The Impact of Operational Management on Unilever, UK's Performance

This research project analyzes the impact of operational management approaches on improving product and service quality at Unilever, UK, a manufacturing company. The project formulates a research outline, identifies key factors, and reviews relevant literature to understand the importance of operational management. It defines operational management terminology, explores its relationship with company productivity, and proposes strategies for improvement. The research utilizes the Positivism philosophy, employing a mixed-methods approach with data collection through employee surveys and analysis of operational processes. The project analyzes employee perspectives on operational management techniques, including the use of Gantt charts and various approaches like Total Quality Management (TQM), Lean Management, and Six Sigma. The findings are presented with recommendations to enhance operational efficiency, employee motivation, and overall organizational performance. The report also highlights the importance of factors such as employee motivation, communication, and the adoption of modern IT tools in improving business operations and meeting customer needs.

Research Project

Table of Contents
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Formulation and recording possible research project outline specification..........................1
1.2 Factors contributing in the adoption of the research project.................................................2
1.3 Critical review key references...............................................................................................2
1.4 Give the research project specification.................................................................................4
1.5 Provide appropriate plan and procedures for the agreed research process...........................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Matching the resources to meet the output...........................................................................5
2.2 Undertaking of proposed research investigation in accordance with the agreed
specification and process.............................................................................................................7
2.3 Recording and collection of the data by the cited business firm...........................................7
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................7
3.1 Description of appropriate Organisation evaluational techniques........................................7
3.2 Interpretation of result of approaches...................................................................................7
3.3 Recommendations and justification of the approaches used...............................................13
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................14
4.1 Presentation of appropriate findings of different operation management approaches........14

TASK 1
1.1 Formulation and recording possible research project outline specification.
Aim:
“To analyse the impact of operational management approach in improving quality of
product and services at a manufacturing company like Unilever, UK.”
Objectives:
 To define the concept of operational management terminology.
 To understand the meaning of services quality to improve performance.
 To determine the relation between the operational management and company's
productivity level.
 To suggest appropriate strategies using which, the Unilever UK will improve its
operational capacity (Kerzner and Kerzner, 2017).
Research Question:
 Define the details of operational management.
 Various operational management approaches and its importance in carrying out of
different business operation.
 To analyse the impact of operational management approaches on performance and sales
of organisation in manufacturing sector.
Resource implication:
For current research project, the researcher will look after the effective resources and
measures, that will help in the effective fulfilment of the better investigation of organisation,
impacting its organisational functions and employee motivation. A wide variety of operational
management operations and functions are been taken in thought process by organisation. It will
support the firm to finish off its work in a stipulated time frame and achieve its productivity by
motivating employee's for working better. The cited business entity will look after better
managment of different measures that will support in improving production capability and
motivation level of the employee's (Krajewski, Malhotra and Ritzman, 2015).
The adoption of the Gantt chart technique will support the meeting the operational
requirements of organisation divided in time steps and following them to improve the sales
process quality. The researcher will look after the proper measures to handle the different sort of
business operations in manufacturing industry and get the suitable final outcome. The different
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work processes of the cited firm will be divided in to smaller time frame, in order to finish it off
in the stipulated time frame. The report will involve the analysis of primary data that is been
collected to generate the understanding of different functionalities related to operational
management of cited manufacturing firm (Harrison and Lock, 2017).
1.2 Factors contributing in the adoption of the research project.
During the conduction of research, the researcher has taken some extensive factors in the
effective consideration. First of all, the research topic that has been selected by the researcher
plays a very vital and crucial role in the operational capacity of the Unilever, UK. Secondly, the
employee's motivation is also one of the major player in impacting the overall business
performance of the company. The motivated employees will work with more determination,
leading to the increase in production and sales (Heizer 2016). Also, gaining the good knowledge
of the operational management techniques will support the firm to have an effective knowledge
of different operations that will help cited organisation to manage its business operations in a
very effective way.
Apart from this, proper identification of utilization of various sort of motivational
techniques and the analysis of their outcome is also one of the major reason or factor
contributing in the adoption of selection of this project (Binder, 2016).
1.3 Critical review key references.
Operational capacity:
As per the views of Kerzner and Kerzner, 2017, the project or operational management is
very vital as it helps in increasing the production capacity of the organisation in an effective and
significant manner. In accordance with the ideas of Krajewski, Malhotra and Ritzman, 2015,
operation's management help in maintaining the supply chain of the organisation. Various
processes are been taken in consideration that help in good revenue generation of company.
Different techniques like Total quality management (TQM), lean management or Just in
time(JIT) approach is been taken in consideration by firm to work in a better way and in
stipulated time frame. Langabeer and Helton, 2016, also states that the better execution of the
wide range of business operations and in respective operational fields to improve production
capacity of organisation.
Organisational structure:
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Other than this, as per the idea of Harrison and Lock, 2017, Unilever, UK will adopt the
approaches that will support well structured management of various functions in a very effective
way. This will help in effective execution of business operations. Heizer, 2016, states that better
management of business operations support increase in productivity and handling of needs and
demands of the organisation and the customers.
Better communication process:
Apart from this, Binder, 2016, it improves the better communication process and increase
the chances of collaboration with other firms. Schwalbe , 2015, states that better adoption latest
IT tools will support the better handling of the operational management and execution of the
business activities in a better way. Also, Fleming and Koppelman, 2016, states that, effective
management of the different sort of business operations will support creation of better value that
helps in meeting the requirements of users in better way. The better operational management will
help in gaining high productivity and revenue generation.
Knowledge creation and risk managment:
On the other side, Roth and et.al., 2016, states that the better execution of the business
operation will help in effective knowledge creation and utilization to carry out the supply chain
of the organisation in a better way, helping in increasing the motivation and confidence level of
the work force in organisation. Babich and Kouvelis, 2018, states that the effective handling of
wide range of business functions will help in better management of risk factors in company and
manage the business operations related to finance, HR etc. and help in better future planning.
Other than this, Karlsson, 2016, states that the organisation will help in better handling of the
different operations which will help in the adoption of better research processes and get the
suitable and appropriate output. Starr and Van Wassenhove, 2014, states that effective
management of wide area of business functions which will help the firm to fulfil its CSR and
manage the crisis that can occur while execution of business activities.
Operational efficiency:
Other than this, as per the opinion of Guide and Ketokivi, 2015, states that better
handling of wide range of business operations will help in better execution of various business
activities that are been practised by Unilever, UK. Hübner, Holzapfel and Kuhn, 2015, states that
the better handling of different business. Also, these operations will support effective exploration
or finding of the appropriate and suitable operational management measures at Unilever, UK.
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Adoption of wide range of the latest operations:
Also, Ptak and Schragenheim, 2016, suggest that the modern technical measures like
ERP platform will play a very important role in the executing the wide range of business
operations. A wide range of the latest tools and techniques will be taken in practice and thought
process for improving the overall functionality of the organisation and meeting the customers
needs and demands.
1.4 Give the research project specification.
The current research is dependent on role and importance of operational management in
increasing sales and motivation level of the work force at Unilever, UK. To attain the desires
outputs, certain research methodologies are been taken in consideration, by the researcher, such
as follows:
 Research philosophy: It will help the researcher to understand the grave requirement of
research issues in a better way. This research process will use the Positivism philosophy,
that will help the researcher to achieve his aims, to develop new strategies (Schwalbe,
2015).
 Research approach: It provides the researcher with the appropriate and suitable
techniques to reach on a theory or hypothesis. Different research questions are been
designed, keeping in mind the overall productivity and functionality of Unilever, UK.
 Data collection: This step will involve better management of wide range of business
operations that will support cited business organisation to collect the meaningful and
appropriate data and give out the appropriate hypothesis based on the collected data
(Hübner, Holzapfel and Kuhn, 2015).
 Sampling: Sampling is very necessary for the carrying out to get the idea or information
through the operations. This research process will include 20 employee's of Unilever, UK
as the sample size, for the research purposes (Fleming and Koppelman, 2016).
1.5 Develop effective plan and procedures for the following research process.
The wide range of the production processes are been taken in thought process that will
support better handling of the different operations. The effective planning of various business
operations is as follows:
Activity/Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
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Formulation of research field
Preparing aim and objectives
Scripting the background of project
Implementation of research
methodologies
Collection of Primary and secondary
data
Assessment of the collected data
Interpretation of data for output
generation.
Conclusion and recommendations
Submission of draft
Modifications as per the response
received
Final Submission of project
TASK 2
2.1 Matching the resources to meet output.
The research project will lay a deep emphasis on wide range of functions that will
support in gaining appropriate output at Unilever, UK. The research questions will also help in
meeting the requirements of the user and help in better data assessment (Ptak and Schragenheim,
2016). The major resource will be the human resource or work force of company to get the
suitable access to data, through the means of questionnaire. Other than this, time is the vital
resource that is been implemented by the firm. It will require the execution of business operation
related to sales in a stipulated time frame (Roth and et.al., 2016). Finally, the financial resources
and operations will be utilized that will help in better handling of the vast range of work
processes at Unilever, UK. Following questionnaire will be distributed among the employee's to
get the suitable data.
How long have you been working in the Unilever, UK?
 0- 6 Months
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 6 to 12 months
 1-2 year
 2-4 year
 More than 5 years
Do you understand significance of operation management ?
 Yes
 No
Do Unilever,UK effectively uses approaches of operation management?
 Yes
 No
Which approach is mostly used by Unilever, UK?
 Just in Time
 Lean production
 Total Quality Management
 Six Sigma
As per your opinion, why operation management technique is used in Unilever ,UK ?
 To overcome additional cost and wastages
 To provide high quality of customer services
 To improve the quality of operations
 All the above
Do you agree the fact that implementing operational management approaches will help Unilever,
UK to improve its production and sales?
 Strongly agree
 Agree
 Disagree
 Strongly disagree
Recommend various ways by which Unilever, UK can increase its sales and business
performance.
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2.2 Undertaking of research priocess in accordance with the decided specification and process
In this process, the researcher will support meeting the requirements of users in a very
effective way. This will also aid in engaging a wide range of business functions which will help
in meeting the requirements of the users in a very effective way (Babich and Kouvelis, 2018).
The conclusion and recommendation that are been suggested by the researcher will help
Unilever, UK to meet the operational requirement, aiding to the improvement in its performance
and increasing the profitability and sales count also move along with the motivation of the
organisation. It will help in increasing the confidence level of work force at cited business entity.
2.3 Recording and collection of the data by the cited business firm.
Various techniques will be taken in effective consideration by Unilever, UK that will help
the firm to gain a clear insight and idea about the ongoing trends regarding the business
organisation. It will help business firm to improve the functionality and enhance the operation's
management approaches. Other than this, it will help the firm to meet its customers needs and
demands (Karlsson, 2016).
TASK 3
3.1 Description of appropriate Organisation evaluational techniques
In this report, researcher has used the formative as well as summative evaluation
technique of research to get the most appropriate, reliable and relevant information. This helps
organisation to have good control over its business functions to increase its productivity and
revenue generation in a better manner (Langabeer and Helton, 2016). Apart from this, it helps the
firm to draw a better operational plan.
3.2 Interpretation of result of approaches
Theme 1: Work duration of employee's
How long have you been working in the Unilever, UK? Frequency
0- 6 Months 3
6 to 12 months 3
1-2 year 5
2-4 year 5
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More than 5 years 4
Interpretation: From the above analysis it can be said that out of 20 workers of Unilever, UK, 3
employees are working since either six month or one year each. While 5 employees are working
for more than two years and four years in each category. Only 4 employees are working since
more than four years. Thus, it can be said that majority of the employees are working for less
than Four year.
Theme 2: Employees know about operational handling
Do you understand significance of operation management ? Frequency
Yes 18
No 2
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Interpretation: From the above analysis, it can be said that out of 20 employees of Unilever,
UK, 18 knows about the operation management, While only two worked were unaware of it.
Thus, this shows that employees at cited firm are aware of operational management, making it
easy for firm to implement various operations.
Theme 3: Knowing of the operational management approach
Do Unilever,UK effectively uses approaches of operation management? Frequency
Yes 17
No 3
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Interpretation: From the above assessment, it can be said that out of 20 employees of work
force at Unilever, UK, 17 agreed to know the details of the various types of operational
management approaches. Only three are unmindful about the types of operational research
measures. This indicates that work force at cited business entity is aware of different
organisational management approaches.
Theme 4: type of operational management approach to be used at Unilever, UK.
Which approach is mostly used by Unilever, UK? Frequency
Just in Time 5
Total quality management 6
Lean production 4
Six Sigma 5
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