Analysis of Operation and Project Management at Asda Stores Ltd.

This report provides an analysis of operation and project management within Asda Stores Ltd., a major British supermarket chain. It begins by differentiating between operation and operations management, then reviews the implementation of operation management principles within Asda, critiquing their effectiveness. The report analyzes how well Asda's operation management meets requirements, discussing continuous improvement as a philosophy and describing Lean principles. It also recommends improvements using operation management principles. The second part of the report focuses on project management, providing an overview of a case study, explaining the stages of the Project Life Cycle (PLC) relevant to the project, and evaluating the effectiveness of the PLC using appropriate theories and models. The report also touches upon project execution strategies.

Operation and project
management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Introduction to chosen organization.............................................................................................1
Explaining the operation vs operations management..................................................................1
Reviewing and critique implementation of the operation management principles within the
chosen organization.....................................................................................................................2
Analysing the extent to which the operation management of company meets the requirement..3
Discussing the continuous improvement as a philosophy and describing the Lean principles...4
Explaining continuous improving plan and recommending best for improvement by using
operation management principles................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7
PART 2............................................................................................................................................8
Project title.......................................................................................................................................8
An overview of the case study you have been given...................................................................8
Explaining the each stage of the PLC that applies in the project.................................................8
Project execution............................................................................................................................12
........................................................................................................................................................16
Review and critically evaluate the effectiveness of the PLC in application to your project using
the appropriate theories models and concepts...........................................................................17
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................19

INTRODUCTION
Operation management refers to the process that includes the business practices to create
the high level of efficiency in the company. This is basically concerned with the converting of
raw material into the finished goods. By this it helps the company to have the maximum profit in
the market. The current report is based on Asda which is one of the largest multinational store in
the market of UK. The report will outline the operation vs operation function, lean principles and
identifies best for the company. Moreover, the current report will include the explanation of the
operational management that will help company to fulfil the requirements of the operations.
Introduction to chosen organization
Asda stores Ltd. Is the largest company operating in the British supermarket chain. The
firm was founded in 1949 and having its headquartered in Leeds, England. The company is the
retailer having its retail stores in the market of UK. Besides having the large supermarkets the
company also used to provide the insurance and payment services and the mobile phone provider
(Mišić and Perakis, 2020). It used to have 633 stores and 145000 employees which helps the
company to grow and operate in the market. It is the second largest supermarket chain in the UK
but it now fell to third largest super market store in the country.
Aims of the company-
 To improve the quality of products in the coming years.
 To provide more jobs to unemployed people.
 To have more online selling of the products.
Objectives-
 To have better production by improving the quality of goods and services at reasonable
prices.
 To have better target market.
 To become first largest Britain's supermarket by satisfying the needs of the customers.
Explaining the operation vs operations management
Meaning of operations-
Operations are basically defined as process of having the better functioning and working of the
things which helps to manage the different type of work and activities that are operated inside the
company. It is the process in which everything is done by having the proper money and
procedure in the company. As there are different activities in the company that are required to be
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managed so the company must have the proper operations that helps them to grow in the wide
market.
The operation function is refereed to the process which involves the handler that will
perform all the activities and different type of things which usually includes the manufacturing
and selling of the products and services.
On the other hand operation management refers to the administration of the different
business practices that used to have the high level of efficiency in the organization (Lee, 2018).
Asda must have the better operation management as this helps them to convert the raw materials
into the selling or finished products and services. It is very important for the company to have the
better operation management to maximize the profit.
For example, each department of Asda used to have operation management which is
basically managed by the operation manager of the firm. The company is also taking the step to
have new and innovative technologies by which the data related and production related problems
can be solved. This will help them to have better running of the operations and managing the
operational activities.
Reviewing and critique implementation of the operation management principles within the
chosen organization
The company must have the operation department which makes the company to be
specialized in every aspect. Asda's operation management helps to handle the market related
issues that are faced by the company. This makes them to have better formulation of the things
which used to have positive impact on the sales of branded products. The organization must
know about the better quality of the products and different other products that will attract the
customers to grow the market share of the company.
There are basically 10 operation management principles that is helpful for the
organization and some of them used by the cited company which is described as below:
1. Organization: This used to show that the principles are basically interrelated with
each other. The company must have the better use of this principle as this
maintain the consistency in the process by having proper and positive outcome in
the market (Glock, Jaber and Smunt, 2019). Asda's operation management must
need to undertake the production which helps them to have better planning and
production.
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2. Reality: In Asda the operation manager must need to have focus on the such
issues that might be happened and affect the process of the company. The real
issues or problems that may occur must be taken into account to have better help.
3. Accountability: This principle shows that the people who are working in the
company must be having the specific roles and responsibilities. This helps to
maintain the consistency and thus increases the profitability as well.
4. Humility: This refers to the time and money both that must be saved by the
company in order to have positive outcome in the future.
5. Quality control: It is one of the important aspect that must be managed by the
operation manager. Asda must have the quality control measures which helps
them to lead in the competitive market.
6. Success: In order to get the success it is very important for the company to
achieve better operations by satisfying the customers in the market (Benjaafar and
Hu, 2020).
7. Known about the competition: As the cited company is the largest supermarket,
so they must have the better knowledge about their competitors in the market.
8. Causality: This used to show about the proper identification of the operations
which makes the company to know about the problems in the business.
Analysing the extent to which the operation management of company meets the requirement
As there are different objectives that must be obtain by the company by having the cost
reduction and better productivity in the market. The objectives of the company is as stated
below:
 To have reduction in the unnecessary cost in next quarter.
 To have improvement in quality in the coming year.
 To have increment in the profitability at the end of this year.
The operation management of the company used to fulfil the current requirement of the
business. It used to show that the company has optimum resources and cost so the production can
be done in sustainable manner (Sabbaghtorkan, Batta and He, 2020). As there are different kinds
of operation functions which must be managed by the company by having the better marketing
strategies. This help the company to manage and measure the new technologies in order to find
out critical situations in the market and increases the productivity as well.
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This helps Asda to have better identification of the basic requirements which help the
stakeholders and other members of the company. By this the decision- making of the company is
improved and produces better quality of the products. The company must also focus in the things
that helps them to create the better environment by having the proper operation management.
Discussing the continuous improvement as a philosophy and describing the Lean principles
The continuous improving or improvement plan of the company used to identify the
different opportunities that helps to reduce the waste and have better production in the market.
This is basically known as the continuing process which used to have the proper improvement in
the products and services that are sold in the market. The lean principles is as described below:
1. Identify value: This is the most required function which helps the company to
identify the team work in the company.
2. Map value stream: This principle makes the company to visualize and have
correct path to have better customer base (Farooq, Masood and Habib, 2021).
3. Create flow: It used to include the activities in which there is proper and
systematic task is completed by the employees.
4. Establish pull: This used to establish the task and assignments that are completed
on the given time.
5. Seek constant improvement: This shows that continuous plan must have the
proper management so that improvement can be done.
There are different methods that are used in the lean production which is stated below:
Kaizen: This method is basically used in the inventory control system which used to have
time to have better tracking of the production and provides different types of ideas to the
company.
Just in time: it used to show that the inventory of the company must be having
management strategy which used to align the raw materials which are directly ordered by the
retailers.
Kanban: This is basically the inventory control system which helps the company to have
proper tracking of the production and shipments of the ordered products and services.
Andon: This system used to alert the operators if might they see any problem related to
operations in the company.
SIX SIGMA
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Define: This refers to the problem which are basically related with the requirement on the
expectations which used to fulfil the needs of the customers in the market.
Measure: By this Asda used to measure the process which helps the company to have
better collection of data.
Analyse: It used to provide process in order to analyse and find out the problems of the
chosen company.
Improve:In this the company used to improve the things which are identified and
analysed by them.
Control: This helps the company to have the controlling measures and assure that those
must not be repeated.
Continuous development plan: In order to have the continuous development plan the
company uses the different lean principles that are described below:
Quality circle- This principle shows that the company or team members must perform
well in order to provide better quality of products (Zhang, Tang and Dai, 2020).
Pros Cons
It promotes team work No collaboration with the management.
Benchmarking: This helps to remove and improve the baselines in Asda and make them
know how to manage the tough things in the company.
Pros Cons
It helps to gain high performance level. Does not provide proper training as well.
TQM: This used to have the clear objectives that are involved in the improvement in the
chosen company.
Pros Cons
Provide the better customer satisfaction. Time consuming process.
SCM: This principle is followed in order to have the proper process of the converting the
raw material in the finished goods and have better production.
Pros Cons
It increases the revenue of the company. It takes lots of time to have the better process.
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Explaining continuous improving plan and recommending best for improvement by using
operation management principles
Advantages Disadvantages Recommendation
Taylor's scientific
management
 It improves the
production of
the company.
 By this quick
decisions can
be made.
 Large amount
of capital is
required.
 This may also
create the
unemployment.
This principle can be
adopted by the cited
company in order to
have better production
in the market.
Mass customization  This used to
start with the
responsive
process that are
used in
production of
the products.
 It increases the
cost of
different things
while having
production.
 It also used to
create problem
to measure the
stock before
time (Feng and
Ye, 2021).
Asda is required to
provide training to
their employees for the
better and effective
working environment.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it is concluded about the meaning of operation and operation
management in the chosen company. By having the proper management it helps them to achieve
the aims and objectives decided by the company. Moreover, the report has also described about
the management principles and continuous improvement activities to have the proper
improvement in the organization. The report has also stated about the philosophy and lean
principles with its advantages and disadvantages. At the end of the report it has explained about
the continuous improving plan and chosen the best plan for the company to have better operation
management in the market.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Benjaafar, S. and Hu, M., 2020. Operations management in the age of the sharing economy:
What is old and what is new?. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management.
22(1). pp.93-101.
Farooq, M. U., Masood, T. and Habib, M.S., 2021. Supply chain operations management in
pandemics: a state-of-the-art review inspired by COVID-19. Sustainability. 13(5).
p.2504.
Feng, B. and Ye, Q., 2021. Operations management of smart logistics: A literature review and
future research. Frontiers of Engineering Management. 8(3). pp.344-355.
Glock, C. H., Jaber, M.Y. and Smunt, T. L., 2019. Applications of learning curves in production
and operations management: A systematic literature review. Computers & Industrial
Engineering. 131. pp.422-441.
Lee, C. K. H., 2018. A review of applications of genetic algorithms in operations
management. Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence. 76. pp.1-12.
Mišić, V. V. and Perakis, G., 2020. Data analytics in operations management: A
review. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management. 22(1). pp.158-169.
Sabbaghtorkan, M., Batta, R. and He, Q., 2020. Prepositioning of assets and supplies in disaster
operations management: Review and research gap identification. European Journal of
Operational Research. 284(1). pp.1-19.
Zhang, F., Tang, C. S., Feng, T. and Dai, Y., 2020. Evolution of operations management
research: from managing flows to building capabilities. Production and Operations
Management. 29(10). pp.2219-2229.
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PART 2
Project title
Cooking food in organization for staff members
An overview of the case study you have been given
In the given case study it is provided that there is the large manufacturing company that is
based in Midlands. The company used to have almost 1250 staff that are willingly to work in the
factory and office. In the current situation the company used to have no catering services and for
this change program must be implemented. The title of the program is cooking food in the
organization for staff members.
Explaining the each stage of the PLC that applies in the project
Project initiation
Title-
Detailed description - Cooking food for all in the organization is the selected topic. This
is selected to have the major issue related with food service to employees and developing best
things to serve them with quality of food options (Bao, Chen and Darko, 2018).
Overview – The reason of this study is to know about the several healthy food related
options for employee. Further it used to put restriction on movement from going out of office
and have chances of absenteeism while working.
Aim – The aim of the company is to provide CSR in the market and have better process
to achieve the profit.
Significance: To get the large amount of staff members and for this project 1250
employees has been considered.
Impact on the business practices: the business standards used to have majority of
chances in order to develop the internal environment.
Duties and accountability: the duties, role and accountability in the project is to provide
the better roles to employees and thus it improves the attention and provides opportunities in the
employees.
Key stakeholder: The stakeholders of the company includes the employees, local
community, members of the board, etc are included in this project. All these stakeholders if the
company helps them to have better decision making and influence others as well.
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Expected budget of the project: For the current project the expected budget is basically
calculated in the terms of real cost which will be very effective for the company (Bakri, 2021).
The overall expenses of the company will be properly segmented and monitored to have better
operations.
Milestones: there are different milestones which are important includes the quality of the
food, restrict of employee going out of premises and taking break and absenteeism to have better
working.
Assumptions: The company must take the certain assumptions which must be related to
the change in prices and different kind that will have negative concern on the company's
productivity.
Success criteria: This includes the less absenteeism of the employees in the company
and having the employee satisfaction by serving them the best quality of food.
Project planning
Scope planning: In this project it will include 1250 staff and provide them catering
services by serving them the quality of food. This will help them to minimize the chances of
paying attention in the absenteeism of employees and have better focus on the standards of
company.
Formation of WBS: The WBS refers to the work breakdown structure which has been
used by the company to have better planning of the things.
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