in form of decreasing operational
effectiveness when the plan or strategy for inventory management is lacking some essential
aspects. It can be said that mismanaged implementation affect the way organization take decision
and implement the same in the workplace, related to supply chain. It is necessary for
management to focus on managing everything from raw materials' collection to production,
which impact on brand reputation or image in the retail industry. Supply chain management
operation may work effectively and productively, when the planning and implementation process
form in appropriate way. The chosen operation management practice work effectively and
beneficially when plan and strategy are form and implement according to consideration of each
factor, either internal or external. As this form of consideration may allow management to take
right decision and then implement the same appropriately.

3. Evaluating how technology could be embedded in the process or evaluating how this has
already been achieved
Technology is playing a big role in transforming the supply chain management business
around the world. Mobiles, wireless and GPS are leading the throughout the supply and
transportation sectors (Falcone, Steelman and Aloysius, 2021). It has resulted in great efficiency
and transparency with the help of real time tracking systems and improved accuracy with the
help of automated system. These automated systems are way more faster and efficient than
manual fax – based procedures in terms of accuracy, data capture and monitoring location.
Improved data management technology offers advantage in focussing and monitoring employee
activities more appropriately and at an individual level. The access of smartphone lets the
supplier to interact with the customer in direct way increasing the reliability on door to door
services of the company. Apart from business operations, smoother and frequent communication
undoubtedly makes the business community strong and trustable for the customers.
Technology has helped the supply chain firms like ASDA to reach out to more
customers through internet and digital marketing (Nozari, Fallah and Szmelter-Jarosz, 2021). It
is also time saving and economical. Reaching out to less favoured places and starting outlets at
new places can be expensive and time consuming but with the help of e – commerce and data
analysis, better strategies can be made to regarding reaching out to distant places. Any demand
of product can be full filled at any place even if the particular firm is not active in that area, state
or even country through e – commerce. ASDA has used this innovation of technology in their
favour. From a limited supply chain to moving out of their boundaries, the have strategically
focussed on reaching out customers all around the globe at an individual customer level.
Understanding the market counterparts and the need to move to digital marketing, ASDA has
evolved well enough in the market since last 10 years.
One of the most important part of a supply chain business is its warehouse operation. The
picking and packing are the last remaining work which is very labour-intensive and sometimes
require a lot of physical effort. Warehouse automation technologies are developing very fast
especially in the European countries (Parola and et.al., 2021). It is estimated that robotics is soon
going to takeover the labour-intensive work and ASDA might soon move to robotic solutions in
near future. Robotic machineries are more capable and flexible than the manual ability. They are
quick, accurate, and advanced in managing information.

These technological advancements are not just limited to systems and markets but also
minimises the price range for the buyers because it cuts the mediators, service charges, outlet
commissions etc. when money is saved it psychologically affects the want to buy more and
indirectly increases the demand of more goods and services.
4. Support functions are linked to the operation management practices.
The operations management is the business function which is responsible for managing,
designing products. Asda is always trying to maintain and handle the supply chain functions at
multiple level. In Asda, the operation management team will oversee the specific raw materials
and establishing a good coordination with different stakeholders. It including manufacturing
cells, buyers, and planers (Bhattacharyya and Mandke, 2021). These are considered the actual
production, demand planning through inventory management. Here are identified the different
support functions are inter-connected with operation management and helping Asda to achieve
more success.
Purchasing- it is the most common function in the context of supply chain management.
It is always support to procure the raw materials, other essential resources are required to the
manufacture the goods. It relates to the operation management because a manager of Asda
involves coordination with suppliers to deliver the materials in given time. It is not all about the
way to buy a material. There are different aspects that needs to be considered when purchasing a
raw material. The main role of operation manager to find the major source of materials. it is an
essential aspect to maintain quality of goods & services. The operation management is focused
on the raw materials and maintain inconsistency in quality of product otherwise, it will be
developing chance to lose an item.
Operational activities- In Asda, the operation team engages to other stakeholders and
focused on the planning, forecasting. Accordingly, it has been setup a different tasks such as
production, shipping and inventory management. Before giving an order of particular materials,
Asda focused on the possible demand for items and identifying large number of needs, it
produced. In some situation, the demand can be over anticipated and representing an excessive
prices or costs of inventory. This kind of operational function relates to the management
practices and identify that operation manager is responsible for planning in terms of production.
It must take care of all necessary functions which are properly handled without failure and
complete production tasks (Rizzi, 2022). The operational management practices such as stock

control, ordering polices. These are linked to the operational activities function and considering a
real estate which are becoming expensive in different countries. For example- Supply chain
manager will try to keep maintain storage space and efficiently or effectively to ensure that they
can store only necessary goods in the enterprise warehouses.
Logistics- It is another important function of supply chain management, required to
establish a strong coordination or collaboration. The product manufacturing has commenced. It
would require enough storage space until it is shipped out of the delivery. The main role of
logistic function is to deliver the products at right destination with any problems. In this way,
logistics function can be linked to the operation management practice such as delivery & supply
chain processing. The operation manager of Asda will try to manage the proper transportation
into particular loop. But the most importantly, it is needed to arrange all kind of products in
proper manner. For example- in Asda, arranging all kind of transportation services so that it can
easily maintain flexible delivery of goods. The logistics manager has already familiar about the
different formalities, rules or regulations and establishments. It must have followed when
sending goods to different nations.
Resource Management- in Asda, the manager will focus on the all essential resources
such as time, labour, technology and raw materials. It is also required to follow a suitable process
efficient manner. In this phase, it is a necessary aspect to take care of resources and establishing
a good coordination with functional team (Bhattacharyya and Mandke, 2021). Afterwards, it
decided that all resources' allocation exists in right manner. This kind of approach will help to
optimize the level of production and reduced the prices or costs (Wang and et.al., 2021).
Undoubtedly, managing resources are challenging for Asda because it would require machinery
items so that it will be developing different items. Resource manager of Aada is always tried to
find the best order and executing different operations. On the other hand, Resource management
function is also linked to the quality standards, systems or stock control in the organization.
These kinds of activities are managed by manager to achieve desirable goals or objectives.
Another factor is related to the time constraints when manager considers numerous orders to be
executed. It is also estimated or calculated the prices or costs involved in the resource
management. It is helping to increase production and sales of Asda in the competitive
marketplace.

Recommendations
 ASDA can improve its supply chain management in term of collaborating with some
sustainable suppliers and implementing advanced technologies that in the recent time
contributes to manage the overall process of products supply.
 It can gain data insight and utilize real time inventory management that contribute to
achieve target aims and objectives in form of improving supply chain and making it
effective.
CONCLUSION
On the basis of above discussion, it has been concluded that supply chain management
operation has contributed to increase the organizational performance, profitability and
productivity level in retail industry. It has enabled company to gain competitive advantages and
provided tough competition to rivals who are sustaining and establishing their ventures into
similar market where supermarket has already builds its strong brand image. Furthermore, from
above analysis, it has been identified that technology implementation in the workplace has
supported to increased organizational performance. It allows management to take pleasure of
achieving target aims and objectives, that other stakeholders are tending to achieve. Along with
above things, it has been identified that supply chain management contributed to improve quality
control that is important and useful for firm.

REFERENCES
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What is supply chain management. 2018. [Online]. Available Through:
<https://www.ibm.com/topics/supply-chain-management>

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