Operations Scheduling, Inventory & Work Systems Analysis - Aldi Case

This essay delves into the critical aspects of operations management, focusing on operations scheduling techniques and their application in business, particularly within the context of Aldi, a well-known discount market chain. It examines the significance of layout planning in enhancing service quality and productivity, highlighting how poor planning can lead to communication breakdowns and increased costs. The essay also underscores the importance of inventory management policies, such as the Just-in-Time model, in controlling production costs and optimizing stock levels. Furthermore, it analyzes work systems within an organization, emphasizing their role in coordinating tasks and improving efficiency. The discussion covers the various elements of work systems, including organizational structure, policies, and leadership practices, and explores how these systems contribute to achieving business objectives by streamlining processes and ensuring effective resource allocation. The essay concludes by emphasizing the iterative nature of plan formulation and the importance of workforce planning and scheduling in transforming inputs into outputs, ultimately maximizing productivity and minimizing delays.

2-Essay

Table of Contents
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................8

MAIN BODY
Operations management is basically considered as the area of management which is
related to the control and design of the process in the redesigning and production of the business
operations in the production of services or goods. It is basically concerned with the process that
involves transformation of a range of inputs into output of services and goods which are
purchased by the consumers. The main purpose is to control and design the process for the
purpose to ensure that the business operations are efficient for the purpose to minimise the use of
resources in order to meet the requirements of the customer. The below essay involves how the
operations scheduling techniques are used in order to formulate a plan while organising work and
clearly explaining the knowledge of the work system processes and layout planning within a
business organisation and involves the importance of the inventory management policies for the
controlling the production costs(Huntand and Zhuang, 2022).
Aldi is a popular brand from German founded in 1946 and headquartered in Essen
Germany and Mulheim Germany. It is a family owned discount market chains that involves
around 10,000 stores among 20 countries. The Layout planning is basically considered to be one
of the best physical arrangement of the resources which involves a customer space within a
facility and these resources can be categorised as entire office, desk, a person, a cabinet or a
department(Kambli, Sinha and Srinivas, 2020 ). The inventory management basically involves
the process that involves selling, ordering, using, storing and selling a inventory of the
organisation. It further involves the management of the components, raw materials, finished
products and also includes the processing and warehousing of the items. The process of
inventory management is used by the organisations to the purpose to receive, order and manage
the various commodities sold to the customers. In addition to that the procedures and policies
helps the organisation to actively participate in managing the various products in the facilities.
The above concepts will be discussed in the rest of the analysis. In context to the
operational scheduling it helps in following a sequence of the business operations which are
specified on the route of production. In context to organisations, the operations managers uses
basically three methods that involves the critical path, PERT and Gantt Charts. In context to
organisations, the main objective is to reduce the time and costs involved in the process of
production. The production scheduling basically aims to increase and maximise the efficiency
operations and reducing the costs. In context to Aldi, the layout planning plays a very important
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role and is quite important in affecting the service quality and productivity. Poor layout planning
basically results in poor communication, increased costs, information flows and frustrated
consumers. In context to organisation, layout planning plays a very important role as it helps in
setting up face to face interaction among the workers. In context to proper layout planning it
plays a very important role in building up good relations, improving communication and
increasing the flow of communication(Lamba and Singh, 2018).
In context to Aldi, the work systems allows the everyday tasks to operate in a highly
coordinated manner and also helps in providing a tool or framework for the purpose to produce
services and products in the organisation. A good inventory management strategy plays a very
important role in the organisation. In context to Aldi, the inventory management strategy plays a
very important role in improving the accuracy of the inventory orders. With the help of proper
management it helps in figuring out the exact level of inventory required by the organisation. In
addition to that it helps in preventing the product shortage and also allows to have a sufficient
stock of inventory without over filling the warehouse(Copacino, 2019).
In context to Aldi, the organisation uses Just in time inventory model that helps in
delivery of the products whenever required. It helps in controlling the production costs and
reduces the capital tied up in the stock which involves reducing the associated labour costs and
cost of warehousing. In context to Aldi, the organisation uses just in time approach for the
management of its stores through holding the stock which is needed. The stock is quite costly
and therefore the organisation buys only the stock which is required. The working capital of the
organisation is improved when stocks are reduced.
In context to the stores of the organisation, everything is focused on reduction of the cost
of managing and holding the stock. In context to the process of buying and selling in the
organisation within the Aldi stores, the organisation operates in a time based management
principles and involves the requirement of cashiers and fewer tills. In context to Aldi, the
organisation has a distinctive approach in terms of retailing. In context to organisation, its
operations focuses on providing the customers with good quality products and the organisation
achieves by ensuring the operations in efficient way. The organisation is able to offer highest
quality products a less prices with the help of adopting a variety of lean approaches. In context to
inventory management, the process is considered to be a good practice for a organisation and in
terms of organisation it is very important to keep a regular check on the inventory level. The
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proper inventory management can either break or make a business and provides various benefits.
A good inventory management strategy helps in improving the accuracy of the inventory orders.
It helps in figuring out the inventory and also prevents product shortages and also allows to keep
enough inventory without over filling the warehouse(Jeong and Lee, 2022).
In addition to that it helps in leading to a more organized warehouse. In context to
organisation it helps in ensuring the records in a accurate way and helps in saving up money. The
inventory management helps in saving up money and time and provides various monetary
benefits to the organisation. It helps in keeping the track of the products and also helps in saving
the time and effort for the purpose to ensure the records are available in accurate manner. The
good inventory management helps in saving the money. Furthermore, it helps in increasing the
productivity and efficiency. It also involves the inventory management devices that involves the
inventory management software and barcode scanners which basically results in improving the
productivity and efficiency. With the help of these devices it helps in eliminating the manual
process for the employees and also helps in focusing on the various areas of the organisation. A
good inventory management strategy helps in keeping the consumers and leads to striving for
repeat customers(Chowdary and Fullerton, 2019).
In addition to that it helps in meeting the demand of consumers in a quick way and helps
in meeting the demands by allowing to have right products in right time as per the needs of the
consumers. In context to Aldi, the organization achieve its objectives with a way to create a
series of tasks which need to be carried out and performed as per the requirement. It involves
hiring employees, selling services, responding to the consumers and purchasing materials. With
the help of right placement of tasks in a well organised series and interconnected systems helps
in benefiting the organisation with increasing the bottom line and introducing the efficiency in
everyday working. The work in a organisation allows everyday tasks to operate in a well
organised and coordinated manner and also provides a basic framework that helps in producing
the products and services. A work system is basically a collective effort that is designed when a
goal or task is identified and one person or more persons are required to accomplish the task.
The work systems basically helps in incorporating the technology, business resources and
information for the purpose to create products and services for the internal and external. The
individual recruited in the organisation need to operate within the work system that helps in
defining and organising the system that allows achievement of goals. The system need to be
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designed in a way that to have a detailed information about the machines and workers and their
requirement. In terms of work systems, there is not a single type of work which exists in the
organisation. In context to work systems it involves the supply chain, information system and
services of the customers and employees.
The e-commerce websites can be also considered as the work systems that helps in
accomplishment of the tasks related to management of transactions, customer service and
marketing. In some cases the work system are designed in a way that helps in accomplishment of
the tasks and involves a special project that includes data collection and conference or specific
product and link of other work systems with a larger work system that involves design work
system, packaging work systems and supply chain work system. In context to the work systems it
involves a series of the elements that basically influences the working system and involves the
elements which are interdependent and operates for the purpose to create a whole system. The
structure of the organisation involves the roles, individuals and involves the roles related to the
work. The policies of the organisation involves the statements, rules and agreements that
involves the needs of work to be completed.
The organization involves the leadership practices that are present in the control of the
organisation and direct the accomplishment of the work and also focuses on maintaining
motivation and focus. The work systems works greatly among the organisation and involves
basic framework of the components which could be used in order to fill the work system. These
components basically involves the process, participants and activities and also involves the
process strategies, physical environment, technologies and the end product.
The dynamics of the work system could be achieved through imposing a set of phases in
the work system. There are various phases in the work system which involves on going
improvements, implementation, development and initiation. It also involves changes, unplanned
and planned revisions that occur while using four phases. In context to the planned changes it
involves four phases and in case of unanticipated or unplanned changes that occur in each phase
of the form of fixes, adaptations and experimentation. The plan formulation is basically
considered as the iterative process that helps in establishing planning objectives and involves
evaluation of the management measures that helps in addressing the aims and objectives and also
involves development of the potential alternatives for the purpose to meet the screen out plans
and meeting the objectives based on the comparison criteria and identifies plans for the
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implementation. In context to organisation workforce planning and scheduling are considered to
be the final step in the design and operation planning. The workforce planning and operation's
scheduling are implemented during the transformation of input to output. The scheduling
basically involves dealing with the production of the quantity of product within the time period.
The workforce planning basically deals with the allocation of the resources with priority to work
job with a delivery date. In context to operations planning it helps in ensuing that workflow is
established in a proper way that helps in allocation of job with the help of machines. The
scheduling involves the timing, quantity and allocation of the resources for the purpose to help
the business in a cash flow planning.
In context to the three main objectives the production scheduling involves proper
utilization of the work centres, avoiding delays in the completion and reducing time of job on
machines. The workforce planning helps in ensuring optimum productivity with the help of
ensuring proper utilization of the priorities and limited resources and job order at different work
centres. The workforce control helps in ensuring that maximum output could be achieved from
workforce, machines and raw materials. It involves the product related data which is recorded for
the purpose to establish a control of input and output for the optimum utilization of resources
and achieving overall efficiency. The main aim or objective of the workforce planning and
control involves recording data in relation to the process quantities, providing measurement of
the productivity and efficiency, prioritizing various job orders, recording the output data in order
to monitor the capacity control and providing status to the workplace orders to control panel. In
context to the manufacturing operations it involves various challenges in order to keep the
production efficient and on time.
Improvement in technology helps in providing various solutions to the organisations
which is also known as Operations Scheduling. It basically involves the process of operations
and assigning jobs to the labor resources and right machines. I n order to make sure that the
production is completed in a timely manner it involves the timing and utilization of resources.
When a plan is implemented in a proper manner it helps in decreasing the overall production
time and increasing the revenue of the company. It also helps in dealing with the utilization of
resources and involves a sequence of operations that helps in ensuring the most efficient
production schedule. The operational scheduling plays a very important role in maximizing the
resource Utilization. It also further helps in manufacturing the time reduction. In context to
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creating a proper schedule, the overall production time is reduced. It also helps in minimizing the
inventory and increases optimization of the efficiency of labor. With a efficient production
schedule it not helps in providing benefits to the workers but also improves the customer
services. It also helps in increasing the output and profits and involves a efficient schedule that
helps in increasing the number of products and results in increasing on time delivery and
increased profits. There are various functions of Operations scheduling that involves allocation
of resources and involves assigning of the jobs to departments for the purpose to provide a clear
picture of the capacity of the organisation. It involves determining the right sequence of job
which need to be performed and involves a technique that helps in sequence of the jobs and
running of the jobs and results in reducing the machine set up(Apte, Bacolod and Carmichael,
2020).
In context to organisations when these operations are scheduled in a right manner it helps
in getting idea and notifying customers regarding order status. In context to Aldi, the operational
management is basically a field of business that includes managing the business operations for
the purpose to ensure execution of the projects in a efficient way and involves performance of
the various strategic functions. The major functions of the product design involves the creation of
the product and includes expanding ideas and generating ideas that helps in production of the
new products. In context to organisation, the operations manager responsibility is to ensure that
the product are sold to customers in order to meed the needs keeping in mind the current market
trends. The customers are interested in product's quality rather than quantity and the organisation
should focus on creating systems that focuses on developing the products that helps in meeting
the needs of the customer. It further involves forecasting which involves prediction of the future
events. In context to Aldi, the operations manager is involved in prediction of the demand of the
products of the company.
The organisational managers relies on the present and past data that helps the
organisation to determine the future trends in the consumption and helps the organisation to help
the organisation to meet the demand of market. The operations managers focuses on controlling
the inventory, sales, source of supply, production process which are needed for supply of
required goods at cheap prices. In context to delivery management, the operations managers has
to perform role and responsibility of the management of delivery. The manager need to ensure
that the delivery of the goods is done in timely manner. It is important to follow up the customers
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for the purpose to ensure that goods are delivered in a timely manner and meets the needs of the
customer. In context to retail market it has witnesses the competition among various firms and
involves creation of the stiff competition among players. In context to aldi, the organisations
need to develop various strategies which will help the firm to achieve a competitive advantage.
In context to Aldi, the organisation could not afford to disappoint its consumers. There are
various benefits in the operations management that helps the organisation in order to ensure
quality products and services to the consumers and helps in meeting the goals and objectives of
the organisation that helps in achievement of needs of the customers. The operations manager
involves a list of processes that helps in determining the order needs(Xue, Dou and Shang,
2022).
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
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humanitarian operations: Evidence from United States navy. Production and Operations
Management, 29(4), pp.1071-1090.
Chowdary, B.V. and Fullerton, C., 2019. Improvement of steel melting operations at a Caribbean
company: a lean manufacturing approach. International Journal of Advanced Operations
Management, 11(1-2), pp.102-125.
Copacino, W.C., 2019. Supply chain management: The basics and beyond. Routledge.
Heshmat, M. and Eltawil, A., 2018. A new sequential approach for chemotherapy treatment and
facility operations planning. Operations Research for Health Care, 18, pp.33-40.
Hunt, K. and Zhuang, J., 2022. Blockchain for Disaster Management. In Big Data and
Blockchain for Service Operations Management (pp. 253-269). Springer, Cham.
Jeong, S. and Lee, J., 2022. Environment and Energy? The Impact of Environmental
Management Systems on Energy Efficiency. Manufacturing & Service Operations
Management.
Kambli, A., Sinha, A.A. and Srinivas, S., 2020. Improving campus dining operations using
capacity and queue management: A simulation-based case study. Journal of Hospitality
and Tourism Management, 43, pp.62-70.
Lamba, K. and Singh, S.P., 2018. Modeling big data enablers for operations and supply chain
management. The International Journal of Logistics Management.
Xue, X., Dou, J. and Shang, Y., 2020. Blockchain-driven supply chain decentralized operations–
information sharing perspective. Business Process Management Journal.
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