A Comprehensive Report on Management and Operations at Marks & Spencer

This report provides a detailed analysis of the management and operations at Marks & Spencer (M&S). It begins with an introduction highlighting the importance of operations management in achieving organizational goals, maximizing profits, and meeting customer needs. The main body of the report examines key operational functions such as finance, strategy, operation, product design, and forecasting, along with the roles and responsibilities of managers in each function. It then explores key operational approaches including Total Quality Management, Just-in-Time, and Kaizen. Furthermore, the report discusses the impact of external environmental factors on decision-making processes, such as organizational environment, culture, and employee roles. It also analyses appropriate management and leadership approaches, including democratic and laissez-faire styles, as well as authoritative and innovative leadership. The report concludes by emphasizing the value of operation management in achieving organizational objectives, optimizing resource utilization, and ensuring customer satisfaction, supported by references to relevant books and journals.

Management
And
Operations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
(2) Key operational functions along with roles and responsibilities......................................3
(3) Key operational approaches to operations management...................................................4
(4) The impact of external environmental factors affection decision-making process..........5
(5) Appropriate Management and Leadership approaches and Value of Operation
Management...........................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Operation Management makes sure that the organisation causes minimal waste and
properly allocate the resources so as to attain the desired goals. The process entrails the decisions
of the organisation that has strategy, resulting into long term effects. Thus, it helps the
management to maximise the profits accompanied by effectively fulfilling needs of the customer.
It also performs the key functions to attain the organisation goal effectively. Further Marks &
Spencer aim to be the sustainable retailer. The report examines the management and operation
process in the working of an organisation.
MAIN BODY
(2) Key operational functions along with roles and responsibilities
(2.1) Key Operational Function
The key functions of the operation management are as follows:- Finance: It is crucial for the organisation to utilise the finances to the full extent. Such
proper utilisation on the resources will ultimately help in fulfilling the customer needs.
M&S deals in the line of apparel, home products and food products. The company makes
proper utilisation of resources in order to maximise the profits.
 Strategy: These need to be formulated through planning process as to optimise the usage
of resources in order to gain sustainability in the competitive market. Strategies may be
related to the human resources, sales etc. The business strategy devised by the M&S
helps to cover the global market through its online innovation.
 Operation: Management performs the process of planning, directing, coordinating and
controlling. It aims to maximise the profits of an organisation by making the efficient use
of resources (Villa and et. al., 2018). M&S operation activities ensures the product of
high quality with its availability in the store located in the convenient places. Product Design: Innovation plays its role to make the operations activities easier.
Innovative designs of product attract customers, thus the products are designed according
to the trends and change of customer behaviour. The company even produce its products
according to the fashion prevailing and also focus on the quality.

 Forecasting: The term means to estimate the future event or unforeseen events. It helps
in management to make producers aware about the production according to the demands
of the customers.
(2.2) Roles and Responsibilities of the Manager
The roles of managers in the operations of management are:-
 Planning
 Directing
 Coordinating
 Controlling
The responsibilities of the managers in operation management includes:
 It manages the cost involved in producing goods and services. It is the duty of manager to
cut the cost through efficient operation management (Slack, 2018).
 Manager is required to manage the assets of the organisation
 Main responsibility of manager is to manage the employees working in an organisation
and further motivate them to contribute their best.
(3) Key operational approaches to operations management
The key approaches to operations management are:-
Total Quality Management
This approach is used for long term success along with customer satisfaction. In this
management approach all the employees’ focuses on improving the products and services,
process they inherit and the culture in which they work and grow. Its key elements are ethics,
loyalty, training, achievements, communication etc. (Tsvetkova, 2020).
Just-in-Time
Just-in-Time (JIT) is a strategy in managing the inventory of the organisation. The main
focus is to identify the hindrances incur during the production process and take the corrective
measures in order to overcome such hindrances. It aims to increase the turnover by reducing the
cost of production. It also eliminates the waste involved in the process.
Kaizen
It is the Japanese term used for the phrase “change for the better”. The phrase is evolved
for the continuous improvements in the operations of the management accompanied by the
involvement of the employees. Even helps to forecast the changes and impacts evolving in the

organisation. Thus, the aim of this approach is to create small changes in order to make
necessary improvements in the organisation.
(4) The impact of external environmental factors affection decision-making process
Leaders and Managers of the companies are able to influence and guide by which
organisation become more efficient in achieving its goals. There are various external factors
which such as organisational environment, staff characteristics and other factors are there which
impacts the external environment of the organisation. Various factors are as follows:
 Organisational environment: Every organisation have work environment which differs
from place to place and every business enterprise has different values. Some business
ethics and values are followed by every organisation and it is managed and decided by
managers and leaders of M&S Company. Various factors are taken into consideration
such as investors, customers and staff. Leaders and managers determines that how
business and environment will be managed (Jordahl and Robbins, 2018).
 Organisational culture: The culture of an organisation is result of long term
organisation which forms traditions and customs for an organisation. The culture of an
M&S is managed and operated by the leaders and managers of the company. Customs
and rules are decided by leaders of company as it represents the image of the company.
 Employee's roles: In every organisation employee participates in various tasks of the
organisation which is managed and given by the managers and leaders are responsible for
them. Employees affect the business enterprise by its work and values which are assigned
by managers and leaders of the company.
(5) Appropriate Management and Leadership approaches and Value of Operation Management
Management and leadership style is a way in which managers exercise their authority in
workplace. The key components of management style includes attitude and behaviour of
manager towards organisation. There are various management approaches they are:
 Democratic management style: In democratic management style managers adopt
democratic style in which it encourages the ideas and participation of the employees. In
this type of style manager is retains the final decision but thoughts, ideas and
recommendations of employees are taken into account by manager.
 Laissez-faire management style: In this type of management style employees have
freedom to work according to them managers interference is minimum. This management

style is followed by M&S. In this type of management style manager gets involved only
when something goes wrong and team requests it.
To become a leader is not an easy task as leader is a person who is responsible for various
activities performed by its team. There are various leadership approaches by which efficiency of
a business is improved they are:
 Authoritative leadership: In this leaders dictate procedures and goals need to be
achieved by the employees. There is no participation of employees and leader controls
the activities of employees directly.
 Innovative leadership: In this type of leadership theory ideas, thoughts and
recommendations by the employees are taken into consideration by the leaders and they
go beyond usual course of action and observes which in results bring new ideas and
vision into reality. This leadership style is adopted by M&S Company.
Further the environmental factors which influence leaders in their decision making process,
are as follows:-
 Corporate Social Responsibility: The CSR helps in reducing business risk, drive new
market opportunities and improve the image of the company. The CSR influence
leader and manager decision making process, as it impacts the ability of company to
attract new talents and further affects employees’ level of job satisfaction and
retention rates.
 Ethics: Ethical Leader shapes the organisation through ethical decisions they devise.
Further they influence the way others make decisions in the organization. These
factors may influence the leader and mangers to make sound and effective decisions
so as to protect the company from unethical behaviour (Goldschmidt and Kumar,
2019).
 Culture and Values: It helps the managers in decisions making and ensures whether
such decision will work efficiently or not. Variations between members in holding
their beliefs, customs may influence the leader in making decisions.
 Stakeholders: Generally, they ensure that the organization work effectively and
efficiently in dynamic work environment. Such as the Customers experience weighs
on leaders and managers in making decisions. Good Employment Relations helps
leader in making sound decisions.

Factors That Helps In Living Standards of Customers (Value)
Operation Management is effective in achieving organizational objectives and aims as
per pre- determined budget. The leaders and mangers play vital role in managing many business
operations such as:-
 Inventory Management: It helps to serve products and services effectively to the
customers in order to increase profit and sale rate. The M&S must implement proper
strategies for effective inventory management and to maintain balance between demand
and supply of the product.
 Optimum Utilization of Resources: Operation Management is very important for the
company for optimising the utilisation of available resources. Managers of the company
formulate effective strategies in order to minimize the wastage of resources (Kottala and
Herbert, 2019).
 Capacity Management: The managers are responsible for proper direction of employees
towards the organizational goals and also ensures adequate quantity of resources in order
to attain success for long term. The capacity management is vital in offering best
customer services and imprinting positive brand image in the minds of customers.
 Achieving Customer Satisfaction: Proper operation management results into best quality
of products and services accompanied by high level of customer satisfaction. Thus, helps
in building strong brand image as well as customer bond.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it is concluded that operation management plays an important role
to achieve the organisational goal. Also it delegates the roles and responsibilities on the manager
to perform the management activities effectively. Further the key operational approaches are
adopted by the company in order to conduct the functions of management efficiently. It helps the
organisation to maximise the profits along with the minimal waste of the resources. Thus, the
company needs to take account the operational function when producing a product or offering
service.
REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Slack, N., 2018. Essentials of operations management. Pearson UK.

Goldschmidt, K.H. and Kumar, S., 2019. Reducing the cost of humanitarian operations through
disaster preparation and preparedness. Annals of Operations Research. 283(1). pp.1139-
1152.
Jordahl, E.A. and Robbins, M., 2018. merging treasury functions to optimize strategic value: To
achieve a truly effective merger, careful attention should be paid to treasury operations
and invested assets, along with capital management and external financing. Healthcare
Financial Management. 72(8). pp.60-63.
Kottala, S.Y. and Herbert, K., 2019. An empirical investigation of supply chain operations
reference model practices and supply chain performance. International Journal of
Productivity and Performance Management.
Tsvetkova, A., 2020. Social responsibility practice of the evolving nature in the sustainable
development of Arctic maritime operations. In Arctic Marine Sustainability (pp. 119-
143). Springer, Cham.
Villa and et. al., 2018. Decision-making in Humanitarian Operations: Strategy, Behavior and
Dynamics. Springer.