Concept of Lean Manufacturing and Supply Chain Process - Coursework Example

The different portfolio has been a great learning curve as it looked towards bringing forward different areas which are of prime importance and has an impact on performance. The overall experience was tremendous as it helped to understand important points and areas through which my complete understanding about the topic underwent changes. This will help me in my future endeavours as it will help to understand the logic behind different things and will bring forward the different important dimensions which will help to take correct decisions. The entire learning framework was divided into different topics which looked at different areas and thereby helped to understand the topics which were covered. The entire details of the learning and the different topics which were covered are as below One of the important learning was the role and importance of sustainability. Sustainability in this era has become important and imperative as having appropriate mechanism which helps to fulfil the needs of the present and at the same time ensures that the future generation is protected is a must. This requires big measures and steps which look at protecting different assets so that better future can be ensured. The concept of sustainability was taught through different areas and mechanism like a circular economy where steps are taken to move forward but at the same time protect the assets so that future generations can use the same (Burdon, Chelliah, & Bhalla, 2009). Even a product launch looks at sustainability by continuous innovation and changes so that it remains in the product life cycle phase and don’t decline. This increases the need and importance of using sustainability as a mode and medium through which long term sustenance becomes possible and helps in the creation of assets through which productivity can be increased in the future. The second important learning was the concept of lean manufacturing and supply chain process which concentrated on SCOR model so that efficiency can be gained. It was highlighted that companies compete with each other on the basis of supply chain as every other information is easily available. This requires developing the supply chain in such a manner that it removes the bottlenecks and provides an opportunity through which operational efficiency can be shaped up. This topic helped me realize the manner in which big companies like TESCO and other multinational giants work. This concept might seem simple but in reality it is difficult as determining the best possible supply chain which is free from glitches is difficult. The success of business is largely dependent on the manner in which the operations are carried out and looking at improving efficiency by removing the gaps is imperative (Disney and Towill, 2003). This learning was of prime importance as it helped me to realize the mechanism which different business players’ uses and understanding the same in real life case helps to determine the path through better productivity can be ensured. This will thereby ensure that identifying the lean path and reducing wastage will help to bring effectiveness and will multiply the overall role of carrying out different activities. This will be beneficial to me in the near future as it will help to incorporate the learning in a positive manner and bring the required change in behaviour. The third important learning was that supply chain network are of different types and organizations have to decide the one which is best suited for them. A new thing which I encountered was that supply chain not only deal with logistics and transportation of inventories but instead is a culmination of different things and includes everything from production to finally sending the goods to the customer. This is thereby a very large arena which needs to be fulfilled and it is imperative in determining the success of an organization. The framework helped me to understand the different types of supply chain network and the different benefits it provides to businesses (Easingwood, 2006). It also brought forward the different business dimensions which organizations look to consider while crafting their business strategy and the manner in which business process is carried out. It was also seen that supply chain network looks forward towards supply value network where different companies come together to improve the supply chain process and aims towards finding out the most appropriate way which would help them to ensure better customer satisfaction. This thereby brings forward the manner in which collaboration among different companies reap different advantage and has become important that businesses undertake appropriate steps which would help them to develop appropriate supply chain strategies (McCool, 2005). This learning would be helpful to me as it would help me to analyze and understand the manner in which businesses can be developed and help me to analyze different supply chain strategies and adopt the one which would help to improve effectiveness and efficiency in carrying out different operations. Another important learning was the importance and need of being innovative. Innovativeness and developing new things is something which is visible both in case of product and service development. The learning highlighted that organizations specifically have started to focus towards service innovation and development as it helps to add new features to the product and thereby provides an opportunity through which more and more need can be met (Christensen and Overdorf, 2000). It is imperative that while determining innovativeness in services the operational process is checked. Since, services have to passed on to the customer so it is important to understand whether the customer needs it or not which is as similar as designing the new product which is developed only if there is a demand for the product in the market. The most important aspect here is the operational aspect as it will determine the long term operational aspect and will help to understand whether the business would be beneficial through service innovation. This is an important learning as it helped me to understand the role and importance of operational aspect and helped me to understand the important focus areas through which better developments are possible. This is something which is also quite evident in the real world as it can be seen in Apple iPhone which continuously looks at service innovation. This will thereby help to ensure that business is able to identify the manner in which they need to work and improve and would lay down the path through which overall business development would become possible and help me in my future endeavours. The last learning which the module brought forward was the need and importance of proper decision making and project management. It was taught that taking decisions which are correct at the right time and right place will help to improve the performance of the business and will ensure that the business is able to manage the resources appropriately. This will require that different decisions looks at capacity management so that the business is able to grow and improve its capability in the future. The different decisions which are taken are for different time period like short term, medium term and long term so while taking decision it is important to understand the time frame and based on it decisions should be taken (Scheuing and Johnson, 2009). In addition to it project management is also important because ensuring that the decision which is taken is being carried out appropriately is important. This will require that the decisions are carried out within the allotted time and budget. The ability of the business to work within the given constraints will help to determine the operational efficiency and will help to understand the manner in which the long term prospect of the business will be decided. This will help me as it will ensure that I focus on important areas and helped me to understand the manner in which one aspect is related to another and being able to work on the different aspect will ensure that the overall productivity increases and better results are achieved. This section comprises of the different tutorial activities related to different topics which have been covered earlier. The details are as Topic 3: Activity 1: The entire artefact in the operational process would undergo change as brining innovation would mean that new ways which transform the working mechanism would be looked at. This will make the required changes in the manner different activities are carried out and would develop the supply chain which gains efficiency. Eliminating the middle man and developing a series of chain which looks to reach the final customer would help to ensure better productivity. The artefact would thereby look at major ramifications and changes which would be bigger than creativity and would look to mould and change the entire mechanism through which different work activities are carried out. Activity 2: There are differences between the concept of sustainability, sustainable supply chain, LCF and CE as it looks at different ways. Sustainability looks at having means and mechanism which helps to fulfil the need of the present but at the same time ensures that the future generations are protected. In a similar manner sustainable supply chain looks at gaining efficiency by removing the middle man and reaching the customers directly so that better needs are met. The LCF looks at the manner in which things goes up and comes down but innovativeness and creativity has to be ensured that the things which go down again goes up whereas a circular economy looks at different facets through which the overall working mechanism is controlled. This has a role in our assignment as it provides the different core and important areas which have to focused on and shows the areas through which business process outcome can improved. The decisions have to be such that it is flexible and sustainable so that ramifications can be made and the overall mechanism of carrying out different activities can be ensured. Activity 3: The different idea of design and operations which can be attributed to our group work is Firstly, continuous innovation and change where the present product is slightly modified and new products at the same time are introduced so that it can replace the old ones and ensure that the cycle continues to grow and improves business performance Secondly, looking to incorporate the concept of recycling so that sustainability is ensured. This will help to reduce the dependence on new materials and will provide an opportunity through which old ones will be recycled and thereby help to garner the overall process of carrying out different activities. Thirdly, reaching the consumers directly and eliminating the middle man so that it helps to save on cost and at the same time provides an opportunity through which business value increases. This will ensure better pricing and ensure competitiveness through which consumers’ different needs and demands will be better met. Topic 4: Activity 1: Value Stream mapping will look to reduce the lead time and look at carrying out different operations simultaneously and at the same time. This would reduce the unnecessary delay and would provide an opportunity through which business process will be carried out better. This is as per the case It is evident that the current process leads towards having a lead time of 4.5 days but using the process of value streaming process the entire activities can be carried out quicker. Using value streaming process the lead time can be reduced as different process will be carried out together and effectiveness will be ensured and will look as The lead time has come down to 0.25 day from 4.5 day as combining machine 2 and machine 1 has helped to improve productivity. Carrying out different operations together and looking at reducing the overall time in between has enabled to provide the required impetus through which better results are achieved and the overall business activity is carried out in a better way (Lee & Cetinkaya, 2000). Activity 2: The different technologies which can be used to improve the mechanism of working in the food and beverage supply chain are RFID: Using RFID will help to reduce the inventory processing time and ensure better efficiency. This will reduce the unnecessary delay in food and beverage supply and will help to manage inventories quicker. This will also provide information regarding different inventory position for different products and will aid towards managing those in a better way (Bhattacharya, Chao-Hsien, and Mullen, 2007). The overall efficiency will be seen in the way that goods which are old will be supplied first so that they don’t expire and will help to keep control of inventories in a better way. RTLS: The real time location system will help to give accurate and correct information about the different products which have been shipped. This would thereby help to keep track of all the inventories and will reduce the unnecessary delays. Human errors and others will be easily tracked and customers as well as the organization will be better aware about the products and the place it is. This will help to keep better tracking and ensure better customer satisfaction by providing correct and true information. Activity 3: The lean manufacturing concept, VSM along with RFID and RTLS can be used in the food and beverage industry. The lean manufacturing concept will aim towards reducing the wastages which will thereby help to reduce cost and bring efficiency. The VSM will help to deal with the lead time and ensure timely delivery which can be better monitored through the use of RFID and RTLS. This technology will help to improve productivity and bring about a complete change in the manner the industry works as it will foster on important core areas and bring about the change. This will ensure creativity and innovativeness and multiply the overall gains so that business process becomes better shaped up. Topic 5 Activity 1: The fashion industry should look towards a hybrid supply chain because it will look to fulfil the different needs and requirements of the industry in a better way. Using a hybrid supply chain would ensure that the overall wastage for the industry will be limited, new and innovative ways which helps to completely transform the business would be found out, changes in style and design can be made as per the needs and requirements of the customers, ensure proper delivery of products to the different retail stores so that customers can easily procure it from there and deal with the ever evolving business environment. This would help the fashion industry to keep in tune with the changing business and develop appropriate strategies through which business would be better placed. An advantage of using a hybrid supply chain would be that it comprises of all type of supply chain so it will increase the opportunity for the fashion industry as it will provide different areas through which business productivity can be improved. This would help the fashion world to deal with all the different needs and requirements and would thereby help to transform the business in such a way that it helps to execute the different plans in the most beneficial manner. Activity 2: The application of supply chain and dynamic capabilities can be easily seen in Woolworths. It is clearly visible that Woolworths strategy is to be cheap and reach a wide range of audience. To satisfy the need of the customers it is imperative that the stores have the appropriate goods at the appropriate time. Woolworths through the development of supply chain has been able to ensure that the products are available at the right time. This has been aided by the fact that Woolworths has to continuously innovate and develop new products based on the need and preference of the customer and changing business environment. The organization has been able to evolve and has been continuously looking to innovate and be flexible. This has helped them to come with new and exciting products at competitive pricing so that they continue with the same business model. The use of supply value network is also quite prominent in Woolworths. Since, Woolworth procure most of its product from different organizations and companies so it has to rely on the supply chain network of different companies. Integrating their supply chain with those of others has ensured that the goods are readily available at the correct time. This has helped to ensure that products are better positioned and has been able to improve their business. The success of Woolworths thereby relies on their ability to have a supply chain network which is evolving and growing. This has ensured timely delivery and has improved the overall mechanism through which different business decisions are taken and has thereby helped Woolworths to improve their business drastically. Topic 6 Activity 1: Apple has looked towards innovation through the process of disruptive innovation. In this process new products are not developed which is different from the present market condition but instead value proposition is looked for. The product is launched in the same category as before but slowly over a period of time new features are added so that customer finds something new in the products and look to purchase the product (Cowell, 2008). For example, Apple after their launch of iPhone which was not as advanced as other smart phone looked to add new features like iTune which completely changed the manner in which people look at the product. Adding new features has helped them to ensure that the product development is carried out in a different way and thereby has helped to ensure that they are able to attract new customers. Apple by having better surfing access and features was able to attract customer as it helped to understand the manner in which Apple was looking to bring changes. Thus, Apple has been working on the process of disruptive innovation which has helped them to sustain their business and has provided an opportunity to ensure better growth opportunities in the future. Activity 2: A fashion show will look t work on different dimensions so that the people experiences multiply which thereby helps to ensure better productivity. The customer experience will be affected by positioning of the product, the manner in which the different products are placed, the design, colour, quality of product, innovation and new products. The overall customer experience has to be identified and a service process has to be developed so that customer experience increases. This can be achieved to a large degree by allowing customers to touch and feel the clothes, have a ramp show so that the different collections are visible and provide an opportunity through which the different questions and doubts of customers are solved (Kelly and Storey, 2000). This will help to address the different aspect of customers variability in a better way and will provide a directive through which customers expectations and demand can be met in a better way. Activity 3: The concept of innovation is applicable in the experience economy as the economy also looks to find out innovative ways through which overall growth can be ensured. This innovativeness is looked by the government through having better external relations, developing new and better means of production and consolidating the position by finding out ways which will help to reduce wastage (Jones, 2006). The framework also looks at ensuring that important relevance is given on process and operational aspect. Having plans and not being able to operate it appropriately will not fetch the required reward so working on the operational aspect and ensuring that it will help the society at large is being seen. This would help to ensure better opportunities of growth and will help to multiply the overall productivity through which better results will be achieved. Topic 7 Activity 1: Using the hybrid model would be appropriate as it will help to deal with the different aspect and include different thing in the planning process. The most important gain will be that it will ensure flexibility and will provide the required impetus through which overall business development becomes possible. The capacity has to be managed by appropriate planning and making changes as per the needs and requirements. This has to be matched by proper forecasting so that goods and services which are to be delivered are decided in a manner which will help to meet the different needs of the customers. The model has to be such that at times it lead the process and at times it follows other (Robinson and Stern, 2007). This will help to multiply the overall productivity as it will help to ensure that the business is able to innovate and work within the framework which has been provided. In addition to it the entire business process has to be further carried out within the given constraints which would require continuous changes so that the business is able to identify the correct fundamentals through which operational effectiveness will be gained. This will help to ensure that wastage is reduced and the business is able to develop a process through which better results can be achieved. Proper planning and execution within the given constraints will determine the success as it will help to ensure that overall results shape up the manner in which different resources are used. Activity 2: Using RFID in Woolworths would mean that the process of carrying out business would improve. Using RFID will help to reduce the inventory processing time and ensure better efficiency. This will reduce the unnecessary delay in food and beverage supply and will help to manage inventories quicker. This will also provide information regarding different inventory position for different products and will aid towards managing those in a better way. The overall efficiency will be seen in the way that goods which are old will be supplied first so that they don’t expire and will help to keep control of inventories in a better way. All the products which Woolworths have will look to be provided with batch numbers which will be different for different products and identical for similar product. The use of Gantt chart will help to ensure that the movement of goods and will thereby provide the required framework through which better management of resources would become possible. This will also help to ensure that the goods will be managed in an effective manner and will thereby help to multiply the overall aspect of carrying out business. Woolworths through the use of RFID will also have to ensure that all the stores starts to use technology simultaneously as the system would then become effective and will help to manage the different resources in the most productive manner. References Burdon, S., Chelliah, J. & Bhalla, A. (2009). Structuring enduring strategic alliance: the case of Restaurant in Australia. Journal of Business Strategy, 30 (4), 42-51 Bhattacharya, M., Chao-Hsien, C. and Mullen, T. (2007). RFID Implementation in Retail Industry: Current Status, Issues, and Challenges. Accepted to Decision Science Institute (DSI) Conference, Phoenix AZ, for November 2007 conference. Christensen, C.M. and Overdorf, M. (2000). Meeting the Challenge of Disruptive Change, Harvard Business Review, 67-76 Cowell, D. (2008). New Service Development, Journal of Marketing Management, 3 (3), 296-312 Disney, S. and Towill, D. (2003). 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