Management of Strategic Operations

Management of operations in a business setting relates to the control of activities or procedures that facilitate the production and delivery of goods and services (Greasley 2007, p. 12). It is a function that is found in every organization since every organization engages in the production of some goods or services.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Management of Strategic Operations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Operations management influences the cost of production and the quality of products. Thus businesses must focus on effective operations management strategies in order to improve their competitiveness. This paper will focuses on the concept of strategic operations management by analyzing Coca-Cola Company and its product, coca-coal soft drink. Product Profile Volume Volume relates to the quantity of a product that is produced and sold by the company (Greasley 2007, p. 86). The production volume at Coca-Cola is high since millions of its products are produced and sold per day. This is based on the fact that the company serves the global market and thus it has to produce very many units in order to meet the high demand (Coca-Cola 2011). The implications of this characteristic on production include repetition and systematization of procedures in order to improve efficiency. Besides, the firm focuses on capital intensive production in order to increase output. The high volume has resulted into low cost per unit. Variety Variety refers to the various types of products that are manufactured by the company (Greasley 2007, p. 89). The firm produces a wide variety of soft drinks. As at 30/12/2010, the company had a product portfolio of over 2000 different types of soft drinks. Thus it has a high level of product variety (Coca-Cola 2011). This has impacted on the production operations in two ways. First, the company uses a flexible system in order to take the needs of the customers int o consideration during product development. Second, the production process has become very complex as new products are introduced. Variety in Demand Coca-Cola’s products have a high variation in demand (Coca-Cola 2011). This is because the consumption of soft drinks is affected by weather or seasons. For example, the sales are usually high during summer and holiday seasons. However, the sales usually fall during the winter. The implications of this trend on production are as follows.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More First, the company has adopted a flexible production capacity in order to respond appropriately to changes in demand. Second, the firm is always in touch with the market in order to understand the changes in demand (Coca-Cola 2011). Finally, it has led to an increase in costs per unit as the company adjusts its capacity in response to changes in demand . Visibility Visibility refers to the degree to which the customers can follow their orders from the time the orders are placed up to the time when the goods are delivered (Stevenson 2008, p. 45). The visibility of Coca-Cola’s products is high. This is because they are usually delivered within the shortest time possible through an efficient distribution system (Coca-Cola 2011). The main impact of the high visibility is a focus on customers’ needs as the basis for evaluating satisfaction. Activities Undertaken in Order to Display the Operational Characteristics A high product variety has been sustained through research and development that enables the firm to develop new products. The firm has invested in modern communication and information technology in order to reduce the order processing time. This has enabled the firm to maintain high product visibility. In order to maintain a high production volume, the company has embarked on automating most of the production and delivery activities (Coca-Cola 2011). This involves the use of machines in various stages of production in order to increase output. The workers are also being trained regularly in order to improve their competence. This results into high productivity. During the low demand seasons, the firm usually embarks on intensive sales campaign and promotional activities. This indicates the high level of variation in the products’ demand. Attempts to Change the 4Vs First, the firm is implementing its expansion plan by establishing new production plants especially in the overseas markets. This is meant to increase productivity (volume) of the company. Second, the firm has launched its e-marketing website in order to strengthen its relationship with customers (Johnston 2009, vol. 29, pp. 564-587).Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Management of Strategic Operations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This enables it to increase the variety of its products by incorporating the customers’ suggestions in product development. Finally, the company is focusing on improving the quality of the drinks by controlling the calorie levels (Coca-Cola 2011). This aims at making the products a necessity that can be consumed in all seasons. This strategy aims at reducing the high level of variation in the products’ demand. Conclusion The above assessment shows that management of operations has a direct impact on the cost of production and profits (Stevenson 2008, p. 67). Coca-Cola has been successful in the market since it has a high product visibility, volume and variety. However, the variation in the demand for its products is high and this has a negative effect on its profits since the sales usually decline during the low demand periods. References Coca-Cola 2011, Products, https://www.coca-cola.com/. Greasley, A 2007, Operations management, SAGE, New York. Johnston, R 2009, ‘Establishin g and developing strategic relationship: the role of operations manager’, International Journal of Operations and Product Management, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 654-587. Stevenson, W 2008, Operations management, McGraw-Hill, New York. This assessment on Management of Strategic Operations was written and submitted by user The Hunter to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

is america a success essays

is america a success essays At the first of the year Miss Schoonmaker asked us if we thought America was a success or not. This got me thinking what are we going to learn that will make us think our country isnt a success? Well throughout the year I learned things that made me believe America is not a success. Things that made me not believe in America were how we go against things we pledge. Like the Constitution and how we treated blacks in the Civil Rights era. Another example is the American dream. The Dream was all centered primarily around money. Has it not been said that money is the root of all evil? Do we really believe in a country thats dream is evil? I believe the thought of the American dream brought us into civil war. The North and the South both had their views on what the American dream was. The Northern States wanted the "American dream" achieved for the whole country to be industrial, anti-slavery, and very federalist. Upon these institutions they planned to make the U.S. a superior nation in the world. The South wanted to achieve the same ultimate goal for the U.S. but with agricultural, pro- slavery, and states sovereignty institutions. These are the differences between both sides in achieving "the American Dream." In order to resolve the conflict of interests, North and South had to go to war to prove superiority thus proving which side is "the city upon the hill in which the losing side would follow. The American dream later made us build the suburbs like Levittown where the country was trying to make us all the same. We had the same house just different colors than everyone else. This all brought up the issue of conf ormity. America was trying to live up to an ideal that was not securing the blessings of liberty. In the best document ever written the opening clause is a big fat lie. It says we will ...establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide f ...

Vicarious Liability -Legal Aspects in Health Care Essay

Vicarious Liability -Legal Aspects in Health Care - Essay Example It further defines and discusses apparent agency and the impact the status of the agent/employee versus independent contractor have on the analysis of liability. When it comes to criminal prosecution of negligence in the medical field, the law is in no way lenient. Murthy defines negligence as carelessness in a situation where the law mandates one to be careful. A breach of this gives the patient a right to file a case in court. In a case between Poonam Verma and Ashwin Patel in India, the terms negligence, acting in a rash and being reckless were defined. Negligence was defined as when one excludes or goes against a positive responsibility unintentionally. On the other hand, a reckless person was defined as one who is aware of the results of his or her actions but chooses not to care. Finally, a rash person was described as one who is aware of the results of his or her deeds, but assumes they will not happen. With regard to this, a doctor should not be criminally charged for the death of an individual until there is evidence of negligence or incompetence. In cases of malpractice, there are two damages provided. One is the compensatory damag e where the hospital compensates the patient and the other is the disciplinary or punitive damage where the hospital is punished for the negligence or omissions that led to malpractice. In fact, the Indian Penal Code, section 304(a) reads that any person who causes a patient to depart this life either due to an act of negligence or rash behaviour should serve two years in prison, pay a fine or receive punishment of the two (Murthy, 2007). In healthcare, a health providing institution can be held liable for any harm done to a patient. According to Donoghue, a hospital can be held liable either directly due to their negligence or vicariously for the negligence of an employee in cases of hospital malpractice. When hiring a member of staff, a hospital has to take great care. The hospital is supposed to

Read Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley and compare the advantages Essay

Read Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley and compare the advantages and disadvantages of first person point of view to point - Essay Example 2. Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley Every work of fiction is an amalgamation of fiction and reality where reality acts as a source of inspiration for the writer to enter the realm of fiction and twist the harsh veracity of life into a less brutal and bearable depiction of this world. â€Å"Devil in a Blue Dress† is a novel about the tale of Easy Rawlins who is a black American and is a self-made detective by profession. After fighting in World War 2 the protagonist of the novel settles in segregated Los Angeles and he is shown to be an individual who is haunted by his memories of the trauma of the war although he is fiercely proud of his home and overall achievement in life. The novel portrays the corrupt human existence and the degeneration that is gradually engulfing human beings and is turning them into robots that are channelized to attain monetary security, the more the better. The novel is narrated in first person narration which presents the readers with a myopic view of the whole situation i.e. the narrator Easy is the guide for the readers to understand the whole situation. ... This explanation about Albright might be true yet the readers do not have any evidence about this piece of information to be true or false because it is Easy’s personal point of view rather than an objective fact. However it cannot be denied that this form of narrative style establishes a close relation between the protagonist and the reader as it gives a chance for the audience to closely examine the protagonist’s actions and understand him well, as compared to rest of the characters who are introduced and described by the protagonist rather than an unbiased portrayal of every other character in the novel. The reader’s perception of Easy’s character can also be figuratively interpreted as the situation of majority of his fellow black men in real life i.e. his character is easily relatable to the hardships and problems that were faced by most of the American Blacks during and after World War 2 as it is stated in the novel, â€Å"I always tried to speak pr oper English in my life, the kind of English they taught in school, but I found over the years that I could only truly express myself in the natural, 'uneducated' dialect of my upbringing† (Mosley 10). It is such a common and heartfelt problem that has been faced by most of the Black Americans which not only makes such descriptions autobiographical but also help in forming a close bonding between the reader and the protagonist as Mosley rather than depicting farfetched or intangible ideas focusses on the mundane daily life of a black man and the problems he faced while growing up as well as an adult. At another place in the text it is stated, â€Å"A job in a factory is an awful lot like working on a plantation in the South. The bosses see all the

Modern historial narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Modern historial narrative - Essay Example This is because Giovanna was well known to be a beggar and professional poisoner. Often, circumstances have lead us to take paths that have landed us in trouble, as this was the case for Giovanna, who started and ended her days at the market place either trying to sell some concoction that could do this or that or begging for food and money for herself and her children after she become a widow. Despite her bad luck in life, Giovanna had a keen interest in business. She noted that the only reason people (mostly women) went to her, was for her portions and magic despite her numerous protests of her incompetence in the practice. She learned to embrace her newly found ‘skill’ and even accepted the role in time. News about her spread in Palermo- of course in secret among her clients and potential clients- and soon, she was a typical witch. She had all the classical characteristics of a witch, in that she was old- seventy-five years old to be precise- a widow and a beggar. People even said that she went out at night with â€Å"the women from beyond† (donna di fura) who were supernatural whose unpredictable decisions and fickle desires, people believed were responsible for their good or evil fortunes. Lavack1 says that more and more women visited Giovanna despite her persistence for incompetence. Moreover, the magic they sought was lethal and had to kill its victim through occult powers, thus leaving whoever understood or mediated those powers morally and legally without blame. In short, those who went to Giovanna went with the intent to murder. Even when her mixtures and spells did not attain their desired effect, the intent to kill remained. Challenged by the pressure from her customers, Giovanna dedicated herself to perfecting her skill in spells and magic potions. Giovanna soon made a casual discovery that changed her

Standard American Diet Versus a Nutritarian Diet

Standard American Diet Versus a Nutritarian Diet Essential Nutrients Macronutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, and fat; they supply the calories to our body for energy and growth. Micronutrients include vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals; they do not contain calories but are essential for health and growth. They are found in whole foods, vegetables, beans, berries, and seeds. Standard American Diet In the standard American diet (SAD) about 85 percent of calories come from low-nutrient, high-calorie processed foods, animal products, dairy products and sweets. All these foods contribute to weight gain, atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Only 10 percent of the SAD is from natural plants such as vegetables, beans, seeds and nuts, which contain micronutrients that help protect blood vessels and prevent cancer. Thats why we have an epidemic of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The Nutritarian Diet, Health Equation, and ANDI Scores A nutritarian diet is a diet plan rich in micronutrients based on the health equation: Health (H) = Nutrients (N) / Calories (C) This means the more nutrient dense your diet, the healthier you become. The Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) ranks the nutrient value of many common foods based on the amount of nutrients per calorie. This system ranks foods on a scale from 1 to 1,000, with the most nutrient-dense cruciferous leafy green vegetables (kale, collard greens, mustard greens, and watercress) scoring at 1,000. The table in Dr. Fuhrmans ANDI Scores (https://www.drfuhrman.com/learn/library/articles/95/andi-food-scores-rating-the-nutrient-density-of-foods) is a list of ANDI Scores of many common foods. The Eat to Live Plan is a nutritarian diet plan with the following features: Large portions of green vegetables, raw or cooked Animal products limited to no more than three small servings per week No dairy, white flour, and white rice No processed foods, cold cereals, and sweets No sweeteners, except fruits and limited unsulfured dried fruits Carbohydrates with high ANDI scores, such as beans, peas, squashes, lentils, and intact whole grains Protective foods such as walnuts, mushrooms, onion, berries, and seeds. Food Pyramid Beef, sweets, cheese, milk, processed food, hydrogenated oil Rarely Poultry, eggs, oils Once a week or less Fish/Fat-free dairy Twice a week or less Raw nuts/Seeds 10-20% of calories Fruits 15-25% of calories Beans/Legumes 20-30% of calories Vegetables half raw and half cooked 30-70% of calories Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL) Refined grain products-such as bagels, white bread, pasta, white rice, most breakfast cereals, and other processed grains- have low nutrient value. These foods are rapidly digested and converted to sugar, raising the glucose level in the bloodstream in the same way as if you had consumed a cube of sugar. Studies have shown that long-term intake of refined grain products causes weight gain and increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. The glycemic index (GI) ranks food on a scale from 0 to 100 according to their impact on blood sugar levels after eating. Foods with a high GI are digested and absorbed rapidly, producing steep rises in blood sugar and insulin levels. Low-GI foods are digested and absorbed slowly, producing gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels. The glycemic load (GL) measures the actual calories of glucose produced by a serving of the food. Carrot is a good example of the lack of precision inherent in using only the GI measure. Carrots GI is 35, which is fairly high. But when carrots are eaten raw, their glycemic effect is lessened as the body does not absorb all the calories in raw foods. Carrots GL is only 3. It is not a negative food, even for the diabetics. The Glycemic Index (GI) Food Chart (http://documents.hants.gov.uk/hms/HealthyEatingontheRun-LowGlycemicIndexFoodList.pdf) shows the GI for many common foods. Studies have shown that a diet with a higher GL is associated with a greater risk of colorectal, endometrial, and breast cancers. Refined grain products, soft drinks, and fruit juices can cause weight gain and lead to diabetes. Studies also show the this link becomes stronger as the individuals weight and insulin resistance increases.

The Battle of Bougainville :: essays research papers

The Solomon Islands campaign began with the taking of Guadalcanal in December 1942. In February 1943 the Russell Islands fell, and the New Georgia group followed in August 1943. At the end of 1943, the campaign reached its goal when American troops gained a solid foothold on the island of Bougainville. The Russells, New Georgia and Bougainville were objectives Objective: Isolate Rabaul The objective of the Solomon Islands campaign was to cut off Japan's major forward air and naval base at Rabaul, on the island of New Britain. Rabaul was the hub of Japanese air power in the south Pacific--a stopping point for planes coming from New Guinea in the southwest and Truk, the home of the Japanese Combined Fleet, in the south central Pacific. Bougainville was key to neutralizing Rabaul. Preliminary Attacks The first attack on Bougainville occurred Aug. 15, 1943. Eight Corsairs from Marine Fighter Squadron 214 (later known as the Black Sheep) flew up from the Russell Islands to strafe the Kahili airfield during American amphibious landings on the island of Vella Lavella. The lightning strike--a surprise so complete the Japanese did not have time to shoot back--damaged aircraft and refueling equipment on the ground and forestalled a night attack on the American amphibious force. because of their value as air bases. Battle of Empress Augusta Bay The evening of the landing, Army reconnaissance aircraft reported that a large Japanese surface force was heading for Bougainville. Task Force 39 intercepted it about 2:30 the following morning 45 miles west of Empress Augusta Bay. The American ships, executing maneuvers at breakneck speeds in the darkness to avoid Japanese long-range torpedoes, sank two enemy ships after three hours of heavy fire. With two other ships damaged in collisions while trying to avoid American torpedoes, the scattered Japanese chose to retreat. The American force had only two ships hit, both of which sustained moderate damage. The Japanese Response Battle of Empress Augusta Bay The evening of the landing, Army reconnaissance aircraft reported that a large Japanese surface force was heading for