Ford Motors: Operations Management, Key Approaches and Role

This report examines the operations management of Ford Motors, a globally recognized automotive manufacturer. It details key operations such as transportation, production, and promotion, emphasizing the importance of delivering offerings that meet consumer demands. The report explores critical approaches like Total Quality Management (TQM), Six Sigma, and Just-in-Time (JIT), illustrating how these strategies enhance operational efficiency and product quality. It also highlights the roles of managers and leaders in planning, performance assessment, and team coordination. Furthermore, the analysis includes internal and external factors influencing operations management, such as shareholders, corporate culture, and PEST analysis, concluding with the benefits of these approaches in achieving competitive advantage and business sustainability. The report underscores the significance of TQM and JIT in optimizing resource utilization and delivering high-quality products, making it a comprehensive overview of Ford Motors' operational strategies.

Management and Operations

Introduction
 Management of an organization is responsible for planning and
organizing operations in a manner such that goals and objectives can be
duly met within specified limit.
 It is imperative that offerings of a company are delivered as per the
requirements of consumers present within market place.

Key Operations Of Ford Motors
 Ford Motors is a worldwide recognized organization involved in the
sale of commercial and luxury vehicles.
 This company has a strong brand image and market standing owing to
which it has a strong and loyal customer base.
 Such customers are not intending to shift to other brands as they are
content with the offerings of this entity.

Transportation
 The main operation of this organisation is to manufacture vehicles. Post
that these commodities are transmitted to the location of consumption,
that is, to the user.
 It is considered to be an important role of leader and manager of Ford
Motors to ensure that the offerings of enterprise reach the customers
safely and within the stipulated course of time.

Production
 This is considered to be one of the major operations of entity where the
cars and other vehicles are manufactured by Ford Motors while keeping
in consideration the quality and other attributes of commodities.
 This can be said to be the process related to conversion of raw materials
to finished products.

Promotion
 Manager and leader of Ford Motors make use of marketing and
promotional tools and techniques for promoting their offerings in an
effective and robust manner.
 This can be said to be set of a number of activities through which the
respective company can create awareness about the products and
services of organisation among the people prevailing in market place.

Key approaches of operations management
 Operation management is a crucial component of each and every
organisation that is operating as an essential part of corporate world.
 This aids in administration and controlling of activities with a view to
enhance the existing level of quality of offerings.

Total Quality Management (TQM)
 This approach is focussed on a belief that
the workforce of organisation is dedicated
as well as committed to entity.
 This helps the manager and leader of a
company to maintain the standards set by
business for various types of activities and
procedures so that high quality offerings
can reach people.

Six-Sigma
 This can be said to be an effective tool
through which an organisation aims at
enhancing the capabilities of operations.
 With the help of this methodology, the
exiting level of performance of system
can be raised while simultaneously
decreasing the number of defects and
variance in output.

Just in time
 This is found to be yet another crucial approach of operations
management which states that raw materials are sent via suppliers to
business with respect to the order placed or the market demand.
 This provides assistance to company in utilising the money as well as
material in effective manner so as to reduce wastage and out-dated
commodities.

Role of manager and leader
 Planning: The manager of Ford Motors stipulates plans and strategies
in order to make the employees carry out tasks in accordance with
requirements of organisation.
 Performance assessment and appraisals: The manager of Ford Motors
possesses knowledge of the skills and capabilities of workforce.
 Setting coordination among team members: Leader of Ford Motors
motivates the workforce in a manner such that organisational tasks and
activities can be achieved in a timely way.

Importance of Operation management
 Enhance quality of offerings: TQM is used by manager of Ford
Motors to effectively deliver the vehicles to customers thereby
maintaining its quality as per the standards.
 Enhancement of profits: Ford Motors render offerings in a manner
such that customers can be satisfied and profits can be significantly
raised.

Value of operation management
 Gain competitive advantage: In Ford Motors, manager has talented
subordinates which conduct tasks effectively.
 Sustainability of business: Ford offers trendy cars which benefit
seniors to attract large number of customers.

Internal Factors
 Some of the internal factors affecting operations management and
decision making procedures are:-
 Shareholders
 Corporate culture
 Corporate Social Responsibility

External Factors
 These are those elements which do not pertain to the organisational
premises. PEST analysis is used to mention the influence of external
factors upon Toyota, as follows:-
 Political factors
 Economic factors
 Social factors
 Technological factors

Leader and manager can enhance operational
efficiencies
 Manager and leader of Ford Motors uses just in time technique for
utilising resources in efficient manner.
 This also helps them to conduct business activities effectively by
ordering products in respect to need and demands of people.
 Superior have skilled staff members which helps company to provide
quality items and services to buyers.

Conclusions
 From above discussion, it can be concluded that JIT and Six Sigma
approaches are effective in rendering aid to managers and leaders to
optimally utilise the resources.
 Besides this, it is acknowledged that TQM benefits an entity in
provision of high quality offerings among people.

References
 McNeil, A. J., Frey, R. and Embrocates, P., 2015. Quantitative risk
management: Concepts, techniques and tools. Princeton university
press.
 Mollenkopf, D. A., Frankel, R. and Russo, I., 2011. Creating value
through returns management: Exploring the marketing–operations
interface. Journal of Operations Management. 29(5). pp.391-403.