Strategic Management: Analyzing & Transforming Resources & Processes - Essay Sample

Introduction

Many industries have mission statements that explain their products, the reason they are in the market and the target of the consumer market. Thus, each company should have strategic management to process their products. Strategic management is the process applied by organizations to analyze and transform resources and internal processes that deliver the products. The strategy process objective is to construct a production process that satisfies the requirements of their customer and the specifications of the product within managerial constraints and cost. Also, the particular process has a long-term impact on flexibility and efficiency of production, price and the quality of goods manufactured. The strategy includes four primary methods to be applied in each procedure, and the decision-makers should know the purpose of each approach.

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Enumerate the Four Process Strategies in Operations Management

The first phase of the procedure is the factory process focus, which involves departments that are devoted to grinding, welding and painting. In a restaurant, the process might be a bar, grill and bakery. The process focuses more on a wide variety of products (job shop) and low volume. These facilities focus on process in terms of layout, equipment and supervision. For example, in an accounting office, human resources, supply and payroll are the most reliable processes that take place because, without human resources, there would be no employees; also, without payroll, there would be no staff because they need to get paid on time. Additionally, without assets from the supply department, the industry would not be able to function.

Repetitive focus is the second phase, which falls between the process and product focus t. The process uses modules and is a product-oriented production process. Additionally, Modules are product components and parts previously prepared and manufactured often in a continuous process (Hunnebeck, 2011). For example, McDonald's uses a repetitive focus module. This strategy lets McDonald's operation use the assembly line process. Successful employees are trained into the McDonalds business strategy, their critical and initial over the shoulder training. Also, McDonald's is strategically located and has production services all over the United States. The distribution centers are the business support ensuring ample product of each restaurant.

Another process is Product focus and is low variety and high volume processes referred to continuous processes. Product focus needs low costs but high fixed costs (Krajewski, 2013). The reward is a high facility operation. For example, Apple is product-focused. They do not iterate and release like many technology firms. They do not focus on marketing like Microsoft, and also, they do not offer auxiliary services. The most important part of Apple is that it does not focus on what the mass consumer market requires. Besides, they concentrate on making elegant and straightforward products that the market will evangelize and love.

Mass communication focus is another process for strategy operation. It is rapid and has a low-cost production that caters to continually changing the unique desires of a customer. The process is precisely about what the customers need when they want it economically. Mass customization is a challenge that involves sophisticated capabilities of operation. An example of a mass communication focus is computers. The Dell company will help customize their computers to where they operate more of a simple tool order and do not carry much inventory as other companies may perform to meet their customer's needs.

Latest Actual Technological Development

Machine Technology

XACT-FIL is the latest machine technology. The machine provides higher versatility than the previous federal system. Engineers upgraded to new control technologies and automation capable of supporting more excellent reliability and speed. The engineers also wanted to minimize space requirements and the cables involved; fewer cable signify improved hygiene.

Automatic Identification System

One of the latest technologies in the automated identification system is radio frequency identification (RFID). RFID offers to track information without necessitating direct contact with the item being tracked. RFID is an essential feature for applications like vehicle identification, shoplifting deterrence, and a person or animal monitoring. RFID systems utilize transceiver to transfer encoded digital information by an antenna through radio waves (Sarac et al., 2010). The transceiver is capable of writing to and reading from RFID tags, which are placed on the tracked items. Also, the RFID tags comprise a battery that sends signals dynamically to the transceiver or controlled passively by the transceiver. The computer system is connected to a transceiver that manages and interprets the data received or sent.

Process Control

Distributed control systems (DCSs) is one of the latest technology development in process control. DCS is a control system that is computerized for a process usually with various loops of control where throughout the system, autonomous controllers are distributed. The control system is in comparison to systems that use centralized controllers. The DCS concept with remote supervision and monitoring through localizing control functions increases reliability and decreases installation costs (Krajewski, 2013). The emergence of DCS has reduced the design of integration risk.

Vision System

Vision system manufacturers have developed the 3D Time-of-flight (ToF), which includes a 3D integration camera enabling the robots to carry out tasks with increasing the operational lighting efficiency the 3D vision technology with the help of a laser, 3D and ToF camera, is unlocking newer potentials for vision operation (Mankins, 2009). The vision system performs tasks such as bin picking, object tracking, and product profiling experiences. The ability to generate three-dimensional image data as well as capturing the 3D image technologies has revolutionized the vision industry.

Robots

Human-Robot Interactions (HRI) are the study of studying attitudes towards robots and the people's behavior in relationship to the technological, physical and interactive robot features. Interaction requires communication between humans and robots. Assistive system robots offer mental, physical, and social support to individuals who gain from it, such as disabled or elderly. Assistive robotics is critical to HRI as it highlights near interaction with the persons who are potentially disabled.

Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems

The latest ARAS is the Innopick from the systems of DRL. Innopick is a combination of an automated dispensing system and ARAS. It can store short product lanes and deliver the fixed aisle crane to dispensing lanes providing an extensive system of dynamic dispensing.

Automated Generated Vehicle

OTTO is the latest technology in Automated Generated Vehicle operation management. OTTO can avoid collisions as it moves and takes the best route. The cars using cameras to perform as eyes use the vision-based guidance system. Additionally, the plant managers improve the 3D virtual view into the environment the equipment is in service. In this case, the AGV operator can easily find the details and correct it.

Flexible Manufacturing Systems

Due to inadequate capabilities like add-ons, customization, upgrading, and changes in production capacity in an elastic manufacturing system, result in the growth of new technology like Virtual Manufacturing System (VMS). The significance of a VMS is increasing in the developing area new implementing automated work cells, workplace ergonomics, manufacturing processes and designing plant facility layouts. VMS decreases manufacturing and production, costs cycle times, improving communication through global facilities to introduce new products quicker, reduce operating costs, and improve productivity for existing product shops.

Computer Integrated Manufacturing

Computer-aided design (CAD) is the current technology in CIM. CAD makes use of the system of the computer to assist in modification, creation, and analysis of a design. The CAD designer system creates the surfaces and lines that form the object and stores the model in the database. By appealing the suitable CAD software, the designer can carry out numerous analyses on the thing, such as heat transfer calculations. Once the design procedure is over, the CAD system generates the complete drawings required to make the item.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, operations management is crucial in the business because they play a significant role in the industry as they make the maximum level of effectiveness within the firm. Operations Management runs the sector to make it useful and attain an excellent result. Therefore operation management consists of creating a range of critical decisions that affect the activity of an organization in the long and short run. Also, the operation managers have to make contemplation of various aspects related to location, layout and management process when designing operating systems. Also, an operations manager must want to take into account several factors when making a product. They must decide to balance the quality and cost of their service and product when determining whether to be innovative with technology, outsource, or have inventory.

References

Hunnebeck, L., & ITIL, R. (2011). Service design. London: The Stationery Office (TSO).

Krajewski, L. J., Ritzman, L. P., & Malhotra, M. K. (2013). Operations management. Pearson Education, UK.

Mankins, J. C. (2009). Technology readiness assessments: A retrospective. Acta Astronautica, 65(9-10), 1216-1223.

Sarac, A., Absi, N., & Dauzere-Peres, S. (2010). A literature review on the impact of RFID technologies on supply chain management. International journal of production economics, 128(1), 77-95.