Zara's Operation Management Practices: An In-depth Reflective Essay

This essay provides a detailed analysis of Zara's operation management practices, focusing on key areas such as design and production, procurement of goods, marketing costs, inventory management, technology use, communication coordination, and revenue collection. It highlights how Zara maintains its competitive edge through efficient in-house production, low marketing costs, and strategic inventory management. Additionally, the essay includes a reflective component, discussing the importance of teamwork, communication, and continuous improvement in academic and professional settings. The author reflects on lessons learned from a group presentation, emphasizing the need for thorough preparation, effective time management, and clear communication to achieve successful outcomes. Desklib offers similar solved assignments and resources for students.

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

TABLE OF CONTENT
Discussion on Company ZARA...................................................................................................3
Reflective Essay...........................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

Discussion on Company ZARA
Zara is written as ZARA in the logo of the company. It is the retail based company in the
Spain. The company is engaged in selling fashion clothes, accessories, shoes, beauty products
and perfumes. It deals in both men's and women's clothing and also in children's clothing as well.
The company produces over 450 million items in per year.
Operation Management practices at ZARA:
Operation management practices are those practices which helps the company to organize
the production of the goods and services (Wang, Li and Zhao, 2018). Everything done by the
company in order to produce the goods are included in operation management. For having the
best practices in the management the company must follow the rules and guidelines and also
must comply with the laws and regulation of the government. It helps the company to maintain
the overall product and organizational maintenance (Underwood, Traver and López-Uribe,
2019). There are several operation management practices must be followed by Zara are as
follows:
Design and production: This operation management helps the company to maintain the
production, design and quality of the product. Zara is the leading company in order to produce
many things but clothes are mostly preferred by the customers. The company has the ability to
maintain the quality and design of the products. It has set targets and customers of selling the
designed products (Tee, Davies and Whyte, 2019). The store management helps the company to
stay updated of the fashion and bring the new fashion clothes in the market.
Procurement of goods: The company must outsource their produced products as it
increases the profitability of the company. Zara takes less participation in doing outsourcing in
comparison to its competitors. The company takes the benefits from the in-house production
because it is solely operating company.
Low marketing cost: The company at starting must have low marketing and advertising
cost as it makes the company to earn profit. The cited organization is the largest producing retail
company so no extra cost is required in order to do advertising and marketing of the new
products. Customers are already attached with the company and purchase the new fashion
product. The company must have low advertising cost to earn more profit in the competitive
market.

Inventory management: The company should have good and adequate inventory or
stock in their warehouses, as it helps the company to sell the products whenever there is high
demand in the market (Shabir and AlBishri, 2021). Zara company usually has low inventory
because of their targeted customers in the market. The company thinks to avoid the unnecessary
wastage of the products stored in the warehouse. This management practice helps the company
to make the demanded products without wasting of the cost which increases the profitability of
the company.
Use of the latest technology: The organization must use new and updated technology in
order to increase the production (Jha and Veeramani, 2021). It is the responsibility of the
operational manager of the company to update the technology. The cited organization must use
updated technology as it will make to increase the production and target more customers in the
market.
Communication coordination: By having proper communication with the operation
managers the company can increase their productivity. The organization must have coordination
with the other departments which makes them to know about the new fashion and technology in
the market. This makes the company to be more aware about the changes happen in the
competitive market and ensures the company to be productive with the new fashion. The
company should also have good communication with their customers because it makes the
customers more attracted towards the organization.
Collection of Revenue: By having proper operation management practices in the
company it makes the company to collect good revenue from their customers. The operating
manger of the organization is responsible for the collection of revenue and do billing of the
products (Best Practices in Operations Management, 2021). This makes the company to know
how much revenue is collected by them. This makes the company to increase their production by
having good profit from the market.
Reflective Essay
From the above presentation of the Zara company I have evaluated that the person should
be focused in their work. In this report, I have seen that there are various operation management
practices that the company should follow in order to have good profitability. This group
discussion helps me to know about the team management if we are working with group. It makes
person more creative as working with the group makes me to get more knowledge from the other

group members. From this presentation I get to know that time management is not possible
without having proper division of the work because improper division makes the person
dependent on each other. Moreover, reflecting to the above report I get to know that there must
be proper coordination in the communication and working with the group as lack of
communication will create an ambiguity between the members of group. From the group
presentation I have realized that there were not sufficient rehearsal before presenting our
presentation which makes me know that there must be proper rehearsal before having any group
presentation. The content prepared by group was not enough for presenting our presentation. So
in my next presentation I will focus on enough matter required. I was pleased with my given task
on the operational management practices on the Zara company. As from this I have learned many
management practices that must be followed in order to have good profit. By having group
presentation it develops my self-confidence and have a positive experience. Sometimes
presentations are quite hard to as to deliver matter is quite difficult in front of everyone. As doing
presentation in my academic career increases my knowledge and experience do better in future
time by learning from the mistakes and tackles with the obstacles. On the completing of the
presentation the feedback which makes me to know the strengths and weakness of myself.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Jha, S. K. and Veeramani, S., 2021. Sorting Responsible Business Practices in Fast Fashion: A
Case Study of Zara. Journal of Management and Public Policy. 12(2). pp.54-58.
Shabir, S. and AlBishri, N. A., 2021. Sustainable Retailing Performance of Zara during COVID-
19 Pandemic. Open Journal of Business and Management. 9(03). p.1013.
Tee, R., Davies, A. and Whyte, J., 2019. Modular designs and integrating practices: Managing
collaboration through coordination and cooperation. Research policy. 48(1). pp.51-61.
Underwood, R. M., Traver, B. E. and López-Uribe, M. M., 2019. Beekeeping management
practices are associated with operation size and beekeepers’ philosophy towards in-hive
chemicals. Insects. 10(1). p.10.
Wang, S., Li, J. and Zhao, D., 2018. Institutional pressures and environmental management
practices: The moderating effects of environmental commitment and resource
availability. Business Strategy and the Environment. 27(1). pp.52-69.
Online
Best Practices in Operations Management. 2021. [Online]. Available through:
<https://online.kettering.edu/news/2016/07/21/best-practices-operations-management>