Select an organisation (either your current employer or one that you are able to access primary or...

Question

Select an organisation (either your current employer or one that you are able to access primary or secondary information from).

Identify and describe any three (3) operational issues/challenges facing the organisation and how these issues impact on the organisation and the supply chain. You are also required to critically review the identified issues and suggest recommendations to overcome these issues.

Your report should demonstrate that you reviewed, analysed, consolidated and synthesised operations management and supply chain knowledge to solve complex real-world problems (CO1). Your report should demonstrate that you have researched and developed or identified techniques to address and solve problems to achieve operational excellence (CO3) in the identified organisations, and assessed and critiqued the ongoing trends and developments in operations management both locally and internationally (CO4).

Most importantly the report should also include: short description of the identified issues, empirical findings from literature and trends faced in operations management related to these issues, latest developments in your chosen areas with application to real situations, and their importance to operations management.

Some specific areas of operational issues/challenges on 10 Operational Management (OM) critical decisions (although this list is not exhaustive) include:

Goods and services design: Designing goods and services defines much of the transformation process. Costs, quality and human resource decisions are often determined by design decisions.

Quality: The customer’s quality expectations must be determined; and policies and procedures established to identify and achieve that quality.

Process and capacity planning: Process options are available for products and services. Process decisions commit management to specific technology, quality, human resource use and maintenance. These expenses and capital commitments will determine much of the firm’s basic cost structure.

Location selection: Facility location decisions for both manufacturing and service organisations may determine the firm’s ultimate success. Errors made at this juncture may overwhelm other efficiencies.

Layout design:Material flows, capacity needs, personnel levels, technology decisions and inventory requirements influence layout.

Human resources and job design: People are an integral and expensive part of the total system design. The quality of work life provided, the talent and skills required and their costs must be determined.

Inventory and resource management: These decisions can be optimised only when customer satisfaction, suppliers, production schedules and human resource planning are considered.

Scheduling and maintenance: Feasible and efficient schedules for production must be developed; the demands on human resources and facilities must be determined and controlled.

Innovation, technology and knowledge management: Technology, information and communication systems.

Note: This discussion should exclude 'Environmental awareness and sustainability' , Project management and 'Risk management' as any of of the 3 operational issues considered by you. However, these issues can be a minor part of other key OM decision discussions within your selection.
You are required to cite at least ten (10) references in the report using the Harvard-UniSA referencing system, including at least six (6) academic journal articles. An omission to include six academic journal articles or incorrect use of the Harvard-UniSA referencing system will result in a failure for the Referencing component (worth 10 marks).

Format:The argument will be presented in a report format. Suggested headings to be used include executive summary, contents page, introduction, operational issues/challenges, key findings and recommendations. The objective of this assignment is to enable you to situate yourself in and critically analyse the facts of the organisation, the situation and to present your analysis and recommendations in a report which is convincing, well supported and within word constraints.
Requirements for this critical analysis report:

Use Arial Font size 12.

1.5 line spacing.

Reference list on a separate page after conclusion.

Journal articles preferably within last 10 years.

Use Harvard-UniSA Style of referencing only (Do NOT use footnotes).

Print word count at the end of your assignment (conclusion section).

Print your name on the first page only.

Number each page consecutively.

Note: The body of the assignment should contain around 2100 words (+ or – 10%). The Executive summary and Reference section do not contribute to the overall word count.

Marking criteria and standards. Marks will be awarded for:

Relevance of your answer to the assigned task

Research up-to-date with the topic

Comparison with real life examples

Clarity of expressions

Clear and succinct description of executive summary

Supporting evidence/ references for the arguments

Correct referencing and use of at least ten sources of references including six academic journal articles (Harvard-UniSA Referencing system)

An in-depth critical review of operational issues and a comprehensive coverage reflecting engagement with readings, texts and other relevant materials.

Logical planning and sequence

Use of inclusive language

Overall presentation, including correct grammar, spelling and punctuation
The main sections of the report are:

Executive summary (on page 1) (7 marks)

Content page (on page 2) (3 marks)

Introduction (10 marks)

Content – Critical review of 3 Operational issues/challenges and their impact on the organisation and the supply chain (20 marks each * 3= 60 marks)

Conclusions and Recommendations (10 marks)

Referencing - (10 marks) Having the latest references on the chosen topics and exceeding the minimum requirements will give you high marks

Preparing Assignments:Guidelines on preparing assignments, including essay and report writing can be found at the following Study Help website: https://lo.unisa.edu.au/course/view.php?id=4074

Abhinaba · Accepted Answer

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT RISKS OF WOOLWORTHS
Table of Contents
Introduction	3
Issues	3
Default Product Lines	3
Problems Pertaining to Location	4
Problem Pertaining to Inventories	4
Conclusion	6
Recommendations	7
References	9
Introduction
Over the years, the importance of supply chain management has emerged due to the crowded market place. It is important for producing, better, and sustainable competitive advantage which should be ousted by a linkage of activities to their value chain. For this, I have chosen Woolworths as it has been observed as one of the biggest chain of supermarket that had been operating in Australia for a decade or so. Accordingly, the functionality of their operations have been related to the activities that are prioritized and happen to offer groceries, home supplies, as well as seasonal good. It also offers electronics that are considerably of minor parts. However, they have faced major challenges pertaining to their operational functions, which are to be discussed here extensively. Along with these appropriate recommendations will be provided for discarding the loopholes and building a better SCM. 
Issues
Default Product Lines
The’ risk that has been considered as a major one pertaining to Woolworths’ supply chain has been subjected to several errors that have been found in the forecasting concerning the demand that involves the product. However, the distortions that involves the information sharing is nothing short of a failure that is furthermore related to the Information Technology systems. It furthermore affects the functional attributes and in turn stands as a dire impediment. Therefore, there happens to exist majorly but a critical issue that effectively strives in pushing the structural facets concerning the supply chains in relation to that of the customers. Along with this, it should be furthermore added that the fact that these certain are not required for being forecasted in the context of the sales. Since sales will not be deemed fit to exist as the only variable which will determines the effectiveness of the supply chain management. As observed by Jie (2019) it is important to take into consideration that the operation needs to be undertaken instead concerning that of the operational functions rather than the functions of overlooking at the diminutive facets. 
This will put forth in relation to the focus that exists as one of the most important and that is cost efficiency. Other than this, one another thing is to be taken into account and that is the reduction relating to the improvement of the margin. This sheds light on the fact that there happens to be certain stores, which will appear in the context of current operations. To make it clear that there are loopholes as the engagement relating to the matters are undertaken in lieu of the scrutinizing the process of supply chain. 
Problems Pertaining to Location
Another critical challenge relating to the supply chain management is the stores. Since they appear to exist as entities which are not aware of their accountability pertaining to the forecasting of inventory they receive. For it is important to keep in mind that the product has to be effectively pushed forth for the stores. So that they are able to base their functional attributes as well as operational functions in relation to the forecasting as well as allocation. In addition to this the stores have been overwhelmed in relation to the inflow of the products. It has been effective in filling off their receiving areas that have eventually led to the reduction of the aspects pertaining to that of what is well below cost. 
Problem Pertaining to Inventories
It is also important to conceive that the holdings concerning the large amounts relating to the inventory happens to exist as something of common nature and of many stores. Accordingly, the line manager is questioned and held accountable for various aspects. One of the most important of them all is the reduction in the wages. Since it has existed as something of cost cutting measure for the improvement of the prices concerning the customers and how it has been a contributing factor for affecting the cost involving that of the carrying out of business.

Select an organisation (either your current employer or one that you are able to access primary or secondary information from). Identify and describe any three (3) operational issues/challenges facing...

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