Assignment 3 Part 1: Operation, Technology, and Management Plan
Operational Plan
The operational plan being an essential part of business seeks to ensure that efficiency is developed (West, Ford & Ibrahim, 2010). The management has the bond of ensuring that adequate and comprehensive plans that highlights and analysis all the aspects of operations are developed so that an organization can operate in an effective and well-organized way. Failure to developing suitable or any plans is an obvious sign of inefficiency. Therefore, it is the obligation of every member of an organization in ensuring that the designed teams work efficiently in the quest of fulfilling the organizational goal. This paper will, therefore, offer a thorough analysis of Always Fresh Company’s administration technology and operational plans.
The Prime Operation’s Aspects
Always Fresh places much assertion on proper formulation of a thorough marketing plan which is essential in directing the company’s management and development procedures in regard to storage, distribution, supply, consumer relations, inventory control and all other operations that have the capability to affect its efficiency. In order to achieve success, the firm must be dependent on its marketing plan efficiency (West, Ford & Ibrahim, 2010). Subsequently, there has been an intense effort to the institution of effective and efficient procedures in order to monitor all the operations at Always Fresh. Given that the business is a starting up a company, it will be utilizing Just-In-Time system in the management of its inventory. This strategy is objected at lowering storage as well as the associated expenses with materials storage. Always Fresh has several suppliers with respect to acquiring raw materials which are effective in stopping shortage cases as well as the loss of creativity that is linked with having few sellers.
Cost and Time Efficiencies
Always Fresh Company holds several measures that seeks to lower the general cost of operation while enhancing time productivity. At the commencement level, the company will in particular not accommodate above 1100 items at any given time. In addition, the firm’s management will not be making any kind of working payment for the next six months which will seek to ensure that that the company holds the adequate financial background in funding its operations. The main goal is to ensure that the business operates in the most expenses efficient manner which will be fueled by the application of monetary principles. The company will utilize drop shipping services. This is because it seeks to increase efficiency and lower overheads (Morabito, 2013). This will be accompanied by thorough negotiation of credit services and also ensure that the production and serving procedures are friendly to the surrounding.
Competitive Advantages
There are numerous forces that assist in the creation of a firm’s competitive advantage. At the beginning, the firm will apply Just-In-Time system in inventory management to create a competitive position and attract the consumers given that they will be given fresh products always. Given that the business is small this gives it a flexible and responsive status (West, Ford & Ibrahim, 2010). In addition, the company can be able to modify its activities at any period based on the existing market demands. The small working tea is at most times characterized by increased better relations which help in developing efficiency, creativity and high production (West, Ford & Ibrahim, 2010). Based on the limited bureaucracy the procedure for making a sound decision is effective which plays a part also in lowering operating expenses thus permitting the Company to provide products at affordable prices.
Problems Addressed and Overcome
All the external suppliers and the involved distributors will be handling the shipping expenses, particularly for the finished products. After consumers create bulk buying they will be receiving a discounted payment. Even though employing experienced staffs is expensive Always Fresh will only hire this kind of staffs at 12$ per hour. The manufactured and ready drinks will be stored at the company’s storage given that it can accommodate up to 150,000 units which will seek to lower expenses. Costs, marketing, and operational issues should be addressed without delay to fit within the company’s objective (West, Ford & Ibrahim, 2010).
Research and Development Activities
In the society today, research plays a critical role in products development and business efficiency (Morabito, 2013). The company will be utilizing this strategy in investing the most creative means of production and consumers appeal. The acquired information will mainly be utilized in creating services and products differentiation thus acquiring a competitive edge by meeting the comprehensive market demands.
Technology Plan
Software Needs
The creative plan should be one that provides the needed assistance to the company in ensuring that all the business practices are purposeful (Morabito, 2013). Therefore, it should be noted that the operation should be a legitimate one. This will be objected at overseeing business operations. The company will be utilizing log files that will be providing internet locations. In regard to the general information that is required in running the company the amount of online or software space necessary is low while the expenses for setting a personal company’s server is relatively high. Therefore, the company will utilize cloud computing technology which will be supplied by an external vendor. Always Fresh Company will make use of a technology remote outline which will be a primary objective of adequately cooperating with the respective bottlers. The precarious software design that will be applied is data examiner which will mainly seek to dichotomize, assemble and understand the thorough details acquired from different servers (Morabito, 2013).
Hardware Needs
The superiority of any given hardware to be utilized is very crucial in the present scenario given that if anything goes a miss, the company will automatically suffer immeasurable loss (Morabito, 2013). Always Fresh Company will be utilizing all the hardware categories such as storage, involvement, and output, data transfers, focal treatment, and gadgets. All the units are very authoritative and therefore cannot be neglected. Super technology will be utilized which does not only require responsive skills but also the necessary experience in handling the anomalous augment status.
Telecommunication Needs
In company running appropriate and well-designed communication is a prime necessity (Morabito, 2013). The management will be keeping in mind that the utmost attention and security rate is provided to the setup of communication. The company will, therefore, be utilizing mobile and computer communication supported by Wi-Fi, Bluetooth admission and numerous wirelesses program division admission that will mainly be featuring WAN transactions.
Personnel Needs
The company will be outsourcing the system for both hardware and software given that it creates more cost efficiency. Always Fresh Company will mainly be dependent on the programming and organization equipment from IBM in dealing with the involved database. In addition, this will also offer coordinated effort for machinery that will create organizational transparency and easy data access and assets when required. In that, the personnel will have maximum data access in all the company’s servers as a form of creating efficiency and effective operations (Morabito, 2013).
Management and Organization
Key management and Employees
The primary management in regard to Always Fresh Company is the President, Marketing Manager, Supervisor/ Controller, Operations Manager, Human Resources Manager and Comptroller. The president is the overseer of the entire company and therefore holds the highest authority (Passerini, El, & Patten, 2012). The interaction of the president mainly occur with the leaders of other managing positions and plays part in reviewing their roles. The VP marketing plays part in the general manager of marketing operations and plans who is assisted by a designer and director. The sales VP leads a number of sales persons and Operation’s VP leads technical administrators. Immediately after VP HR, there is a training manager while below the Comptroller there is the company’s accountant and purchasing directors (Passerini, El, & Patten, 2012).
Board Members and Advisors
The company’s board members are inclusive of the president and the Vice presidents from the dissimilar departments under the president’s control. These include VPs in marketing, sales, operations, HR, and Comptroller. The VPs are the major director of every director to whom any operative reports are given and also they provide advice to those beneath (Passerini, El, & Patten, 2012).
Management Structure and Style
Always Fresh Company will be operating under a hierarchical structure on the ground of authority and responsibility where the president is characterized by the utmost power and responsibility followed by the VPs from all the different company’s departments which are under his direct supervision and can interact with the company’s head at ease given that they are obligated to report to him (Vecchi, 2017). The different departments in the organizations are not supposed to interact with one another given that it is the forerunners that have the flexibility of doing so, thus eliminating any form of confusion. In that, the VP for marketing will mainly be involved with advertising to create high awareness and familiarity of the company and its products as well as packaging growth with the assistance of the assisting marketing director and visuals designer. On the other hand, the sales VP will be involved in overseeing sales basically in regard to client communication and generally ensures that business is acquired by the corporation via the assistance of sales representatives (Vecchi, 2017). The comptroller is involved in searching for purchasing and accounting obligations which seek to safeguard records as well as reports in adequate nature (Vecchi, 2017). Contrary operations VP handles matters that are directly related to the investigation, manufacturing as well as products and services development. Shipping and distribution is an essential aspect of the business will mainly entail technical management (Vecchi, 2017). The Human resources VP collaborates with the training instructors where they are involved in handling personnel’s skills and training development for all the involved staffs (Vecchi, 2017).
Part 2 -Create an Ethics & Social Responsibility Plan
Social responsibility can best be categorized an ethical business outline and therefore it suggests that any company is obligated in operating in ways that benefit the greater society (Paetzold, 2010). In this context, social responsibility can best be described as an organizational duty that is performed in the quest of creating an equilibrium amid the economy and the surrounding (Paetzold, 2010). On the other hand business ethics involves the appropriate study of business related practices and policies in reference to probable provocative matters like discrimination, social responsibility, regulations and corporate governance (Brenkert & Beauchamp, 2010). The proper formulation of operating ethics along with social responsibility seeks to earn a positive reputation for the company thus enhancing its performance.
Ways to Ensure That the Company Is Committed To Being a Desirable Corporate Citizen
Always Fresh Company is fully committed in regard to being a desirable corporate citizen. The management believes that producing a reputation not only create a solid corporation but additionally increases the capability to selling products at any market, price and still being efficient. Being a desirable corporate citizen seeks to provide a company a reputation that is full of values that assist the company in different ways such as increased customer loyalty, enticing and holding staffs as well as enhancing life’s quality in the business’s operational areas (Brenkert & Beauchamp, 2010). Some of the ways that the company is omitted to in the quest of benefiting the society and acquiring the associated values include jobs creation, employee’s diversity, environmental consciousness and fair management. In that in order to help the areas around to develop as well as improve the society’s life’s superiority the company will mainly be employing persons from the local settings. In that, from the domestic market, there are individuals with the required skills and experiences which can help in growing the company. In addition, this will offer cheap and easily accessible labor. Discrimination will not be encouraged at any given cost as the employee's differences will be well accommodated by the company’s policies which will seek to encourage togetherness.
Always Fresh Firm is a social venture company that mainly seeks to achieve a social as well as economic objective. With the rising health, conscious individuals are mainly objected at ensuring that they consume health drinks and meals that seek to enhance health wellness. In this context, the company will be offering health drinks options that are both beneficial to health and seeks to conserve individual’s economic stability (Brenkert & Beauchamp, 2010). The company will, therefore, be fulfilling the social goal of creating health while it benefits from the growing demand for healthy and affordable non-alcoholic beverages.
The Impact of the Company’s Activities on the Environment and the Mitigating Steps
The manufacturing companies today, are categorized to being the major contributors to the general environmental pollution. Given that Always Fresh Company is among those forms it will be generating many wastes that might negatively affect the surrounding. The company will mainly be involved inappropriate disposal and the use of recyclable packaging that will seek to conserve the surrounding. In addition, the company will be releasing so much carbon which might contribute highly to global warming and thus it will mainly be utilizing electric fueled manufacturing machines thus avoiding the high consumption of fuel which is associated with high carbon emission. In the society today, everyone is particularly conscious in regard to what they consume in terms of food or even drinks because of the rising health issues (Paetzold, 2010).
The company is highly focused on protecting the environment at any given cost. In this context, some of the pressing issues that must be addressed in ensuring that the surrounding is not negatively impacted by its operations include packaging, bottles discarding and wealth utilization. In areas, with water scarcity, the company will be dependent on outsourcing as well as manual water wells without destroying the surrounding. In addition, the packaging will be a green one and disposal points for the recyclable bottles will be created as well.
Health Issues related to the Company’s Product
Always Fresh Company is involved in the production of beverages from natural ingredients. The product has several health benefits despite the fact that the selection sort to create an appealing healthy visual in the consumer’s mind. Given that the product has no preservatives it will seek to enhance body wellness in regard to health. The drink will act as an energy boost that keeps the mind and body active throughout the day thus promoting body responsive. In ensuring that the positive claim in regard to the benefits of taking fresh and natural drinks will be enhanced through the provision of superior products. In addition, the quality should be matched with the advertisement aspects to create trust (Fernando, 2010). Any negative issues that might arise due to distribution, packaging, manufacturing of supply issues will be addressed by using a quality leading strategy that seeks to uphold quality and consumer’s satisfaction.
Negative Health Impacts on Certain Populace Segments
Health positive and undesirable products effects should be assessed always (Fernando, 2012). The company will be providing products that not only seeks to create wellness but also appropriate for any segment. In that, there are several flavors that will be developed to suit the general needs of all the segments. In regard to advertising, targeting and distribution the company will operate strategically. In that, the advertising will mainly seek to attract those that are health and economic conscious involving healthy children. However, caution will be delivered in regard to ailing or the pregnant populace as there are no guaranteed evaluations on its ability. The distribution will, therefore, occur within the targeted locations where the suitable populace is located.
References
Brenkert, G. G., & Beauchamp, T. L. (2010). The Oxford handbook of business ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Fernando, A. C. (2010). Business ethics and corporate governance. Delhi: Dorling Kindersley (India), licensees of Pearson Education in South Asia.
Fernando, A. C. (2012). Corporate Governance: Principles, Policies and Practices. S.L.: Pearson Education India.
Morabito, V. (2013). Business Technology Organization: Managing Digital Information Technology for Value Creation - The SIGMA Approach. (Business technology organization.) Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer.
Paetzold, K. (2010). Corporate social responsibility (CSR): An international marketing approach. Hamburg: Diplomica Verl.
Passerini, K., El, T. A., & Patten, K. (2012). Information technology for small business: Managing the digital enterprise. New York, NY: Springer.
Vecchi, A. (2017). Advanced Fashion Technology and Operations Management. IGI Global.
West, D. C., Ford, J. B., & Ibrahim, E. (2010). Strategic marketing: Creating competitive advantage. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
