Operations and Project Management: Marks and Spencer Case Study Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of operations and project management within the context of Marks and Spencer (M&S), a major British multinational retailer. It begins with an introduction to operations and project management, emphasizing their importance in managing daily activities and achieving business objectives. The report then delves into Task 1, which reviews and critiques the implementation of operations management principles at M&S, focusing on concepts like Pareto rule, accountability, and customer focus, and the application of Six Sigma methodology and lean principles. Task 2 presents a continuous improvement plan for M&S, detailing the application of Six Sigma's DMAIC cycle (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) and the PDCA cycle (Plan, Do, Check, Act). Task 3 examines the application of the Product Life Cycle (PLC) to a given project, outlining the stages of introduction, growth, maturity, and decline, and supporting documentation. Finally, Task 4 reviews and critiques the effectiveness of the PLC using relevant theories and models. The report concludes with a summary of the key findings and recommendations for improving operations and project management at M&S.

Operations and project
management

Table of Contents
Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1) Conduct a review and critique of the implementation of operations management
principles within an organisational context............................................................................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
P2) Prepare a continuous improvement plan based on the review and critique of operations
management principles within an organisational context......................................................3
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................4
P3) Apply each stage of the PLC to a given project, producing necessary supporting
documentation for completing the project..............................................................................4
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................7
P4) Review and critique the effectiveness of the PLC in application to the chosen project
using appropriate theories, concepts and models...................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
Appendix A: Diagram of WBS......................................................................................................10
Appendix B: Network Diagram and CPA.....................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Operations and project management is an approach that is usually used by the businesses to
manage the daily activities and task that has been performed within the business in systematic
manner and effectively. It get deals with the different propositions as like planning, organising,
controlling, motivating of the different resources so as to accomplish the goals and objective of
the business with more efficiency. The project management is a temporary endeavour that gets
undertaken by the business to create or develop the new product that is completely different from
the others (Chawla, 2018). Whereas, the operation management is related to the products and
services that get offered by the business to their customer or in the market for the longer period
of time and in which the continuous outcomes will get produced as from the manufacturing and
the supplying services. This report is based on the Marks and Spencer that is the major British
multinational retailer and having the specialises in the home products, food products and the
selling clothes as well and having the headquartered in London, UK. This report consist the
implementation of the operation management, continuous improvement plan that is based on
operation principles, stages of plc and its effectiveness with the use of different theory and
models.
TASK 1
P1) Conduct a review and critique of the implementation of operations management principles
within an organisational context.
The operation are more related to the different task and activities that get performed to
create better sales and to attract the customer for the longer period of time while the operation
management includes the different mechanism that get used by the business to improvise the
probability of profitability while managing the productivity. As per today’s scenario, it is most
required that all the businesses must have follow the different principles to get manage and
implement the operation management with more sufficiency (Cortés, 2019). As the retailing
industry has been facing a lot of competition thus it is required to get produce the better and
effectual products and services by which customer will retain for the longer period of time.
Reality: The operation management must have focused towards the issues and the barrier
rather than the techniques and works with the motive to brings the better change as per the
suitability of the condition by which more profit has been gained by the business.
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Fundamentals: In this the operation management of Marks and Spencer follow the
Pareto rule in which the 80% success rate will get directly depends on the strict adherence by
maintaining the records and the discipline while the rest 20% success is depended on the
application of the several technique that speed up the working process.
Accountability: The manager of Marks and Spencer will follow the certain set of rules
and regulations and as per that defines the different responsibility to all the other members those
are associated with the project and make sure that all the task get achieve on timely basis or not
by which all the needed efforts will get implied within the business on continuous basis
(Gemünden, 2018).
Success: It is the aspect that gets changes as per the situation and the rates of efforts that
get induced within the business to get manage the need and demand of the customers. As long as
customer gets satisfied that much profit will get gain by the company and that much
sustainability will get established in an appropriate manner.
Team up with customers: The operation management must get worked accordingly with
the customer and their requirement and with the support of it try to make the certain innovation
changes by inducing more creativeness by which stable conditions will get maintained on
continuous basis.
The operation management will get implement on the basis of the six sigma methodology
and the lean principles that are as defined below as:
The lean principles are a systematic approach that gets used to reduce the inappropriate
activities that are not likely as it resist the profitability of business. It will get used to reduce the
process time by which the delivery time will get improved and in parallel the defect will also get
eliminated and thus optimised outcome will get conceived.
The six sigma methodology is the data driven or the problem solving approach that has
more concern about the satisfaction of customers (Kasemsap, 2018). In this the problem will get
define that has to be needed to get changes and then its impact will get measure after that the
different suitable affect will get analysed after that the better improvement will get induced by
which the controlled service will get provided to the customers.
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TASK 2
P2) Prepare a continuous improvement plan based on the review and critique of operations
management principles within an organisational context.
The continuous improvement plan is more related to the achievements of the different
plan that get considerate under the improvements by which the better and quality supply will get
maintained. It includes the set of activities that get performed or get designed to bring the
repetitive advancement in the products, services that get processed by the constant review of the
task by measuring the different set of actions as well (Kerzner, 2018). In this Marks and Spencer
must have uses six sigma so as to make the better understanding about to satisfy the need and
demand of the customer by which they get sustain with the company and more profit and sales
will get generate. The six sigma has includes some basic steps that are as defined below as:
Define: It will be defining the major objective that gets considerate by the planning of
some particular project and in this phase the operation management of Marks and Spencer will
get cleared the specified problems that are associated within the internal and external need of the
customers. In this the better opportunity will get grabbed by the business to make the certain
innovation in the business.
Measure: In this stage the different data will get collected that is linked with the
objective and have maintained the focus on identifying the different parameter that will get
required to change. In the metric will get designed as from which the optimised path will get
selected by which within the less input more output will get collected.
Analyse: In this the root of the business objective will get measured and its effectiveness
as well and the potential causes will get determined by exploring all the relative consequences by
which the overall process of improvement will get improvised.
Improve: It is a phase of the process in which the potential solution will get analysed by
which the different forms of the improvement will get tested and better suggestion will get
collected and then specified action will be taken to mitigate the risk and in this the customer
feedback also get collected under which more satisfactory outcome will get attained (Kerzner,
2019).
Control: It is the last stage in which the objective of the project that is performed and
manage by the operation management will get considered and ensures that the effective planning
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will get considered by making the timely checking. In this all the procedure will get monitored to
developed the standardised result in which better benefits will get contained.
The Marks and Spencer will get used by the six sigma method to complete their task
within the assigned period of time and in this the easiest profit and sales will get managed and
operated and the company will conceived more success as well. Marks and Spencer is the retail
industry that will always be performed their function with respect to the customer and make the
innovation so as to present the best and creative product and services and in this six sigma helps
to reduce the wastage by meeting the expectation of the customers (Kidd, 2020).
The effectiveness of the continuous improvement plan within the Marks and Spencer will
get analysed by the usage of PDCA method that is as defined below as:
Plan: In this the different activities will get plan by standardising the measure and the
operation management of Marks and Spencer will identifies the areas that are need to improve
and then according to that the objective will get set and then certain action would have been
taken.
Do: In this the plan that was designed will get implement and in this the change will get
induced and thus Marks and Spencer provides the training and development to the employee by
which better awareness will get spread and all the problems will get controlled on timely basis.
Check: In this the change will get compared with the previous changes and the according to
that the prevention and correction action will taken by the operation management department of
Marks and Spencer
Act: In this all the changed data will get analysed by Marks and Spencer and then as per the
dealing the particular change will get fixed or removed as per the belief of customers and then in
future further implication will get implemented.
TASK 3
P3) Apply each stage of the PLC to a given project, producing necessary supporting
documentation for completing the project
The project life cycle defines the different procedure under which Marks and Spencer
will developed the better propositions of their product and services and try to generate more
revenue with that (Lee, 2018). The product life cycle will get segmented in four stages that are as
introduction, growth, maturity and the decline stage. It is basically a concept that get used by the
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management of the Marks and Spencer to get decide the enhancement of advertisement, reducing
the pricing, while expand the business in new market and at the time of redesigning the package
as well. It is usually get used to develop the product and with that product gain more sales and all
the product and services will get based on the product life cycle stage that is as defines below as:
Introduction- It is the initial stage of the product life cycle as in this the Marks and
Spencer will apply the different strategy and policy to take an initiative about the different rules
so as to develop a new product (Reid, 2019). There are a lot of market competition and in this it
is hard for the business to get attract the customer for the longer period of time with the similar
kind of products and services. In this the Marks and Spencer will always try to differentiate their
products and services from the market and make the appropriate changes and innovation to make
the better development by which the customer attention will get garb. In addition to this they get
ensure that the offered goods and services will always be more affordable to the customer and
maintain the quality services as well by which it is easy for the customer to get enjoy the services
for longer period of time. In this Marks and Spencer will performed the marketing mix so as to
spread more awareness in marker about their products and try to covers the largest market with
their offered products.
Growth- It is the next stage in which after offering the product and services with the
marketing mix the product of Marks and Spencer will get easily accepted by the customer and
thus the company will accomplish the better sales by achieving its objectives. In this the Marks
and Spencer will offer the product at liable prices by which have gain the better sales. It helps to
get stay in the competitive market by working with own product and company would attain
effective sales (Rendon, 2019). In this process the continuous efforts of the employee is also be
needed and thus the operation management will get ensure that timely services will get provided
to the customer and thus the objective will get attained within the time.
Maturity stage- It is the next stage of the product life cycle in which the Marks and
Spencer will get uses the different strategy for the particular product and services and that try to
induce more innovation in that by which more profit will get gained with the already present
product of Marks and Spencer. In this more of the profit from the competition will have taken by
which better market share will get attained.
Decline stage- It is the last stage of the product life cycle in which the accessibility of the
product in the market will get vanished and that particular product will not get developed in the
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market anymore. In this the decline in the sales will get measured by the Marks and Spencer and
with this different challenge will get faced by the company in which they have to end up some
services and in return of this new product and services will get planned to provide something
new in the market.
The product developed is a stage in which the Marks and Spencer will get spend a lot of
time and money so as to develop something new for their customer and that is completely
different from the previous and the already present services in the market by which more
effective outcome will get attained and after that the company will enjoy the return on their
investments (Slack, 2018). It is even more supportive factor as from this the company will
achieve the better success and growth by accomplishing the aim and objectives.
Business case
It is a case that will defines the different information that is required to get accomplish
and with this the different market need will get identified and analysed by which the better return
on the investments will get gained on timely basis.
Executive summary
As per the case the customer sales is always be an important aspect for the business and
for this different strategy will get induced to fulfil the expectations of the customers. Marks and
Spencer will always has more focus and concern about the different aspect and requirement of
customer and as per that make certain innovation and creativeness within their products and
services by which they have gain the better outcomes from their investments and with this
contains the largest market share by which continuous development and success will get attained.
Problems
It is more needed while making an investment that its outcomes will get analysed and in
this all the certain factor will get analysed and continuous monitor by which the Marks and
Spencer will collected the customer feedback as well and as per their experiences develop the
changes to match up their expectations (Slack, 2018).
Vision
The vision statement of Marks and Spencer is to produce the quality food, clothing and
home decor products by which reliable outcomes will get achieved on continuous basis.
Mission
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The mission of Marks and Spencer is to work with inspirational quality that is easily
accessible by all.
Objective
Marks and Spencer work with the objective to excite and inspire the customer ay every
aspect by which they have always perform the right things and right time and have maintain the
continuous concern about to satisfy the customers.
TASK 4
P4) Review and critique the effectiveness of the PLC in application to the chosen project using
appropriate theories, concepts and models
The product life cycle is being most essential part of the Marks and Spencer and with this
they have maintain more focus on the different activities as like the profit enhancement,
coverage of larger public, better sales, larger market share and many other advancement as well
(Tonchia, 2018). It will get used to make the effective outcomes by which the overall working
standard of the business will get enhanced and thus the company will achieved all of their goals
and objectives in timely manner and with that have worked with clear objectives as well. The
product life cycle define the collective and integrated approach of the business and with this
there are some different effectiveness of this model as well and that could be define on the basis
of some theories and model and that is as define below as:
Performance management
It is the most adequate model that get define the different aspect through which the
performance of the business will get managed in regular basis and emphasis the efficient and
effectiveness of the business. In addition to this Marks and Spencer has uses this to manage all
the activities that get performed within the business and with this facilitate the better sales and
profit under which the affordable and valuable outcomes will get conceived on continuous
manner.
Effective measurement theory
It is a theory that get used within the business to enhance the product life cycle and with
this the different values of the business and its product and services will get improvised. In this
all the different activities that get performed inside and outside the business will get measured as
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by collective the feedback or make keep monitoring and observing different activities. It will
provide the decision making ability as per the collected feedbacks and then deliberate action will
get implemented to resolve different issues in superior manner.
The Marks and Spencer must have uses the performance management technique and with
this manage the working ability and capability of the entire different department that are working
within the business. Thus helps to make the collective outcome by which the efforts of all the
different department will get improvised and result to gain the better outcomes within the
particular period of time.
CONCLUSION
It has been concluded from the above report that the operation and project management is
being more important aspect within the business as with its support the better changes will get
implemented with most appropriate manner. It is used to satisfy the need and demand of the
customer by providing the preference to them by which more profit will get gained by the
business in timely and continuous basis.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Chawla, V. and et. al., 2018. The sustainable project management: A review and future
possibilities. Journal of Project Management, 3(3), pp.157-170.
Cortés, D.C.G. and et. al., 2019. Collaborative strategies for humanitarian logistics with system
dynamics and project management. In Decision-making in Humanitarian Operations (pp.
249-273). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Gemünden, H.G. and et. al., 2018. The project-oriented organization and its contribution to
innovation. International Journal of Project Management, 36(1), pp.147-160.
Kasemsap, K., 2018. The roles of information technology and knowledge management in project
management metrics. In Global Business Expansion: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools,
and Applications (pp. 1191-1221). IGI Global.
Kerzner, H., 2018. Project management best practices: Achieving global excellence. John Wiley
& Sons.
Kerzner, H., 2019. Using the project management maturity model: strategic planning for project
management. John Wiley & Sons.
Kidd, T., 2020. Handbook of research on technology project management, planning, and
operations. Learning, p.318.
Lee, C.K.H., 2018. A review of applications of genetic algorithms in operations management.
Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 76, pp.1-12.
Reid, R.D. and Sanders, N.R., 2019. Operations management: an integrated approach. John
Wiley & Sons.
Rendon, R.G. and Snider, K.F., 2019. Management of defense acquisition projects. American
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc..
Slack, N. and Brandon-Jones, A., 2018. Operations and process management: principles and
practice for strategic impact. Pearson UK.
Slack, N., 2018. Essentials of operations management. Pearson UK.
Tonchia, S., Tonchia and Mahagaonkar, 2018. Industrial project management. Springer.
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Appendix A: Diagram of WBS
Appendix B: Network Diagram and CPA
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