A Small Number Of Key Concepts Have Become Very Significant To Operations Managers - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2054 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Compare and contrast essay Level High school Did you like this example? Over recent years, a small number of key concepts have become very significant to Operations Managers. Four of these concepts are: Customer Care Kaizen Just-in-Time Total Quality Management Your task is to compare and contrast each of these four concepts, clearly describing each. Your work should help the reader to understand how each interrelates to the others and how, if properly applied, they will help any organisation to be a success. In order to understand the four concepts of customer care, kaizen, just-in-time and total quality management, there is a need to understand operations management and what this entails in the relationship between the four concepts and operations management. It is vital to the task to understand the meaning of each of the concepts in relation to operations management as well as to the business in which it is situated. Operations management is the area of business practice which is associated with the production of goods and services. It involves the responsibility of ensuring that business operations are efficient through the use of as little resources as possible and also that the customer requirements are met in and effect ive and efficient manner. According to Bartol et al (1998: p. 53), operations management Is the function, or field of expertise, that is primarily responsible for managing the production and delivery of an organisations products and services. The main use of operations management is the management of the process that converts inputs into outputs. Every organisation has an operational function, because every organisation produces a good or service for its consumers. According to Slack (1999: p. 122), operations managers are ‘the staff of the organisation who have particular responsibility for managing some, or all of the resources which comprise the operations function. The main aim of operations management is to increase the organisations value added activities within any given process. This organisational aim is helped along by the four concepts mentioned earlier – customer care, Kaizan, Just-in-Time and Total Quality Management (TQM). Each of t hese concepts are integral to the productivity of the organisation and to its overall success within the business environment. Customer service is often referred to as customer support operations and this provides the activities which support the customer in the use of the organisations products as well as providing the means by which the equipment is serviced. Customer care is the after sales service which is often regarded as the need to satisfy warranty requirements. According to Slack (1999: p. 30) many organisations mistakenly believe that this is relevant after a sale has been made, ‘However, customer service and support is influenced by, and should influence, earlier stages in the contact with customers and the design and production of products. This philosophy is one of a consistency of service for customers by means of a designed and built-in serviceability of products. The role of customer care should be an integral part of the organisations servic e strategy. Customer care is driven by three factors: Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "A Small Number Of Key Concepts Have Become Very Significant To Operations Managers" essay for you Create order Its initial purchase price The cost of failure to customers, and Its reliability index. Customer care is important to any organisation and in order to gain customer approval, the organisation must concentrate on not only the quality of the product or service but also on the customer service both while the customer is in the process of buying the product but also in the aftercare period of the product. Kaizen is the Japanese word for improvement and refers to the philosophy that focuses on continuous improvement in manufacturing and business activities. The concept of Kaizan was implemented first in Japan during the post-war economic miracle and has spread through the global business environment. Kaizan refers to the continual improvement of all the business functions of the organisation, from the manufacturing of the product to the management of the organisation, from senior management to assembly line workers. Kaizans aim is to eliminate waste through the improvement of standardised business activities and processes. The process of Kaizan when completed corr ectly ensures that the workplace is humanised and sees the elimination of overly hard work, and through this process increases productivity. In order for the concept of Kaizan to work, there is the need for the participation of all of the organisations employees from senior management to the assembly line. The key elements which are crucial to the process of Kaizan are Quality Effort Involvement of all employees Willingness to change Communication. It is important to the concept of Kaizan that the theories of teamwork are established as well personal discipline and an improved morale from the employees as well as the establishment of quality circles and suggestions for improvement. Just-in-Time is the modern day Western approach which has been developed from Japanese companies in the 1950s and 1960s. The primary objective of Just-in-Time is to make the time between the order of the customer and the payment of cash. Just-in-Time is the process which is the integration of philosophy and techniques which are used to improved performance. According to Slack (1999: p. 85) ‘only the customer is free to place demand when he or she wants: after that the JIT system should take over to assure the rapid and co-ordinated movement of parts throughout the system to meet that demand. The key philosophy behind Just-in-Time is to squeeze out waste at every junction. Waste, by definition in this context is defined by any activity which does not add value. Just-in-Time can be defined as a quest for superior performance manufacturing. Just-in-Time operations are done as and when they are needed. According to Waters (2002 p. 454) ‘In essence, just-in-time or JIT organises all operations so the occur at exactly the time they are needed. They are not done too early (which would leave products and materials hanging around until they were actually needed) and they are not done too late (which would give poor customer service). The management philosophy of Total Quality Management (TQM), according to Slack (1999 p.224) embraces ‘all activities through which the needs and expectations of the customer and the and the community, and the objectives of the organisation are satisfied in the most efficient and cost effective way by maximising the potential of all employees in a continuing drive for improvement. Total Quality Management places emphasis on the planning and organ isation features which are integral to the quality improvement process. There is a need for a long term approach for Total Quality Management which needs to be integrated with the other strategies such as information technology, operations and human resources, organisational business plans etc, in order for the business to compete within the environment. For the Total Quality Management process to be successful, effective use of the quality systems and procedures are imperative to the running of the system. Total Quality Management has become a particularly important development and the effects of this process are likely to remain in good organisations. This concept is the realisation that poor quality can cost the organisation in terms of cash and loss of the future market share, whereas excellent quality can offer the organisation a definite competitive advantage. These four key concepts of operations management are essential to operations managers in determining the futu re of the business and are important in significance to the nature of success of the business and how it is run. All four concepts of customer care, Kaizan, Just-in-Time and Total Quality Management are all interrelated to each other through their respective processes and if these concepts are properly applied they can guarantee the success of the organisation. The concepts are all essential to the workings of the organisation and these concepts are overseen by the operations manager. The concept of customer care is seen by the operations manager as essential to the overall success in the organisation through the value which the product or service has added as well the aftercare service which is provided whether this is by technical support or through a warranty which the organisation has provided. According to Bartol et al (1998: p. 588) on the subject of managing customer contact ‘Experts argue that the degree to which a service can be efficient is directly related to the extent of the customer contact. This can be related to the other concepts especially with regards to wastage. The more time the employ has to manage contact with the customer, the more time they are neglecting other aspects of the operation. Contact with the customer can lead to a greater prospect of requests from the customer, changes in the instructions which had been finalised or the desire for the customer to chat can be seen as wastage. The role of the operations manager is to control this contact in a manageable and reasonable fashion so that there is no major loss to the company. This in turn can be linked to the Just-in-Time system which controls the inventory as described by Bartol et al (1998: p. 565) ‘an approach to inventory control that emphasises having materials arrive just as they are needed in the production process. It is important in supply and demand as well as the value chain when adding value to the service, the product and the comp any that this inventory system is vital to the successful running of the organisation. This inventory system is also overseen by the operations manager and like customer care it is necessary to allow little wastage in order for the implementation of successful future planning. With the Just-in-Time system high quality is a vital necessity as the production is reliant on the materials being provided by the supplier in a timely manner. It is up to the operations manager to monitor and stay on top of this operation to allow production to be continuous. In relation to the concept of Kaizan, it is up to the operations manager to guide their employees through the process. There is no set group through which Kaizan can be initiated, it can be through the individual, a small group or a large group. Through this concept of Kaizan, the process can generate in organisations Total Quality Management and helps free up the efforts through improvements in productivity through the organisa tions employees. Total Quality Management as part of the operations management process is important in conjunction with the other three concepts. Bartol et al (1998: p. 544) defines the process as ‘A management system that is an integral part of an organisations strategy and is aimed at continually improving product and service quality so as to achieve high levels of customer satisfaction and build strong customer loyalty. All four of these concepts are interrelated and cannot be separated from each other in a successful organisation. It is important that the operations manager understand the needs for these concepts and how they affect the overall success of the business and how both customer loyalty and employee morale are important to the direction of the organisation for future planning. It is important to the role of the operations manager for these concepts to be installed in the organisational ethos and so that they are not separated and can be worked in conjunction with each of the concepts. The role of the operations manager within the organisation is to oversee the production side of the organisation and with the four concepts implemented successfully, this can place both a greater emphasis on future planning and success of the organisation as well as building customer loyalty and employee morale, therefore allowing the organisation, the customer and the employee to have an element of satisfaction. Bibliography Bartol, K.M., Martin, D.C., (1998) Management, McGraw Hill Bettley, A., Mayle, D., Tantoush, T., (2005) Operations Management: A Strategic Approach, Sage Publications/ The Open University Bicheno, J., Elliott, B.B.R., (2002) Operations Management: An Active Learning Approach, Blackwell Publishers Ltd Brown, S., Blackmon, K., Cousins, P., Maylor, H., (2001) Operations Management: Policy, Practice and Performance Management, Butterworth-Heinemann Greasley, A., (2008) Operations Management, Sage Publications Lewis, M., Slack, N., (2003) Operations Management: Critical Perspectives on Business and Management, Routledge Lowson, R.H., (2002) Strategic Operations Management: The New Competitive Advantage, Routledge Needham, D., Dransfield, R., Harris, R., Coles, M., (1995) Business for Higher Awards, Heinemann Shim, J.K., Siegel, J.G., (1999) Operations Management, Barron Educational Series Slack, N., (1999) The Blackwell Encyclopedic Dictionary of Operat ions Management, Blackwell Publishers Ltd Waters, D., (2002) Operations Management: Producing Goods and Services, FT/ Prentice Hall

Tintern Abbey, Frost at Midnight and Ode to the West Wind...

Romanticism was a revolutionary movement which began in English Literature (mainly poetry) around the Eighteenth Century in Western Europe and gained height during the times of the Industrial Revolution. Wordsworth, Byron, Shelley, Keats, Coleridge and Blake were regarded as the ‘Big Six’ of Romanticism. In ‘Tintern Abbey’ by William Wordsworth, ‘Frost at Midnight’ by Samuel Coleridge and ‘ Ode to the West Wind’ by Percy Shelley, we see clearly that nature is the central trigger for the poet’s imagination to take wings and to help each poet to seriously explore his inner world in a meditative manner; the treatment and responses to nature are also similar, despite some individual differences. This is not surprising considering the fact that†¦show more content†¦After the death of his father he was separated from his sister and was sent off to a boarding school in London. He was put away from nature. His marital life w as bothering him as well and he had several differences with his wife. In such a situation all his love poured out on his son Hartley. ‘Frost at Midnight’ is a prayer for the future of his lad. Wordsworth and Coleridge both studied in Cambridge and later composed a collection of poems called ‘Lyrical Ballads’ together. Shelley was a rebellious lad but he had a very vivid imagination as seen in the poem ‘Cloud’. Shelley was fed up of the rules and norms that society imposed upon an individual. He wanted to bring about change in the social systems by the medium of his works and his poem ‘ Ode to the West Wind’ the calls upon the wind to help him in his endeavors. Due to his rebellious nature Shelley was also expelled from Oxford University. At the time of writing his poem Shelley had gone through a lot of trauma which he couldn’t get over easily. He had just lost two of his children. However in addition to this there was a bud of hope blooming in his life since his wife was pregnant again and thus in the poem he even talks of spring which has more positive connotations. This clearly shows us how the lives of these great men had a significant impact upon their compositions. It can be noticed that each poet begins with the description of the outer scene. WilliamShow MoreRelatedEssay about Romanticism1678 Words   |  7 Pageswere often scornfully critical. (Thompson, E.P. Pgs.127-136) English romanticism is distinguished for its lyric poetry: Blakes The Tyger and London, Wordworths Tintern Abbey and his Intimations ode, Coleridges Frost at Midnight and Dejection, Shelleys Ode to the West Wind and Adonais, Keatss Ode to a Nightingale and Ode on a Grecian Urn, and Byrons She Walks in Beauty are among the most celebrated poems in the language. English romantic poets also aspired to creation on a greater

Designing Software Application for Visually Impaired Clients

Questions: 1.As a Software Developer, you are required to Develop Programs that can be readily accessed by a Wide range of Clients.2.Discuss3 Ways in which you, Can use ICT to reduce your Carbon Footprint, and Contribute to Green ICT.3.Which of the Following are Projects, and which are Processes? Explain your answer. (i)Building a Computer, on a Production Line of Identical Computers (ii)Building a House, as One of a Series of Identical houses all over Australia (iii)Upgrading a Computer from Windows 7 to Windows 10 (vi)Upgrading all 120 Computers from Windows 7 to Windows 10 Answers: Designing Software application for Visually Impaired Clients For designing the software application for Visually impaired persons following considerations are took as they cannot control computers through eyes- Using the consistent and standard user Interface Elements This will help the visually impaired persons to use application easily, this can be done by using the operating system supplied controls, toolbars, menus, cursors and other elements. The screen readers are also applied for these kind of applications. Creating a Flexible User Interface This can be done by providing the contrast, cursor blink, sound effects , touch control and other elements to provide the accessibility to the users. Allowing the Full Keyboard Navigation This will help these peoples to control the system functionalities easily, with this applications that are fully keyboard driven with no or minimum pointing device requirement. Label all Icons and Graphics readable through Braille This will help these people to recognize elements easily. Provide adequate time and Sound Messages for support This will help these peoples to work easily. Designing Software application for Hearing Impaired Clients In order to provide support the Hearing Impaired peoples by using following steps- By providing the Library of sign language for the functions and utilities of the application in the software. By providing this facility to these people , these people can understand functionalities easily. By providing hearing aid in the applications . This can be done by providing the hearing aid facility to them according to their capability. By providing system that vibrates on alerting for any fault or any kind of message. This can be done by connecting devices to the system. Most importantly providing more text messages rather than any sound. These peoples will read and can work in better way. 2.Green ICT is the concept of implementing the computing or processing of Information technology in a manner so that it is Environmental Friendly. The objectives of this application is similar to green chemistry. In fact the actual percentage of transferring the co2 by IT Department is 0.2% of total co2 produced in environment. The main Equipments used in the IT are- Desktops and Laptops Printers , scanners , copier, projectors Smart phones, desktop phones Wireless connecting devices Networking Devices Data centre and their devices The factors, that effect the environment in IT are as follows- The way in which the equipments are manufactured. The conditions in which they are manufactured. What type of transport is used to transport them to other places . How much energy is consumed by them . The procedure of disposal of these equipments. The Green ICT is concerned about following issues in concern of environment- The equipments are sustainably manufactured with environment friendly conditions. The equipments should be developed that lasts longer. The equipments consume and waste less energy. The IT equipments should be used in the best way. The disposal of the System should be done in environment friendly way. The Methods to reduce carbon foot print are as follows- By using Systems with centrally connected data centre . By using Pen Drives, CDS and other digital storing devices to store data. By using Email, Fax and other modern methods to reduce paper work. 3.(i)It is a process as production of computers is a project, building a computer in this series is part of this project so this is a process of whole project (ii).Again it is a process as a developing the series of identical houses all over Australia is a project and building a house is a process. (iii)This is a project as it will consist of various processes in it. (vi)This is a project as consist of various processes in it. References HCI Institute, Human Computer Interaction from-- www.hcii.cmu.edu (Accesed on 28-3-2017) Human computer Interaction, from- www.interaction-design(Accesed on 28-3-2017) Human computer interaction, from-www.tandfonline.com (Accessed on 28-3-2017) Technopedia, what is HCI , From-www. technopedia.com (Accessed on 28-3-2017)

Prosses Report On Swimming The Essays - Aquatics,

Prosses Report On Swimming The In swimming there is no stroke harder to learn then the Butterfly stroke. This is the stroke where the swimmer swims kicking like a dolphin and pulling with his or her hands at the same time under the water and recovering for the next stroke above water with both arms at the same time in an almost circular motion. There are many steps in learning how to execute this stroke correctly. These steps are called drills, when you perform them in the pool. The first drill you should learn is the Kick drill. In this drill you learn to kick with your feet like a dolphin, making sure not to flutter kick with your feet, to move smoothly through the water with your head connected with your spine; this is the position your head is in when you stand with good posture, and make one smooth motion with your arms at your side thrusting only your hips, making a smooth relaxed shallow rolling motion through the water. Also, only one part of your body at a time should be slightly out of the water, starting from the back of your head, and continued down your back to your feet. The next drill to learn is the balance drill. This drill, to me, was extremely difficult to do. The balance drill is almost the same as the kick drill, only the swimmer puts his or her arms out in front of them with one hand on top of the other squeezing his or her head with their arms just behind the ears, remembering the kick drill to keep your head connected with your spine. Make the same smooth rolling motion only this time making sure your fingers are always pointing perpendicular to the wall of the pool, beginning with the back of your arms and head slightly out of the water. Continued down your back and to your feet. When trying this drill, I always moved my hands up and down as I did the rolling motion and it did nothing but make me dive deeper under the water then I wanted to, thus making me go slower. When you can do this drill without drowning yourself, your ready to start your pull drill. The pull drill you should do, is a one arm pull drill. This drill is supposed to help make your shoulders and pectoral muscles more flexible. While flutter kicking, keeping your head connected with your spine, with you arms out in front of you, with one arm, point your hand down perpendicular to the bottom of the pool. Pull back with your elbow bent at about 90?. With your tricep level with the surface of the water until your forearm is pointing straight towards the bottom of the pool, or when your hand is straight with your forearm, then you start to make a pushing motion like your trying to push something down into a hole with one hand at your side until your elbow is straight. Then you recover, with your arm straight. Bring your arm up and over the surface of the water back to the starting position. Repeat this motion, alternating arms until your ready to add the kick. Adding the kick to the stroke is hard to explain but I found that it came quit naturally. It seems that every time you kick, after your head has been briefly part way out of the water, you pull with one arm, and when you recover you should have completed one smooth kick and as you bring you arm over to their starting position, it should seem like the momentum of your arm recovery will give your next kick a jump start. Then, repeat this motion alternating each arm. After all these drills you should be ready to put together the whole stroke which presents new problems. I will start you at the starting block to bring you through step by step a 50 yard butterfly stroke. You're up behind the starting block the announcer says Swimmers step up. You step up on the block, bent over ready to grab the front of the starting block, with one foot in front of the other, the toes of your front foot gripping the front of the starting block or both feet together with toes griping the front of the block. Looking about 6 or 7 feet out into the water, or the place you're gonna dive into out in the water. The starter says, Take