Operations & Project Management: Continuous Improvement & PLC

This report provides a comprehensive review and critique of the implementation of operations management principles within an organizational context, focusing on Volkswagen's case. It examines the application of Six Sigma methodology and Lean principles, and prepares a continuous improvement plan based on the review. The report analyzes the effectiveness of the plan using theories like the PDCA cycle and Kaizen, justifying strategies for improved efficiency through concepts such as Taylorism. Furthermore, it explores the application of each stage of the Project Life Cycle (PLC), analyzes the rationale for project methodologies and leadership within the PLC, and critiques the effectiveness of PLC application using relevant theories. The report differentiates between large and small-scale projects in the context of PLC and critically evaluates PLC's effectiveness, drawing conclusions and recommendations for improvement.

Operation and project
management

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
P1: Conduct a review and critique of the implementation of operations management principles
within an organisational context..................................................................................................1
M1: Review and critique the implementation of operations management in relation to Six
Sigma methodology and Lean principles.....................................................................................4
P2: Prepare a continuous improvement plan based on there view and critique of operations
management principles within an organisational context............................................................5
M2: Analyse the effectiveness of a continuous improvement plan using appropriate theories,
concepts and models....................................................................................................................5
D1: Apply appropriate theories, concepts and/models to justify strategies of a continuous
improvement plan for achieving improved efficiency.................................................................5
P3. Application of each stage of PLC in context of project that require support to different
documentation for completion of project ....................................................................................6
M3 Analyses the rationale for the project methodologies, tools and leadership within the PLC
for the given project...................................................................................................................10
P4. Review and critique of effectiveness of PLC application into a project with appropriate
theories, models and concepts....................................................................................................10
M4 Critically analyses how the use of appropriate theories, concepts and models in the PLC
will differentiate between large and small-scale projects..........................................................10
D2 Critically evaluate the PLC through a practical and theoretical exploration of its
effectiveness to draw valid conclusions and recommendations for improvement. ..................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
References ....................................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Program administration is a systematic method for starting, organizing, executing, and
monitoring a program in order to meet its aims and outcomes within a given period frame. It is a
critical operation for a company, with significant duties for a management, to meet projects goals
and ambitions within a given time frame. Functional administration is a branch of marketing that
is primarily focused with the development and administration of products and assistance
manufacturing environment. An organization's operational administration has become an
important task. Management is defined as a set of company tasks and responsibilities that include
setting company objectives, coordinating personnel and physical assets, and putting those to
work in the producing and industrial processes. A company activity encompasses all actions that
are carried out in order to achieve corporate objectives, if they are connected to manufacturing,
sales, storage, or advertising. Administrative responsibilities entail making consistent ability to
reform basic resources into completed goods in a way that the outcome is productive and useful.
Volkswagen is a Germany automobile manufacturer that was founded in 1937. The renowned
"Beetle" was created by this firm. In 2018, fresh operational administration techniques were
implemented, according to the financial statement, with a three year economic expansion in
mind. Besides that, the study would focus on examining and analysing the application of
organizational business concepts, as well as determining the viability of a particular model and
its marketplace relevance (Guerreiro, 2018).
MAIN BODY
P1: Conduct a review and critique of the implementation of operations management principles
within an organisational context
Operational Managing could be defined as the governance and commercial activity that
results in the best standard of performance. This is a situation in which organisations are
transforming physical effort into products and commodities. To maximise profitability inside the
organisation, it pursues an economical and successful method. On a day-to-day level, operational
administration is a judgement call procedure that pertains to output. These would be the activities
which occur on a daily basis at a company. The consistency of the whole organization is
considered by operational administration. It is the procedure which is followed during the
manufacturing of an item or commodity. The manufacturing procedure is handled by the firm's

management. It is perhaps a customer perspective or a market emphasis which is regarded in
organisational structure (Ahsan and Pedersen, 2018). The major goal of management is to assure
that perhaps the products and activities given to the ultimate consumer are of the highest
standard possible. It should be the correct amount, supplied at the proper moment, and at the
correct cost. Client engagement increases as a result of supply chain administration, and products
and solutions are produced to meet the demand of the consumers.
Operations and operational administration are compared- The term "operational"
alludes to the series of actions which occur during the transformation of basic materials into
finished items. Operational managing is a branch of manufacturing operations that oversees the
flow of products and activities to the final client. To reconcile price and earnings and assure
increased profitability, operations strategy necessitates a group of professionals. The use of
assets, such as people, materials, machinery, and technologies, is part of operational
administration. The development of a strong customer group with multiple communication is
expected of operational management. Operational administration is in charge of a variety of
operational problems. It defines the success of the company, the processing facility, the venture,
the technique, the applicability framework, and communication systems, and it is a procedure
that assesses and closely monitors innovator stages to assures operational procedure thresholds,
unprocessed content acquirement, product testing, industrial equipment, and maintainence.
Activities, in this context, are a way of organizing, arranging, and monitoring. Managing the
supply of products and activities is also included. It's a problem since we are working with assets
which seem to be vital to ensuring that the item reaches the marketplace. Durability, volume,
pricing, marketing, and appearance are the primary elements and attributes which are taken into
account (Ansah and Sorooshian, 2018). It assures that perhaps the procedure currently pursued is
the quickest, as well as the most effective, with few faults and information of the product. It also
assures that minimal trash is produced.
Stock Control: This procedure allows the company to keep track of its inventories. Assets
are conserved, trash is reduced, and the overall value of inventories is reduced.
Expense decrease: Operational administration guarantees that perhaps the manufacturing
route's redundant and superfluous activities are eliminated.

Utilization of existing funds: Materials are limited. The techniques are utilized in order to
assure that all such assets are still not squandered. Nonlinear computing and statistics evaluation
are the methods employed.
Vendor Administration: The supply chain is founded on a foundation of confidence.
These would be the corporation's primary basic resource sources. Their warehouse,
communications, and transportation facilities all have data (Cook and Mo, 2020).
Administration of Reliability: Inside the processes, there seems to be efficacy and
productivity. Operational administration changes the way things are done in order to present
excellence that meets the needs of the consumer.
Introductory to the Organization- The corporation that is discussed earlier is regarded as
a global champion in invention and high-quality manufacturing, as well as in assuring client
happiness. The firm's approach guarantees increased revenue, a better grasp of what customers
want, and a comprehension of industry and supply fluctuations, and also the firm's capabilities.
To improve the approach and assure profitability, the corporation is exploring into building an
environmentally acceptable factory to bringing in additional electrified automobiles. Volkswagen
is committed to lean administration and has standardised both industry direction and processing
times. The firm assesses the procedure based on seven significant aspects:
 Service received on schedule
 Profit from selling
 Earnings from operations
 Income from capital expenditures
 Profits on selling from operations
 Capital payback
 Inflows of funds
There seems to be a stronger focus on the client's expectations. It should be an elevated
quality, fashionable item (Denkler, 2019). The business recognises that remaining loyal to
customers leads to referrals, and the business strives to satisfy both current and prospective
customers. Since this is a labor-intensive industrial environment, the working population should
be driven just as intensely as the customers. Within certain workplace practices, workers should
be provided equitable opportunity. The actions of the organisation have to be accessible. The
business intends to keep its workers, as well as the inspirational faith that comes with exceptional

management. The business mindset has come together. It intends to recruit additional employees.
It also considers product control. Reliability is the most important aspect of manufacturing, and it
has been prioritised on a constant schedule. They additionally assure that perhaps the capacity-
building and demand-satisfaction mechanism is created. That trash is limited, manufacturing is
an effective system, and industrial designs are beneficial to the manufacturing which actually
occurs, as well as reducing travelling duration through 1 department to another. As a result, it
was getting examined at increasingly from the standpoint of lean administration. The firm is on
the lookout for environmentalist innovation (Graesser, 2019). There have also been significant
improvements in automobiles businesses in which the circumstances of the feasibility of
automobiles industry have indeed been examined, with almost 200,000 vehicles offered. They
have also researched into ways to save fuel, including 20 percentage points from power and 8
percent from Propane fuels. In terms of trash administration, the company has undertaken
significant adjustments. It reuses 23,000 tonnes of garbage each year. The funds are used to
provide for the personnel' needs.
M1: Review and critique the implementation of operations management in relation to Six Sigma
methodology and Lean principles
Lean manufacturing is a systematic method which aims at reducing wastage and evaluating
performance. The firm would be assured that perhaps the items and solutions provided meet the
client's needs. Expenses will be reduced if manufacturing was lean. The procedure would allow
for a much more economical and productive responsiveness to marketplace requirements. Lean
manufacture is a waste-free industrial strategy which follows a methodical approach. To boost
output quality, the industrial process would eliminate an unequal demand and overtaxing of
assets. (Kupila, 2020)
Six Sigma is a program management method which is utilised in the manufacturing
industry. Six Sigma is a technique of continuous management. Information is the driving force
behind it. The goal is to keep errors and flaws to a minimum. The production schedule is
emphasised in Six Sigma. It also considers the possibility of aligning the company administration
approach with client desires. To attain corporate objectives, Six Sigma data research is the
process enhancements along with finance planning and strategic administration.

P2: Prepare a continuous improvement plan based on there view and critique of operations
management principles within an organisational context
Continual enhancement ensures that a group's effectiveness is improved. For established
processes, there seems to be a continuous or continuous efficiency increase. As a CSR,
Volkswagen is working on improving the condition of its vehicles and give environmental
innovation to the communities. The goal of continual development is to enhance the success of
the goods (Liu, and Qiu, 2020). This is a deliberate step in the direction of continual quality
development. Appraisal of achievement records, information analysis, appraisal of development
in regards of concept conversation and exchange, SMART self improvement, and lastly
summarising the planned and implementation all seem to be processes which are followed. Six
sigma, the lean mindset paradigm, the PDCA process, Kaizen, and overall excellence
administration are some of the most common approaches. Strategy implementation, participative
managerial staff, collaboration, good governance, and methodical procedures are all emphasised
in such instruments. Volkswagen employs Kaizen as one of such methods. Kaizen is a Japanese
idea on continual labour conditions which relates to corporate operations which ensure the
continued development of functionality.
M2: Analyse the effectiveness of a continuous improvement plan using appropriate theories,
concepts and models
The PDCA technique is a 4 progressive organizational technique for continual
development. The process is composed of the steps Plan-Do-Study-Act (Liu, Wang, and Yang,
2020).
 Plan: Recognize an opening and alter your strategy.
 Do: Put the modification to the trial. The research is conducted on a limited level.
 Check: Go over the challenge again. Examine the outcomes. Determine what you want
to study.
 Act: If the modification does not succeed, it is recommended that you go throughout the
preparation process repeatedly.
D1: Apply appropriate theories, concepts and/models to justify strategies of a continuous
improvement plan for achieving improved efficiency
Logical administration- It evaluates and integrates workflows to assure that the optimum
workforce is employed to produce a high-quality output. Taylorism is a term used to describe

knowledge methods. Taylorism is an ideology which encourages individuals to put forth more
effort. It discusses the effectiveness of streamlining and the manner in which activity must be
carried out inside an execution activity. Taylor developed a logical managerial concept. They
advocated optimising the task while streamlining the program to increase efficiency. It's among
the first initiatives to incorporate research into architecture or control mechanisms (Niu, Rong,
and Ying, 2020).
Trade skill that is adaptable- Flexibility specialisation is a commercial approach which
allows a company to gain a comparative edge by allowing employees to specialise in different
areas. Individuals at the organisation are multi-skilled, and all such multi-skilled workers utilize
many types of machines and technology to improve commercial viability, adjust to dramatic
development, and thrive in a highly global field. Flexibility specialisation of a product or a
function creates efficiency.
Modification in large quantities- A commercial production process is bulk
personalization. It combines the customizability and personalisation of items. It has a cheap per-
unit expense, which is typical of large scale manufacturing. Personalization is done on a case-by-
case basis.
Agile Production- Agile production is a method of producing goods using a mixture of
humans and machines. It is a word used by a company to describe a method that involves
equipment and skills to allow a faster reaction to client requests. It could also respond to changes
in the business environment while maintaining performance and price management. It has a lot
to do with industrial lean administration.
P3. Application of each stage of PLC in context of project that require support to different
documentation for completion of project
In respect to create a project, there are diverse sort of factors that are to be involved by
management that enable them effectively to offer goods and facilities in market in respect to get
some profit. As there are diverse sort of facilities that are offered by the management to their
consumers in respect to increase their experience and also capture them for longer period of time
(O'Higgins, Andreeva and Goya, 2022). As there are diverse sort of stages that are to be include
in project life cycle of a task. Such sections of PLC in relation to business are as follows -
 Initiation stage - It is termed to be a primary section of project in that managers of
Midland management is measuring cost of adapting CSR and offering training and

growth to workers to neglect situation. It is a business that adapt their aim of enhancing
their goodwill in mindset of their consumers and also to decrease the divisions of workers
in their business. By it, managers are creating a campaign in that efficient training and
growth opportunities that are offered to workers. It is essential for image of business in
marketplace also enhancing their estimating in marketplace in approaching months
(Ostermann, Mueller, and Faller, 2020).
 Planning stage - It is the next section in the project life cycle cycle in that diverse
policies and approaches that are developed with the aim of implementation of the project.
It is one section in that leaders are theorise planning with utilising of diverse program,
legal process that enable to create a statement. Midland management is targeting their
workers with the aim of decreasing sections of staff and also create healthy life style for
them. Leaders of Midland management is planning diverse actions that need for aim of
accomplishing the targets and objectives of the project. For it, they are framing a time
schedule for executing the project. In respect to accomplish the targets and objectives of
this task, executives are also choosing effective approachable method that enable
executives to efficient managing team. For execution of this task, measured time
necessitates of project in three months.
 Execution stage – It involves section in that executives of business is trying to execute
their diverse sort of tactics that developed by them in initial phase for aim of
accomplishing of targets and aims of business. In it, creativity thoughts for aim of
enhancement in workers and their performance and dealing with their activities. (Palekar,
Ayer and Bevier, 2020) Executives of Midland management in this implementing action
tactics and planning will be presented by organisation of business. Growth of diverse
approaches and execution of diverse actions that are linked with the project that can be
executed in forthcoming three months. It follows diverse sort of leadership and
organisational style that are utilised by executives with the aim of offering direction and
co- ordination to have an impact on workers. In this, it follows several manner of roles
that occur on diverse members and for effective execution of project that are effective for
each member to fulfil their roles and responsibilities in efficient way.
 Closure stage - It is last section of project life cycle in that diverse workers who are
frequently taking part in dealing with execution procedure in business. As it offers varied

section of the documents in the business. It is a procedure that need time with the aim of
suitable execution of procedure. It develop diverse sort of opportunities for leaders and
associates that resulted in maximising goodwill for business as with their performance.
 Gantt chart - It is fundamental tool that are utilised for implementation of task that can
be indicated as a horizontal figure with the aim of implementation of managerial task. It
is a model that was presented by Henry Gantt in 1915 which based on dealing between
roles and program that is conceptual with execution of task (Qin, Fang, and Hu, 2020).
It is a Gantt chart that are utilised for the aim of visual communication where horizontal
edge will reflected the period of time whereas vertical axis is presenting task to be done
by diverse individual. In respect to effectively implement task and measuring of time for
dealing with project, executives who need Gantt Chart.

Business Case -
Midland management is presenting new campaign in which their management are
focusing on decreasing of staff section that can also be create effective life style for them for
satisfying CSR. It can be completed for aim of enhancing effective term for their performance of
workers by which they can also retain them for longer period. In it, executives of business can be
accomplish targets of such task with the manner of offering training and growth of workers as
with innovating positive framework. In respect to mention execution of such project, managers
are managing protection information and data that are linked with making sure of actions with
their associates and offers them profitable conditions (Shijun and Jianhua, 2018). Goals – It follows fundamental aim of Midland management is to increase their
satisfaction of workers with management in respect to manage their time of employees
and enhancing their life courses. It will enable the management to enhance performance
of their workers with maximising profit for management. Solution - In respect to resolve the issues that are faced by Midland management,
executives are measuring performance of workers, making training and growth

opportunities for them. It will support them to enhance satisfaction of workers that are
significant for them to adapt advanced way. Cost - It is other components that plays significant role in execution of a task. As there
are diverse sort of cost that are linked diverse things such as purchase of hardware,
software and another things. Benefits - It offers several advantages to business as it support them with the aim of
enhancing their satisfaction of workers as the management is concentrates on CSR and
performance for enhancing their effective and potential life style of their workers. It is an
essential term to enhance capacity of business to create and sell products and facilities of
business (Skadsheim, 2018).
 Work break down structure - It is other tool that are utilised by executives of business
that enable them to separate their comprehensive work into small sections. Executives of
Midland management is utilising such tool that enable them to separate their work in
diverse divisions.
M3 Analyses the rationale for the project methodologies, tools and leadership within the PLC for
the given project. Agile methodologies – It is framework that follow adaptive approach in context to
planning and maintaining of management. It offer particular advantages that support in
identifying and managing unwanted issues (Sorokin and Chertina, 2018). It will assist in
representing variations in each and every section. Rational unified process – In this procedure, it comprises with several stages. It follows
inception, improvement, structure and as well as transformation. It is termed as structural
that supports in gaining client's feedback at their growth stages.
 Project leadership – If it managed well in management, then it might be resulted in
increasing of workers productivity and effectiveness. As if executives are offering
effective directions to their staff workers then they could perform with full potentiality
and it will resulted in attainment of managerial targets and aims.
P4. Review and critique of effectiveness of PLC application into a project with appropriate
theories, models and concepts
Success of a task can rely on diverse sort of theories that are utilised by them that are as
follows -