Operations Management Report: Strategies of Minit Lube, Boeing, TQM

This report delves into the realm of operations management, analyzing the strategic approaches of Minit Lube, Boeing, and Total Quality Management (TQM). It examines Minit Lube's unique business model, emphasizing product, quality, process, location, design, workforce, supply chain, inventory, planning, and maintenance strategies, highlighting its competitive advantages. The report then explores Boeing's global strategy, focusing on its technological advancements, cost and differentiation strategies, and how these contribute to its competitive edge. Finally, it discusses TQM, its principles, and its impact on organizational performance, emphasizing customer satisfaction, employee involvement, and cost reduction. The report underscores the importance of these strategies for achieving sustained success in a dynamic business environment.

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OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
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Minit Lube
Minit-lube is a business that has grown to develop a very peculiar business model that
ensures it attracts new customers and retain existing ones. The mission is to ensure that they
provide quality, consistent, cost-effective and fast automobile services such as oil change,
interior cleaning and lubrication to individual clients, ensuring customer satisfaction and at the
same time having a competitive advantage in the market over its competitors (Render & Heizer,
2004, p. 2).
The company has developed various operation strategies that have ensured that it is gaining
more advantage than its competitors. These include;
1) Product strategy
The business emphasizes in more focused strategies in providing services such as
lubrication of automobiles as opposed to its competitors (Render & Heizer, 2008, p. 53).
These services include the changing of oil, cleaning the interior of vehicles and
lubrication of vehicle body parts. They differ from their competitors in providing fast
services achieved by designed mechanisms that allow service for three cars
simultaneously.
The process is time conscious and operational to suit the customer needs. The work is
handled by a set of three employees at each work-station. This has ensured consistency in
the growth of more detailed and effective operations (Lussier, 2008, p. 76).
2) Quality
The business provides quality services. All the employees are well groomed and have
undergone training in the Minit lube school. The limited diversity of tasks allows for
replication of work, use of accessible manuals and proper training of the human resources

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which in turn increases customer satisfaction and maintenance of quality services
(Dranove & Marciano, 2005, p. 113).
3) Process
The processes in the company ensure that the employees are well motivated and focused
on the execution of their duties. As compared to its traditional competitors, the company
does not provide a wide range of services (Kates, 2012, p. 212). This helps to ensure
attention to detail is observed. Secondly, the effective deployment of the employees
ensures services are carried out fast. This also allows MinIt lube to have an extra edge in
efficiency as compared to its competitors.
4) Geographical location
Minit Lube operates in their personal property, and as a result, their building is kept
clean. For instance, the walls are painted white, and the surrounding environment is well
sheared (Bharadwaj, 2018, p. 2). It is also evident that the working location is
strategically positioned near places of residence. The traditional competitors do not pay
much attention to the working environment. This is advantageous to Minot lube because
such a perfect environment will attract customers.
5) Design
The work bays are uniquely designed in that all jobs are carried out fast. They are
structured in a way that all the tasks are done with minimal movement (Bharadwaj, 2018,
p. 5). This is to mean that all services related to lubrication are done in one place. This
helps to make work easier.
6) Work Force

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The human resources department has a strategy where the employees hired are few and
with limited skills. The employees are then taken through training under supervision to
ensure effective performance of duties (Dranove & Marciano, 2005, p. 151). Proper job
specification also increases efficiency. This is achieved because the employees can offer
quality service since they have the proper skills required.
7) Supply chain
The company is able to acquire economies of scale by purchasing their goods in large
quantities and also seek to develop good relationships with their supplies (Lussier, 2008,
p. 86). This ensures that the get quality and affordable goods even in short notices. This
also allows their supplies to refer them to other clients.
8) Inventory
The company keeps a low investment of inventory resulting in a high turnover. This
ensures that the company does not acquire any holding costs that may affect the quality
of their stocks.
9) Planning of services
The strategy ensures that all tasks are carried in the shortest time possible. It also allows
the employees to meet the schedules given by the clients.
10) Maintenance
Since the company works with a narrow product-based strategy, there is relatively limited
maintenance needed (Lussier, 2008, p. 114). Three work-stations also ensure that there is
continuous provision of services even if one station fails.
In conclusion, the company differs from its competitors in ensuring that quality, fast and
convenient services are offered to its clients.

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Productivity in Minit lube is measured through differentiation, elasticity and the costs
incurred in the provision of the services. The company is different from the traditional service
providers in that it offers limited auto mobile services. The approach is elastic in that they react
to customers’ needs effectively and efficiently. The costs are also convenient and affordable for
the customers. This can be seen in the mission of the company. Research states that the
productivity and growth of the company have expanded tremendously in the last two decades,
unlike its competitors.
Boeing Global Strategy yields Competitive Advantage
The Boeing Company embraces a global strategy because it majors on growth and
expansion in globalized markets. It is also evident that the company is in many countries and has
also made alliances with 20 different international system suppliers. This has ensured that it is
made up of components from countries all around the world.
The company is one of the prominent aerospace companies and also is deemed to be the
largest manufacturer of satellites and army airplanes (Wensveen, 2018, p. 1). The company is
different from other companies in the same industry in that it has increased technologies that
have increased efficiency leading to high productivity and low maintenance. It is also evident
that the Boeing 787 engine is more developed and has a higher compression ration leading to
increased efficiency. The engine also has a limited fuel usage leading to lower costs of operation.
The plane uses approximately 25% less of fuel than other aircraft of the same size.
The aircraft has been developed using components from all around the world. This has
resulted to the development of more durable spare parts. This ensures that the craft can travel for
longer distances as compared to other aircraft (Market line Case Study, 2012, p. 7). The longer

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journeys are beneficial in that it will attract more customers as compared to other flights. Being
the only plane that provides long flights, monotony will be created increasing the demand which
in turn increases revenue.
The durability leads to limited maintenance which is cost effective as it reduces all the
costs of operation. Also, the limited maintenance costs lead to increased revenue. Specialized
machinery used to build the plane ensures that it is bigger and lighter at the same time (Market
line Case Study, 2012, p. 9). Due to the advanced systems, the efficiency of the plane is
increased, and weight based costs are reduced greatly.
Cost strategy is one that seeks to reduce operating costs to possible minimums and at the
same time provide lower prices to the clients leading to increased yields. For a company to invest
in the cost strategy, it needs to have high bargaining power to negotiate for the minimum costs
(Polk, 2018, p. 1). Such a company should have high rates of productivity and effective systems
of operation.
Differentiation strategy on the other hand majors on providing incentives that add value
and have higher prices, unlike the cost strategy. Such products are unique and desirable to the
customers making them willing to pay an extra amount for the products (Market line Case Study,
2012, p. 14). It requires a company to continuously invest and develop itself but having superior
products that have strong brands. It is also evident that the differentiation strategy leads to the
production of more quality and sophisticated goods, unlike the cost strategy.
It is vital to note that both the cost and the differentiation strategy have a positive effect
on performance. Nevertheless, the differentiation strategy ensures that a company is able to
sustain its present performance in the long term for an extended period, unlike the cost strategy.

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On the contrary, the differentiation strategy is mostly associated with increased logical risks
(Marketline Case Study, 2012, p. 16). Firms that embrace the differentiation strategy are more
susceptible to threats about competition as compared to those that use the cost strategy. If this is
not well handled there is increased risk of poor performance.
Total Quality Management in Operations Management
Total quality management can be explained as a form of management that provides
customer satisfaction and lasting success (Mukherjee, 2006, p. 265). In this form of management,
all the people in an organization work simultaneously to improve the goods and services offered,
the processes involved and the organizational culture. Improved business tactics are critical in
ensuring that a modern company will have a competitive advantage over its competitors. It seeks
to incorporate all departments in an organization. Such departments include; finance, marketing,
design, production, customer service among others.
Over time, TQM has grown to be one of the key organizational stratagems for a company
to thrive in the market. This process is involvement with systematic growth in all aspects. This
ranges from planning to decision making processes and proper deployment of duties
(Mahadevan, 2010, p. 210). Today, the major focus of organizations is to produce inventive
brands of goods and services as this is a major factor in ensuring organizational success. The use
of TQM in modern organization involves proper management of resources, employees, time and
other business processes to attain customer satisfaction. It is also evident that TQM continuously
increases the value of the customers through improving the systems of operation in an
organization (Morfaw, 2009, p. 138).

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It allows all the employees in an organization to work together to achieve the
organizational goals and at the same time solve customer related challenges. This has helped the
modern organization to develop competitive advantage and also be sustained in an international
business environment (Morfaw, 2009, p. 145). TQM reduces costs incurred in the production
process. It ensures maximum use of the resources available thus increasing the rate of
productivity.
As discussed, TQM majors in customer satisfaction by providing better goods and
services. Fewer complains increases customer loyalty and increased market share. As a result,
new customers will be attracted and existing customers will be maintained (Kiran, 2017, p. 357).
It is also vital to note that TQM will greatly reduce the number of defect products in an
organization. This is because the process is concerned with the improvement of quality thus
reducing production costs as well. The involvement of employees in the process increases moral
which in turn increases efficiency, reduces the rate of labor turn over, hiring and training costs
(Kiran, 2017, p. 448).
Organizational performance is closely intertwined with total quality management in a
company. In the recent past, it is impossible for a company to thrive without TQM. It is involved
in all departments in an organization. With the increasing awareness that the quality of products
and services is a tactical competitive variable, organizations have embraced this new concept that
has been incorporated in the processes of production to manufacture superior goods and services
while at the same time reducing costs involved (Mukherjee, 2006, p. 302).
It is evident that implementation of total quality management leads to long-term returns,
increased productivity and increased organizational performance. Research states that total
quality management is directly connected to innovation because it creates an environment fertile

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for growth (Mahadevan, 2010, p. 239). For success to be experienced after the implementation of
total quality management, the collaboration and involvement of every person from all levels of
management is inevitable. This involves the shareholders, management, clients and employees.
Lack of such participation leads to failure to achieve business objectives.
In conclusion, planning is also a very crucial part of the success of TQM. Research and
training ensure proper precautions are taken to provide success. Continuous update and
modifications need to be reviewed periodically. This will help to ensure that customer
satisfaction is achieved and maintained.

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References
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frameworks for practitioners. Hoboken, N.J., John Wiley. pp. (101-173)
HEIZER, J., & RENDER, B. (2004). Operations management. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Pearson
Prentice Hall, Pearson Education Internat. pp, (1-58)
KATES, A. (2012). Find your next: using the business genome approach to find your company's
next competitive edge. New York, McGraw-Hill. pg. 212
KIRAN, D. R. (2017). Total quality management: key concepts and case studies. (pp. 340-451)
LUSSIER, R. N. (2008). Management fundamentals: concepts, applications, skill development.
Mason, OH, South-Western/Cengage Learning. (pp. 66-141)
MAHADEVAN, B. (2010). Operations management: theory and practice. Upper Saddle River,
Pearson. Pg. 313
Marketline Case Study: Boeing Case Study', 2012, Boeing Case Study: The 787 Dreamliner, (pp.
1-17).
MORFAW, J. N. (2009). Total quality management (TQM): a model for the sustainability of
projects and programs in Africa. Lanham [Md.], University Press of America. (pp. 131-149)
MUKHERJEE, P. N. (2006). Total quality management. New Delhi, Prentice-Hall of India. Pg,
510
Polk, C., 2018. Analysis of Boeing's Initial 787 Supplier Structure: Interdependent Innovation at
a Strategic Firm Boundary. Pg. 1
RENDER, B., & HEIZER, J. (2008). Principles of operations management. Upper Saddle River,
N.J., Pearson Prentice Hall. Pg. 53

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Wensveen, J., 2018. Air transportation: A management perspective. Routledge. Pg. 1
Bharadwaj, A., 2018. Evolution of the Global Automobile Industry. In Environmental.
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