Sainsbury's Operations and Project Management: A Detailed Review

This report provides a comprehensive review and critique of operations management principles within Sainsbury's, a major UK supermarket chain. It begins by introducing Sainsbury's aims and objectives, followed by an explanation differentiating between operation and operations management, illustrating their application within the organization. The report analyzes the implementation of operations management principles, highlighting strengths and limitations, and assesses the extent to which the organization's operations management meets its requirements. Furthermore, it discusses continuous improvement as a philosophy, describes Lean principles, and proposes a continuous improvement plan with justified recommendations based on the review and critique. Key elements such as flexible specialization, mass customization, and various lean production methods like Kaizen, Just in Time, and Six Sigma are examined in the context of Sainsbury's operational strategy, along with their pros and cons, ultimately aiming to provide insights for enhanced productivity and waste reduction.

ID
Unit Number and Title Unit 187 –
Operations and
Project Management
Title Review and Critique
of Operations
Management (Part
1

Table of Content
Part 1: Business Report
1. An introduction to chosen organization p
2. An explanation of operation vs operations management p
3. A review and critique of the implementation of operations
management principles within the chosen organization p
4. An analysis of the extent to which the operations management of
the organisation in the case study meets the requirements of the
organization p
5. Discussion of continuous improvement as a philosophy and
describe the Lean principles p
6. A continuous improvement plan, including your justified
recommendations for improvement, based on your review and
critique of operations management principles within your
organization p
7. Conclusion p
References p
2

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INTRODUCTION
Operation management refers to helps organizations to deal with the regular
business issues with the particular strategies. Whereas, project management are dealing
with the proper planning, motivating as well as controlling the resources (Amaro, Alves and
Sousa, 2019). The current study will discuss overview of the Sainsbury's with their
objectives and aims. Further, it will discuss the operations and the operations management
and shows that how does it apply to the organization with the help of the principles as well.
Lastly, it will include the proper explanation of operational management which will help
company to analyse its current requirements.
MAIN BODY
1. An introduction to Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's is the second largest chain of the supermarkets in London, United
Kingdoms. It was one of the largest leading company in the UK. But it was taken over by the
Tesco who becomes the first lar
gest retailer of groceries. It has products which includes the Superstore, supermarket and
the forecourt shop.
Aims-
 To improve their store standards and conveniences in the next 2 years.
 To create more jobs availability within some years.
 To increase their online store range in the upcoming years (Cohen, 2018).
Objectives-
 To produce goods and services at the set of the affordable prices.
 To offer the better quality products at the reasonable prices.
 It wants to be a one of the Britain's valuable supplier who are able to succeed with
the satisfaction and needs of the customers.
2. An explanation of operation vs operations management
Definition of Operations:
Operations refers to be a process of the working and functioning the procedures, it
basically means that for managing such kind of tasks and work which are inside the
organization is called operations.
Operation function
Operation functions is a process who manages the varieties of the things which
include form product manufacturing to the product selling process.
Operation management
Operations management is basically refers to the process of organizing, planning as
well as the supervising the work in the term of such productions and manufacturing the
products and it can be related to the services as well.
Example how this will apply to the Sainsbury's
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The Operation managers of the Sainsbury's makes the useful decision related to the
operational management, functions as well as helps to specify in the planning and
controlling. The company has taken a step with the technology which are properly used with
the implementation of the data warehouses and provides the useful information for running
their Operational management (Haydock and Smith, 2019).
3. A review and critique of the implementation of operations
management principles within the chosen organization
Sainsbury's operations management is here for handle such elements which are
related to the marketing mix for the formulating benefits and having positive impact on its
sales as well. The business always offers the varied range of the product with the
performance level for serving the better foods, clothing and other services. It will help to
know about the which companies are changing their pricing commodities, but it will always
stick to their pricing strategies which helps to gain more competitive advantage.
There are the two components in such operation functions which are describes the
convenient methods which are clearly monitored by the organization for improving the
working method for gaining such proper feedback for giving the best products and services
for the better result as well. It always decides to work with the stronger workforce with the
better outlets for managing the day to day activities and the operations.
The first strategy which is used by the Sainsbury's is Flexible specialization which
considered as the business strategy, which clearly helps the organization to be more
competitive for the other market operators. It basically refers to the people and such
equipment which is used by the business in effective manner for doing the other different
things which helps to grow the in a business. Mass Customization refers to such process
for integrating the mass production or to normalization principles with such customization. It
is clearly showing the gaining advantages in the UK with the whole world. Sainsbury's is
clearly experimenting with their process which are more effective for implementation in the
production as well as the operational facilities which help to grow the business.
The strengths are as it focus on the effectiveness for using all the resources in the
company for ensuring the potential which are here to be maximized the production. It will
simply include the labor resources as well as the physical machines, it will simply make the
things to the company for managing the proper functions for executing such selling criteria
for the getting better understanding for the organization's income stream (Ivanov and et.al.,
2021).
The limitations can be shown for the Sainsbury's which may have a multiple dependency
which may be having with the lack of coordination in the many components of the company
in which will be had a major disadvantage. Along, with having not implemented the profitable
strategy at the very right place and may having a failure related to such operations.
4. An analysis of the extent to which the operation's management of the
organization in the case study meets the requirements of the
organization.
There are some objectives of Sainsbury's which are used in the cost-m reduction,
productivity etc.
 To reduce the cost of production.
 To increase the production quality.
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 To increase the productivity of business.
Operations management helps out to fulfill these requirements.
Operations management always meets with the requirements of organizations with
utilizing such resources from the staffs and the materials which are used for the services and
the new technologies with such effective equipment. There are the good operation
management function which are counted as a main factor of the company for having a
suitable marketing tactics which are followed. While measuring the advance technologies it
is always able to figuring out the ways for decreasing up the costs as well as increasing such
productivity by taking place with the varied desired markets (Naderi and et.al., 2019).
With the helps of such operation management of the Sainsbury's, it always unable to
follow the basic requirements which are of the stakeholders and with the effective evaluation
as well. The other aspect shows the better quality management which have concerned of all
the other organizations which are developing and selling with the proper needs of the
customers in the market.
The important part is to have a proper operation's management, which are basically
for the improvement which are going with the customer's preferences and their tastes. Thus,
the productivity always includes the varied range of such activities which are starting from
having a proper idea about the new product as well as providing the better customer support
who are liable to purchasing the products. Organization always making a good use of their
productivity in the operation's management as well.
5. Discussion of continuous improvement as a philosophy and describe
the Lean principles
Continuous improvement has also known as the continual improvement which it is
called an ongoing process of improvement of such products and the services or such
procedures through the incremental through such improvements. There are five lean
principles which are clearly discussing.
Identify value- to knowing about the functions of the lean process which is
used by the organization for identifying the team work. It clearly identifies the waste.
Map value stream- after identifying the such values of the team who are
producing properly it is essential to know about the organization for visualizing the
path to the needs which is wanted by the customers.
Create flow- the manager always monitored the task flow which shows the
smoothly by the employees.
Establish pull- after creating a work flow the next principle always asks the
company for establishing the pull system. Which are used to visualized with the
transparency and know about that the system is properly working and completing
their assignments on time (Rohwer and Topić, 2019).
Seek the constant improvement- lean principle is basically related with the
concept of the continuous improvement which is used to be a very important part for
the lean management as well.
Methods of lean production
Kaizen- it is called as an approach which is used for creating the better continuous
improvement which is simply based on the small idea and the further ongoing changes.
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Just in time- it shows up the inventory system which is called a management
strategy which are properly aligned with such raw materials stocks from directly the retailers
which shows in the production schedules as well.
Kanban- it is simply called the inventory controlling system which are clearly used in
such just in time. It is simply used to track on the manufacturing and such production for the
order and such new shipments with the other raw materials.
Andon- it is simply called as a system which are fast alert with such operators for the
problems which are occurring during such operations.
Sainsbury's is applying the Kaizen model in such operations because it is a type of
continuous improvement which are having a more consideration for the lean productions. It
always has s intensity for reducing such waste and helps to enhance the productivity to
which uninterrupted continuous improvement. It is very effective for the business so it always
prefers to have this method in their operational strategy.
Stock control
It is simply refers to such process which are manages the stock level of the company
and keeping the required amount and monitored it. It will always help to keeping out the
tracking with the purchase order and to keep the functions of the supply chains.
SIX SIGMA
Define- it is simply refers to the problems which are related to the project
requirements and the customer expectation.
Measure- it always helps Sainsbury's to measure the current process for having a
data collection.
Analyze- it is a process for establishing the roots of the defects.
Improve- for eliminating such root causes who create the defect.
Control- for ensuring about not to repeat the same mistake again and again.
Kaizen- this approach will simply help out the Sainsbury's for the improvements
which are more beneficial for such employees.
Pros-
 It will always help to improve the team work. It will help to ensure about the team who are completing the work on time or not.
Cons-
 Organization may have a difficulty to implement this approach to their existing
system.
 This approach needs to have a trained staff.
Quality circle- it refers to the group of team workers who works at the same tasks
and solving the problems accordingly.
Pros-
 It will help to promoting the team work. It will always develop the positive attitude within the employees.
Cons-
 Employee does not have a proper training.
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 There is no support from the management.
Benchmarking- it helps to identify the baseline in the Sainsbury's.
Pros-
 It will always help to set the performance expectations in the organization. Always monitors the organization performance and manage the proper change.
Cons-
 It may basically lead with the distraction level .
 Not having a feel of competition.
TQM- it has a clear aim which involves in the process of improvements.
Pros-
 It always helps to provide the customer satisfaction level. Increasing market share increases the reputation in market (Ruan and et.al., 2020).
Cons-
 sometime it may dissatisfy customers
 The process is time-consuming as well as difficult.
SCM- it is process which have a every phase of raw materials to the production
process as well.
Pros-
 helps to increase the revenue control over cost.
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Cons-
 Strict Regulations
 Needless complications
ERP- offers many opportunities for such resource planning process which may be a
profitable for the Sainsbury's.
Pros-
 Higher management performance Good quality and availability.
Cons-
 Has a higher level of management performance.
 Better quality and availability.
6. A continuous improvement plan, including justified
recommendations
There are two chosen models which are used for the continuous improvement plan
which are:
Flexible specialization theory which is a concept, for to promote in right way of
doing the certain tasks as well as the achievement of that task in the particular time period
which is decides and fixed (Sutharsan, Prasad and Vijay, 2020). As well as the Mass
customization will use for such implementations of the process which are basically used for
the improvements as well.
Recommendations- staff training is must have required to make an effective
work environment which may consume a lot of time for this process. For the
continuous improvement Sainsbury's can easily implement such strategy which can
help to carry out the further process for the maintaining the quality as well.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been concluded that organization achieve the particular
aims and objectives with using such methods which are planning and controlling. Further, it
has been evaluated such methods which can be used by the organization for the further
improvement of the business. It has been discussed bout the lean principles with the help of
six sigmas with knowing about the merits and demerits of the company.
References
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Amaro, P., Alves, A.C. and Sousa, R.M., 2019. Lean thinking: a transversal and
global management philosophy to achieve sustainability benefits. Lean
Engineering for Global Development. pp.1-31.
Cohen, R.I., 2018. Lean methodology in health care. Chest. 154(6). pp.1448-1454.
Haydock, J. and Smith, T., 2019. No magic dust: The relationship between the
national and local assessments in Sainsbury’s/Asda. Journal of
Competition Law & Economics. 15(4). pp.538-558.
Ivanov, D. and et.al., 2021. Researchers' perspectives on Industry 4.0: multi-
disciplinary analysis and opportunities for operations
management. International Journal of Production Research. 59(7).
pp.2055-2078.
Naderi, M. and et.al., 2019. Sustainable operations management for industry 4.0 and
its social return. IFAC-PapersOnLine. 52(13). pp.457-462.
Rohwer, L. and Topić, M., 2019. The communication of Corporate–NGO
Partnerships: analysis of Sainsbury’s collaboration with Comic
Relief. Journal of Brand Management. 26(1). pp.35-48.
Ruan, J. and et.al., 2020. An IoT-based E-business model of intelligent vegetable
greenhouses and its key operations management issues. Neural
Computing and Applications. 32(19). pp.15341-15356.
Sutharsan, S.M., Prasad, M.M. and Vijay, S., 2020. Productivity enhancement and
waste management through lean philosophy in Indian manufacturing
industry. Materials Today: Proceedings. 33. pp.2981-2985.
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Table of Content
Part 2: Project Portfolio
Project Title p
An overview of the case study you have been given p
An explanation of each stage of the PLC that applies to your
selected project, including supporting documentation for each
stage (e.g., business case, the project plan, cost-benefit analysis
and work breakdown structure):
 Project initiation p
 Project planning p
 Project execution p
 Project closure p
Analysis of the project methodologies and tools used p
Review and critically evaluate the effectiveness of the PLC in
application to your project using the appropriate theories models
and concepts p
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Project Title
Cooking food in home for employee
An overview of the case study you have been given
In this case study there is huge manufacturing organization which is settled in
midlands, it is consist of 1250 employees whereby all are truly engaged in their
factory and office works. In current scenario, there is no on- site catering service. In
regard with same change program is being introduced for organization. In this
process entity has employed amount of individuals concerned for their health and
safety concerns for healthy food. This case is relevant with provision of health food
to such employees as project is supposed to be formulated (Verma and Dhiman,
2022 ). The title of this project is “Cooking food in home for employees” and
project will be executed with appropriate structure and policies. Similarly, the aim of
this project is to cater quality and affordable food for organization staff.
An explanation of each stage of the PLC that applies to
your selected project, including supporting documentation
for each stage (e.g., business case, the project plan, cost-
benefit analysis and work breakdown structure):
 Project initiation
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