Operations management

Operations Management in Enterprises

Operations management is the practice of organizing commercial operations so that businesses can operate as efficiently as possible. According to Jung, Lee, and Whitell (2015), operations management’s value comes from its capacity to solve environmental, health, and safety issues within enterprises. Operations management may help businesses address a range of issues linked to their operations in a business environment because of its meticulous approach to the design, execution, and administration of company operations.

Investigating Operational Frameworks of Multi-Channel Merchants

Hubner, Holzapfel, and Kuhn (2015) investigated the operational frameworks of multi-channel merchants in order to identify the operational systems in use and evaluate the interdependencies in planning. In this regard, the researchers focused on inventory management, network design, capacity management, and warehouse operations. Data for the study came from 43 managers drawn from 33 separate companies based in Europe that use multi-channel retailing to sell their products. The three authors are instructors at the University Eichstatt-Ingolstadt in Germany. Hubner specialty is in operations management while Kuhn and Holzapfel are experts in supply chain management and operations. As a result of their qualifications, the three authors are suitably competent to address the issue of operations management in multi-channel retailers.

Respected Findings in Operations Management Research

The findings of the three researchers in this study deserve respect in the academic world for a variety of reasons. First, the three authors concentrated on due diligence to give credibility to the conclusions drawn in the research. As stated, data for the study came from 43 executives in 33 firms. The chosen companies were operating in different retail sectors, such as fashion, consumer electronics, and DIY. Choosing firms dealing in different kinds of consumer goods provides a holistic understanding of the issue of operations management in multi-channel retailers because it considers the unique challenges of the business entities. Second, the choice of 33 unrelated companies eliminated the possibility of bias by securing the randomness of the data collected in the research.

The Impact of Multi-Channel Selling on Supply Chain Management

Nowadays, many businesses use a variety of offerings to sell their products and services. The traditional brick-and-mortar stores are being augmented with new channels of getting goods and services to consumers, such as online selling. Having a variety of channels to sell products can create supply chain issues for the companies from a management perspective, especially concerning the availability of products in the market. Reasons for such problems differ. However, the biggest concern is creating a supply chain that can serve all these selling avenues. In a study of operations management in the service industry, the authors acknowledge that the design of a service delivery system is extremely important to how companies deliver their services to customers (Jung et al., 2015). It affects availability and timelines that are essential factors in securing customer satisfaction. Therefore, business executives must develop proper supply chain channels to meet the needs of the different selling channels.

The Role of Supply Chain in Product Availability

According to Bhattacharya, Cheffi & Dey (2016), businesses can take a portion of the competitive advantage they possess to the market by focusing on their supply chain, which affects product availability among other market factors. The nature of their supply chains determines how they organize their manufacturing. For instance, a long supply chain that involves several players before the goods reach consumers may require a short manufacturing system to meet market demands. Matching production to multiple channels of selling products requires in-depth analysis of the nature of the supply chains to determine the most effective. For this reason, companies can encounter problems in deciding the most suitable supply chain to ensure product availability and timeliness.

The Importance of Information Systems and Warehousing in Supply Chain Management

Focusing on specific elements of a supply chain can give the management of an enterprise direction on the creation of an effective supply chain for such businesses. Issues concerning information systems, for instance, the network configuration and warehousing, such as the configuration of the warehouses helps to determine the nature of production. It ensures business focus their attention on those aspects of a business that determine the availability of goods in the market as opposed to showing concern for the selling channels only. In this regard, business executives concentrate on elements such as designing an effective information system or creating an appropriate warehouse configuration rather than simply emphasizing the selling methods without consideration of other factors that affect them. Therefore, managers attain greater ability to control the operations of a business, especially its supply chain.

Biblical Integration in Operations Management

The Bible provides plenty of advice for managers concerning the effective management of businesses. In Proverbs 10: 4, the bible states that poor is the individual who works with negligence, but the hands that work diligently gain profits. In this case, managers should always portray diligence in their duties and the activities of their corporations. Attention to the operations of a firm helps to gain their understanding and identify areas for possible improvement. On the other hand, a negligent approach to one’s work may create problems. For instance, a company may fail to recognize the origins of a complication in a business without their understanding. Looking at operations with the attentiveness they deserve is the only way for managers to achieve organizational aims, such as profit maximization. Multi-channel sellers should show diligence in the management of their supply chain in accordance with this biblical philosophy. In so doing, they are able to attain more profits since they have greater ability to meet the needs of their customers through timely delivery of products to the market.

References

Bhattacharya, A. Cheffi, W., Dey, P. K. (2016). Recent advances in manufacturing operations management. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 27 (1), https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1108/JMTM-12-2015-0109

Hubner, A., Holzapfel, A. & Kuhn, H. (2015). Operations management in multi-channel retailing: An exploratory study. Operations Management Research, 8 (3-4): 84-100.

Jung, H., Lee, C. & Whitell, C. C. (2015). Socially responsible service operations management: An overview. Annals of Operations Research, 230 (1): 1-16.