Comprehensive Analysis of Marks & Spencer's Business Operations

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Marks & Spencer's (M&S) business operations. It begins with an introduction to business operations and their importance, followed by an examination of M&S's operations management and the benefits derived from it. The report identifies various departments within M&S, such as Marketing, Human Resources, Research & Development, and Finance, and analyzes the interrelationships and collaborations between these departments to achieve organizational goals. A flowchart representing the organizational chart is also included. Furthermore, the report outlines a strategic plan for the Marketing Department, detailing the steps involved in launching a new product, specifically sweat-free shoes. The strategic plan includes resource identification, sales strategies, and pricing methods. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of effective business operations and strategic planning for organizational success.

Business
Operations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
(a) Important of operations management for an organization. Identify various departments in
an organization and analyse how their functions link to achieve the organizational goals........3
(b) Demonstrate the collaboration of the departments in a flowchart representing the
organizational chart.....................................................................................................................5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................6
(c) Follow three steps make a strategic plan for Marketing Department of an organization......6
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................7
REFRENCES ..................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Business operation is define as activities which are conducted in an organisation
for running business and earning money. This can be vary on the basis of several
factors such as industry, business type, size and many more. There are also several
elements of business operations like staffing, procedure, technology used and so on
(Choi, Chan and Yue, 2016). Organisation taken for respective report is Marks and
Spencer which is founded in 1884 by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer. It is a retail
store which offer variety of products like clothing, food, drinks, home etc. Topics
included in respective importance of operations management, relationship between
different departments and action plan for any product.
TASK 1
(a) Important of operations management for an organization. Identify various
departments in an organization and analyse how their functions link to achieve the
organizational goals.
Operational management is define as administration business practices which
are concern with the designing and controlling of the production procedure. It is also
related to redesigning of business operations for the production of products and
services according to customers demand (Greene and et. al., 2013). In respect of Marks
and Spencer they develop as well as maintain effective operational management and
through it they gain various benefits, from which some major are mentioned below:-
 By adopting operational management respective company able to develop as
well as attain their objectives and goal in successful manner.
 This will also help in enhancing productivity of employees and by it staffs able to
design more attractive products that attract customers properly.
 It will also help Marks and Spencer in enhancing their goodwill at marketplace
impressively.
 Operational management also enhance motivation level of employees which
directly or indirectly leads to fuller utilization of resource.
These are some of the major advantage of operational management which are
gain by Marks and Spencer while conducting their business functions and practices.

In an organisation every department are linked with each other that leads to
attaining of objective in effective manner. Below explanation is given related to how
departments at Marks and Spencer are linked with each other:-
 Marketing and Human Resource: At Marks and Spencer both marketing and
human resource are interrelated that leads to effective attainment of goal. The
interlink of both departments functions leads to enhancement of staffs
performance, behaviour of customers and so on (Heizer, Render and Munson,
2017). Such as if marketing department required new staffs for a particular
vacant position, they directly contact to human resources department who help
them in gaining right person at right job. Along with this when HR department
need to need to advertise about any vacant position they contact to marketing
department who will promote requirement so that company get best staff.
 Human Resource and Finance: For every organisation HR and finance are
essential. In respect of Marks and Spencer when Human resource department
conduct any activities related to hiring, training, appraisal and so on they required
funds and for this they directly contact to finance department. On the other hand
in respect of finance department of respective company if they required any staff
or team member they contact to HR department who will hire as well as train
employees according to requirement
 Research & Development and Marketing: These both departments help a
company in identifying and develop products and services according to
customers requirement (Chatzoudes, Chatzoglou and Vraimaki, 2015). Research
and development of Marks and Spencer conduct market research on regular
basis which help them in identifying customers requirement and new trends. This
will help marketing department of respective company in designing and
developing products according to requirement. Through these department Marks
and Spencer develop products which attract more and more customers and
encourage them to purchase their products.
Through this it can be analysis that all departments of Marks and Spencer are
interrelated with each other which leads to business growth by enhancing profitability
ratio and market shares.

(b) Demonstrate the collaboration of the departments in a flowchart representing the
organizational chart.
It is essential for an organisation to develop as well as maintain proper
collaboration among the department because it will help in attaining goal as well as
objective in effective manner. Departments of a firm is divided or based on
organisational structure adopted by them so it is essential for management to select
appropriate one (Gökmen, 2012). Organisation structure is define as systematic outline
of how a firm will conduct their work and take decision in effective way by considering
rules and regulations. There are various type of organizational structure such as matrix,
network, flat, hierarchical, division, team based, line and many more. In this it is
responsibilities of management to select appropriate one according to their business
operations and requirement. In context of Marks and Spencer, they adopt flat
organisation structure for conducting their work effectively (Marks and Spencer, 2019).
In this generally management of higher level and lower level get restricted. The
respective company adopt flat structure because it will provide confidence to their staffs
in respect of making decision.
Organisation chart or structure of Marks and Spencer are divided into major three
portions in which first is Boards that include CEO, Chairman of the board and six
directors. Second section of structure is N-1 which include CFO, Data and digital, CIO,
Legal and secretary, HR, International, food and retail, operations & property sections
(Marks and Spencer Group, 2019). Third is know as N- 2 which include departments
like finance, property, technological solution, finance, clothing and home, clothing, home
and beauty marketing, communication, IT procurement and many more. All these
departments work collaborate that leads to attainment of goal in successful as well as it
will also leads to effective decision making. Such as if Marks and Spencer need to
adopt strategy or want to develop any plan firstly they make it at N- 2 level which is with
the collaboration of all department staffs (Berman, 2012). Then that proposal will be
forwarded to N- 1 level in which senior authority will evaluate and analysis whole plan of
action then if it seems logical they will present it to board. By this respective company
able to develop plan of action impressively manner that help in conducting work
effectually.

Along with this it can be analysis that organizational chart will also leads to
collaboration among the staffs because through it employees feel motivated and
conduct their work in effective manner that leads to minimum wastage and quality work.
TASK 2
(c) Follow three steps make a strategic plan for Marketing Department of an
organization
Strategic plan is define as procedure of organisation management practices
which is generally adopted by a company for fixing prioritise of activities, proper usage
of resources, ensure working of staffs and many more (Forsgren and Johanson, 2014).
By this a firm may conduct their work effectively and impressively that leads to
attainment of goal and objective. In respect of Marks and Spencer they develop
strategic plan in order to launch new shoes at market. That will be sweat free, light
weight as well as it will be made up of waste material like empty plastic bottle and other
plastics which are found near ocean. Marks and Spencer strategic plan for marketing
department related to introduce Sweat free Shoes is given below:-
 Everything it takes to make something: At this stage of strategic plan an
organisation need to identify those resources which they required for to make or
introduce any product. For example design of products and services,
manufacturing process, raw materials to be used, requirement of labour and
many more. In respect of Marks and Spencer they required several resources
through which they able to launch or introduce sweat free shoes in effectively.
For which they need raw materials like polyester or nylon because it sock sweat
easily, cotton, leather and many more, they also required skilled staffs who will
conduct analysis and proper designing of shoes. For this respective company
also need to appropriate procedure in order to develop sweat free shoe.
 Everything it takes to sell that thing: It refers to those activities which are
conducted by a firm in order to sell any products and services in effective manner
(Choi, Chan and Yue, 2016). This stage will include several activities such as
marketing of products and services, distribution of products, delivering of proper
services, procedure adopted for sales and many more. In context of Marks and

Spencer they need to adopt various marketing and promotional tools for selling
their sweat free shoes in effective manner their management. In order to this
respective company management decide to promote their products through
digital media and print media. Along with this for distribution they decide to
supply sweat free shoes in their retail store at different different location.
 How and what the customer pays: It is the last stage at which an organization
identify method through which customers pay for their products and services.
This will also include several practices such as developing pricing strategy,
method for payment, timing of payment and many more (Greene and et. al.,
2013). In context of Marks and Spencer, pricing strategy for sweat free shoes is
premium pricing strategy. In this company offer their products or shoes at high
price and for payment method company will provide all options i.e. cash, card
payment, digital payment and many more. Along with this respective company
will also adopt dynamic pricing in which company will increase or decrease price
of sweat free shoes according to customers or market demand.
By adopting or implementing these three stages of strategic plan Marks and
Spencer able to launch Sweat free shoes in effective manner. This will also help them in
attracting more and more customers toward their products.
CONCLUSION
By analysing above discussed topics it can be determine that every organisation
management need to develop as well as maintain effective business operations. This is
so because through it they able to conduct their work proper and it will also leads to
attainment of high profit ratio along with market shares. In a firm every operational
departments are interrelated with each others that aid in attainment of goal successfully.
Moreover when a firm want to introduce any new products and service they need to
develop strategic plan that they in developing proper plan of actions.

REFRENCES
Books and journals
Berman, S.J., 2012. Digital transformation: opportunities to create new business
models. Strategy & Leadership. 40(2). pp.16-24.
Chatzoudes, D., Chatzoglou, P. and Vraimaki, E., 2015. The central role of knowledge
management in business operations: Developing a new conceptual
framework. Business Process Management Journal. 21(5). pp.1117-1139.
Choi, T.M., Chan, H.K. and Yue, X., 2016. Recent development in big data analytics for
business operations and risk management. IEEE transactions on
cybernetics. 47(1). pp.81-92.
Forsgren, M. and Johanson, J., 2014. Managing networks in international business.
Routledge.
Gökmen, A., 2012. Virtual business operations, e-commerce & its significance and the
case of Turkey: current situation and its potential. Electronic Commerce
Research. 12(1). pp.31-51.
Greene, D.H. and et. al., 2013. Integrated energy savings and business operations in
data centers. U.S. Patent 8,447,993.
Heizer, J., Render, B. and Munson, C., 2017. Operations management. Pearson
Education Limited.
Online
Marks and Spencer. 2019. [Online]. Available
through:<https://prezi.com/vz3_aexv9ovy/marks-and-spencer/>.
Marks and Spencer Group. 2019. [Online]. Available
through:<https://prezi.com/vz3_aexv9ovy/marks-and-spencer/>.