Managing Business Activities to Achieve Results - Assignment Example

Managing business activities Name Grade course Institution Tutor Date Task one: Business processes and functions Business processes play an important role in delivering the outcomes of an organization based on the goals and objectives. Every business aims to grow in the course of time in terms of size, production and profits. For this to happen, an organization has to have in processes in place that will guide it in achieving the set goals. Understanding these processes is quite important because it helps the organization to measure the outcomes and determine whether the process or the model used effective or not. A business press refers to a transformational process that converts an input to desired goals of an organization; it thus describes how materials and information flow within the organization. The aim of the business process is to enable a company achieves its corporate strategy, gain future customers and partners and is comprised of structured cross functional and organizational activities that add value to the company’s products (Heizer & Render 2008, p.44). Understanding the relationship between a company’s process and functions thus becomes an integral concept in business management. Business functions refer to those activities that the business conducts ranging from production, distribution, warehousing, sales and invoicing. On the other hand, business process can be terms as a chain of such activities. Different companies employee different strategies in their operations in order to achieve specific goals and objectives. These are guided by the business process that companies decide to adopt (Krajewski, Ritzman & Malhotra 2009, p.71). General Electricals (GE) which is the focus of this paper has been very successful in doing business based on it culture of innovation. GE has been conducting research continually to ensure that it provides its customers with the latest line of products that effectively serve their need in order to remain competitive in the market. GE has used Deal and Kennedy Model in establishing its organizational culture. Deal and Kennedy model suggest that the single most influential concept that influences business operations is the business environment in which a business operates. They identified two dimensions that determine the organizational culture in the business environment; risk and feedback. Risk dimension in the context of the model refers to the risk associated with the company’s activities and the feedback that the company gets on the decisions and strategies it has employed. By feedback’ the model suggests to refer to the knowhow on the results that are obtained from the strategies employed (Krajewski, Ritzman & Malhotra 2009, p.73). To map the process used to achieve organizational goals, GE can conduct survey to determine how its products are rated in the business. The survey should focus on the customers from the different market segments and determine the level of level satisfaction that the customer attains from the company’s products. In so doing, the company is able to determine the level of sales and whether the distribution channels are effective to ensure that the products reach the target customers in an efficient manner. The main aim of the business process is to deliver the output, in the case ensuring that the company’s products and services are made available to the target customers in a convenient manner. To judge whether the business process is successful, quality gateways are also important concepts in the business process. This is meant to ensure that goods and services are not just delivered but quality checks are employed to ensure that only high quality products reach the customers (Heizer & Render 2008, p.45). Task two: operational plan Developing an operational plan for any business is a very important step to determine the success of the business. It is not usually comprehensive like for the case of a business plan because the operational plan is specific on the business will function as well as the process to be followed in the functioning. While the plan acts as the guiding tool in doing business, it should be made flexible so that it can be adjusted when need arises. In addition, the plan should be broken down into one year plans (Zander 2006, p.49). For the case of GE, the one year operational plan should be based on the goals and objectives that the company has laid down. The operational plan should focus on all departments of the company production, sales and marketing, human resources, research and development. Each department should have its own goals and targets well defined in order to ensure that the goals of the entire company are realized. Profitability is key to any business. This should form the basis of brainstorming what goals and outcomes should be set in order to realize the corporate goals. Acquiring market share in the competitive business environment is the first thing that a businessman should set sight on. For instance, this operational plans aims to acquire 15 percent market share there is option to increase the product range and service. This can be made possible if the company is able to produce more goods and services that will satisfy its market size. The plan should also aim to ensure that more goods are produced at low costs in order to increase the profit margins (Heizer & Render 2008, p.46). Another important step in developing the operation plan is to set milestones. This entails setting individual goals that are achievable with given timelines. In the case, the overall goal is to increase the sales margin. This can be done by setting smaller goals of 4 to 6 months and then continuing later after that. Financial data will be of essence in developing the operational plan (Krajewski, Ritzman & Malhotra 2009, p.76). The cash flow in each financial year should show that the company has either made profits or loses and provide the basis to calculate the percentage sales increase in a given year. The system put in place in the operational plan should ensure that the objectives set are achieved in a convenient and timely manner and in accordance with the organizational standards of quality. For this case, each of the operations should be conducted in the presence of a supervisor who ensures that all activities are conducted in line with the organization’s policies as well as based on the quality standards. The supervisors and the manager should be answerable for anything that goes wrong in their specific line of duty (Zander 2006, p.49). Task 3: Appropriate systems to organizational performance The scientific management model developed by Taylor had four principles. The First principles is that the management develops a science for every element found in a person's work and this in effect replaces the rule of the thumb method. The rule of the thumb principle is one where there is no intention of having it being reliable in all situations. According to the second principle the management should, using scientific methods, select, teach, train and develop a workman unlike previously where the workman would choose the work he did and went ahead to train himself or herself to the best of such employee's ability(Heizer & Render 2008, p.48). According to the third principle, the management should wholeheartedly cooperate with the employees so that there is an assurance that the work in an organization gets carried out following the scientific principles the management has developed. The fourth principle provides that responsibilities and work ought to be shared on an almost equal basis (Heizer & Render 2008, p.49). Therefore, the management should carry out all the responsibilities where it is in a better position than the workers. This is a departure from the past where ordinary men were expected to shoulder the greater part of responsibility and almost all the work. GE can use Taylor's principles to improve quality of service to its customers. The first step would be to come up with the a team of qualified employees to fill in the places in the respective departments based on qualification and experience.. The second principle would be applied by selecting candidates who have the requisite interpersonal as well as technical skills. Where need be, the employees should upgrade their skills. The organization should offer all the necessary support to the members of staff who are involved in the recruitment process and finally ensure that the members of staff involved in the training process are not unfairly overburdened (Reuvid, 2012, p.19). An organization contains groups and teams. Teams have ways through which they do things as well as a hierarchy. The structure in a team allows it to work in an efficient manner. The structure makes it possible for each and every team member to understand what their role in the team is. Since team members have different strengths, they make different contributions towards achieving a common goal and motivate each other to work harder and smarter. A company that has made effective use of teams is Microsoft Corporation. The corporation is an employer of more than 100,000 people and produces diverse products. Microsoft depends on its employees to develop new products as well as improving the existing ones. Working as teams has benefited the corporation in the sense that different people involved in the various aspects of the corporation make their individual contributions to the team and this has made the pace of its product develop to be faster and more effective (Krajewski, Ritzman & Malhotra 2009, p.74). Task 4: health and safety in workplace Occupational and safety is an area which involves many disciplines and the purpose of this is to ensure that the welfare, safety and health of workers are not compromised while they are going ahead in their activities while in employment. Occupational health and safety aims at ensuring that the working environment is conducive and safe. There are different reasons why it is important to ensure that organizations should safety and health of their employees is well taken care of. There are legal and moral reasons as to why employers need to ensure the safety of their employees. There are legal regimes which act as guidelines as to how employers should observe safety guidelines. Authorities try to ensure that workers safety is safeguarded. In addition to legal obligations; it is also moral for organizations to ensure that the safety of their workers is guaranteed (Jonstone & Tooma 2012, p.42). For instances in Australia, Authorities have set certain legal measures to ensure that the safety and health workers are guaranteed. Different organizations have different measures depending on the type of occupation. Australia has taken steps towards harmonizing the safety laws so that the health standards for the whole of Australia are largely the same (Reuvid, 2012, p.19). Therefore, every worker should be protected to the same extent in terms of health and safety. The standards of safety should therefore not vary regardless of where the employee is engaged. Safe Work Australia is an agency which was set up so as to ensure that the national laws which are to be passed by different states. The terms of service for the tripartite agency are to ensure that there is a model Act on health and safety. The purpose of codes of practice is to ensure that practical information is available to ensure that the requirements of the regulations can be met. Though not mandatory, the codes of practice do give information which is very helpful so that systems of work are safe (Johnstone 2003, p.43). The purpose of harmonizing these regulations is to ensure that compliance costs and red tape are reduced. This would ensure that business across borders is eased (Jonstone & Tooma 2012, p. 45). Workers are able to have standards of protection and safety and also recognition of licenses and training is facilitated. There are certain principles which are contained in the Work Health and safety Act, 2012. Occupational health and safety is an important aspect of every organization. Organizations need healthy workers to ensure that that they are able to meet their production targets. In many cases, many employers are rarely concerned about the safety and welfare of workers. It becomes important that the government steps in so as to ensure the welfare of employees is well taken care of. Australia for instances has come up with measures which are not just legislative but also consultative so as to ensure that there is participation by all the relevant stakeholders. Part of the solutions sought by the authorities in Australia is ensuring uniformity in the laws relating to health and safety which would ensure ease of business in the different states that make up Australia. References Heizer J. & Render B, 2008, Principles of Operations Management and Student DVD & CD- ROM. 7th Edition. New York: Pearson Education. Johnstone, R 2003, Occupational health and safety law and policy: text and materials, Pyrmont, Lawbook. Johnstone, R., & Tooma, M, 2012, Work health and safety regulation in Australia: the model act. Annandale, N.S.W., Federation Press. Krajewski L Ritzman L & Malhotra M, 2009, Operations Management: International Version. New York: Pearson Education. Reuvid, J, 2012, Managing Business Risk: A Practical Guide to Protecting Your Business, New York: Kogan Page Publishers. Zander, M. 2006, Supply Chain Cost Control Using Activity-Based Management, New York: CRC Press. Read More