Analysis of Operations Management Practices at Tesco: BM563 Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of operations management practices, focusing on Tesco, a leading British retail giant. The report begins by identifying key operational practices within Tesco, such as quality management. It then critically analyzes the impact of these practices on the organization's efficiency, emphasizing the importance of total quality management and capacity planning. The study further evaluates the integration of technology within these processes, particularly in supply chain management, highlighting the use of automated systems and data analysis. Finally, the report assesses the supporting functions linked to these operational practices, such as customer information and feedback mechanisms, and how they contribute to Tesco's overall organizational success. The report also includes a comparison with Unilever's quality management processes.

Operations and
Service Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY.............................................................................................................................3
1. Identify one operation management practice within a chosen organisation......................3
2. Critically analyse how this operation management practice impacts the organisation in
regards to efficiency...............................................................................................................5
3. Evaluate how technology could be embedded in this process or evaluate how this has
already been achieved............................................................................................................6
4. What supporting functions are linked to this operation management practice and
evaluate how can they assist with ensuring organisational success.......................................6
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................8
Books and journals.................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Operation management is administration of the business practices which will help in
creating the highest level of efficiency within the organisation. This is directly related to
converting the material and Labour into the goods and services as efficiently as possible for
the organisation where it can maximize its profit. In this given report Tesco is the main focus
organisation where the operation management in Tesco will be discussed. it is a leading
British retail giant which is operating at a global level. Tesco is famous for its operation
within the retail industry (Pollitt, Birchall and Putman, 2016). In this report there will be
discussion about the operation management where in the beginning of the report
identification of the operation management practices within Tesco.in the middle of the report
there will be critical analysis about how the operation management practices impact the
organisation and how can it be used technology for improving its processes for achieving the
goals and objective. In the end of the report, supporting functions of operation management
practices are evaluated for ensuring the success within the organisation.
MAIN BODY
1. Identify one operation management practice within a chosen organisation
Unilever is a British multinational consumer goods company, which is situated in
London England and selling its product to the global level. Companies famous for its
multinational products as well as a proper product mix where it’s applied energy drink, ice-
cream, tea, cleaning agents, beauty products and many more around 190 countries on the
globe. company is operating at a higher profit because of effective operation management
within the organisation (Jha, Sahay and Charan, 2016). Company perform different type of
operational management functions and area within the organisation which includes designing
of goods and services quality management process and capacity designing location strategy
layout and designing strategies job designing and human resources and many more. Here the
total quality management is chosen for exploring the operation management within the
Unilever.
Quality management: quality management can be defined as a strategy opted by the
organisation for ensuring the quality of the product in services. It includes full form quality
planning quality assurance and quality control and quality improvement. it not only focus on
the quality of products and services but it also focus on achieving this (Slack and Brandon-
Jones, 2018).
Unilever is a multinational company which always focus on managing the quality
within the product and services offered by the organisation for satisfying the needs of its
customer Unilever approaches in valve and implementing the quality standards in the
operational process to satisfy the product quality requirement. For maintaining the quality
within the product of the company Unilever always oppose the three yard odd policy for
defect and related issue in the production operation. These operation standards are maintained

by the Unilever by performing a proper market research and grabbing the data where it can
convert it goods in consumer goods industry and maintaining the high quality within the
products and management of the organisation by fulfilling the corporate standards.
Principles in Quality management
There are six principles which are followed by Unilever for maintaining the quality of
the product and effectiveness within the organisation these are mentioned below:
Customer focus: according to this principle organisation is highly dependent on their
customer and for this they should understand the current and future customer need and meet
their requirement for exceeding the growth of organisation and meeting the customer
expectations (Anning-Dorson, 2017). Unilever adopted a proper strategy where it research
and understand the needs of the customers and identify their expectations where it also ensure
that the objective of the organisation linked to the customer needs and expectations where it
can communicate the customer needs and expectations through the organisation.
Leadership: leadership established unity of the purpose and direction of the
organisation where organisation can lead in a particular direction by combining with the
external and internal environment and motivating the peoples for getting involved in
achieving organisational goals and objective. In context of Unilever, it always consider the
need of all interested parties including the customers owners employees supplier finances and
local community for establishing a clear vision of the organisation future and setting the
challenges goals and target.
Involvement of people: according to this principle it is important for an organisation
to involve all the level within the organisation for establishing a proper communication and
enabling the abilities of each and every individual (Leyer, 2016). For this Unilever and sure
the understanding between the peoples where it pay importance to their contribution and role
within the organisation it also identify the concentrates to their performance Where people
started accepting the ownership of the problem and the responsibility for solving them.
Process approach: in this principle are desired result is achieve more effectively
when the activities are related to the resources. these resources must be used and management
proper way by following a process which lower the cost and shorter the cycle time through
the effective use of resources (Slack, 2018). In context of Unilever, at applied a systematic
and define activity within the organisation where it is necessary to obtain the desire result.
Company also established clear responsibility and accountability for the managing different
activities within the form where it can analyse and measure the capabilities of the key
activities.

System approach to management: according to the principal it is important for the
organisation to identify understand and manage the interrelated process within the firm as a
system of contribution towards the organisation effectiveness and efficiency. This will lead in
achievement of the objective within the time and managing the integration and alignment
between different processes. Unilever always follow this approach where it ensures the
structuring system to achieve the organisation objective in a most effective and efficient way
and understanding the interdependence between the process of the system for managing the
structural approach and harmonizing the integrated process.
Continuous improvement: what is the six principal which state that the continuous
improvement of the organisation overall performance should be permanently objective of the
organisation which help company in maintaining the quality of the product as well as
performance advantage to improve organisation in relation to Unilever it always employer
constant organisation where it use of wide approach to continual improvement of the
organisation performance where the quality of the product can be managed.
2. Critically analyse how this operation management practice impacts the organisation in
regards to efficiency
Quality management is directly linked with the efficiency of the every organisation as
if there is quality management within the organisation efficiency of each and every employee
as well as different class will be increased. This is because company started focusing on
improving the quality of each and every product. Improving the quality of the product it is
always necessary to bring the efficiency within the organisation (Vuchic, 2017). Unilever
always focus on quality management within the organisation behaviour usually increase the
quality of a product as well as services and the management staff. Guide every individual that
how they have to perform within the organisation for increasing the quality of the product
and services offered by the organisation. It also use different training programs which boost
the knowledge of the individual about the product and service ultimately increase the
efficiency of an organisation as well as different because of training and development within
the employees in clarity of their function.
Capacity planning: capacity planning can be defined as an ability where organisation
can achieve straw produced its product in an appropriate manner for the Unilever capacity
would be ability of the given system to produce the output within the specific time period.
Unilever divide three types these are mentioned below:

Long-term capacity: longest capacity of an organisation is dependent on the various
other capacities like designing capacity production capacity sustainable capacity and
effectiveness capacity which will help in maximizing output within the specific time period.
Medium term capacity: Unilever always art of the medium term capacity planning
where it use the two to three years for the time frame of different medium term planning.
Short-term capacity: Unilever also use short term plan which have the duration of 6 to
12 month which are used to increase the capacity of short term duration.
Total quality management: Total quality management is important part of the
operation management within the Unilever this is because company have to ensure the
effective quality within the have to maintain proper work for square feet have to clear all the
idea that aims to the employees within the organisation (Heizer, 2016). Here, Company in
the productivity and managing the activity within the organisation for getting the desired
results in a particular time period. There are various tools and techniques which can be used
by the manager for maintaining the total quality within the organisation by the help of
leadership effective, communication, guiding and motivation.
Supply chain management: it is that area of business strategy which include the
operation manager effort regarding the supply chain from business strategy. Unilever
consumer goods in supply chain is extensively automated where company follow the
different channels for promoting its goods and services and increasing the productivity of its
channel. Unilever always ensure a proper target market where it can it can increase the supply
and demand of goods.
3. Evaluate how technology could be embedded in this process or evaluate how this has
already been achieved
Technology is important part of the every organisation where it direct influence on the
process of different operations within the organisation as well as also help in evaluation.
Unilever is also using the proper technology within the different areas of management.
quality management process of the organisation where it use different type of technology like
automated system software and data for analysis and proper feedback mechanism for
maintaining the quality of products.
Supply chain management and technology: it is important for every organisation to
use the technology within its supply chain management for giving the maximum competitive
advantage as well as improving its supply chain. In context of Unilever, use effective supply
chain management which is inbuilt of automated system (Gibson and Parkman, 2018). In the

system company record also supply related information and its distribution network where
we have to supply the product. Also use different type of like in management use a proper
marketing strategy for increasing the share of its distributor within the market. Unilever also
use radio technologies supply chain management for reducing the headache of supply chain
manager and increasing the automatic system within the transit. This is Advanced
technologies one of the greatest factors which are used by the Unilever within its supply
chain management. Where company use appropriate truck scale system for identifying the
weight of trucks.
4. What supporting functions are linked to this operation management practice and evaluate
how can they assist with ensuring organisational success
` Number of supporting functions within the Unilever quality management within the
organisation some of these are mentioned below:
Information about customer: this is the means of voting function within the
organisation which enables Unilever to maintain the quality of its product by identifying the
behaviour of the customers. Contents company maintaining proper record of its customers
where it can identify an influence their behaviour for purchasing a regular product (Thomé,
Scavarda and Scavarda, 2016).
Setting proper customer requirements: it is important for Unilever to maintain a
proper quality within the products as well as management of the organisation. For this
company also used the feedback mechanism to improve the quality and where it use different
type of method like feedback in the customers and providing various facility for increasing
the position within the market.
Continuous improvement strategy: it is also important part of quality management
where organisation went for improving the competitiveness within the service department
and increase its structural reforms where it can continue improve strategy for farming
different structure. Here, Quality management within the organisation where it can develop
the best strategy for its products and services and increase the comfort level within the market
for managing progress (Reid and Sanders, 2019).
Human resources: human resources are also based system for improving the quality
of the product within the organisation. This is because Unilever employees are fully trained
and expertise in their working where they can easily handle the different situations. Company
can also manage the quality of product by the use of proper training and development
programs for its employee where they are informed about the qualities and specification of

the product which are required to maintain the quality within the organisation as well as
production server.
Feedback mechanism: Follower profit feedback mechanisms which also enable
organisation in managing the operations of quality management. Also bring effectiveness
within the supply chain of the organisation because it is a proper feedback mechanism where
company undertake each and every feedback personally(Uhl and Gollenia, 2016). Mechanism
help the company in maintaining the quality as it analyse all the feedback properly which are
directly related to the quality and services offered by Unilever.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the above mentioned report that operation management is
important part of the organisation because there are number of functions which have to deal
with the operational management of the organisation. Can also conclude that Unilever is
operating at a good level where quality management is important for the organisation within
the functions of operation management. It is also seen that organisation is maintaining
effective structure where it is combining all those functions which are related to operation
management and increasing the quality of goods and services. Unilever is doing good with
and its operation management it is important for the organisation to increase the value and
attach all the relevant information for getting maximum advantage.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Zurich, B.L.L., Instruction, X. and Documentation, X., 2018. Service operations and
management. Master of Science in Engineering, p.380.
Pollitt, C., Birchall, J. and Putman, K., 2016. Decentralising public service management.
Macmillan International Higher Education.
Jha, R.K., Sahay, B.S. and Charan, P., 2016. Healthcare operations management: a structured
literature review. Decision, 43(3), pp.259-279.
Slack, N. and Brandon-Jones, A., 2018. Operations and process management: principles and
practice for strategic impact. Pearson UK.
Anning-Dorson, T., 2017. Innovation development in service firms: a three-model
perspective. International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 28(1),
pp.64-80.
Leyer, M., 2016. A framework for systemising services from an operations management
perspective. International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 23(4),
pp.486-509.
Slack, N., 2018. Essentials of operations management. Pearson UK.
Vuchic, V.R., 2017. Urban transit: operations, planning, and economics. John Wiley &
Sons.
Heizer, J., 2016. Operations management, 11/e. Pearson Education India.
Gibson, P. and Parkman, R., 2018. Cruise operations management: hospitality perspectives.
Routledge.
Thomé, A.M.T., Scavarda, L.F. and Scavarda, A.J., 2016. Conducting systematic literature
review in operations management. Production Planning & Control, 27(5), pp.408-
420.
Reid, R.D. and Sanders, N.R., 2019. Operations management: an integrated approach. John
Wiley & Sons.
Uhl, A. and Gollenia, L.A. eds., 2016. A handbook of business transformation management
methodology. Routledge.
Zurich, B.L.L., Instruction, X. and Documentation, X., 2018.