Good Example Of Operations And Project Management Report

Part One:

Business operations depend on a number of diversified activities. Ideally, it is the overall operation of these activities that determine the success or otherwise of the organization. In this paper, focus is placed on critical component operations that in total determine the outcome of businesses. The paper specifically focuses on AT &T as a telecommunications company. Operations management largely involves a number of processes that go into the production of the final product. In the organizational setup today, work is organized into departments with related sets of tasks. The operations department mainly handles the logistics, production and quality assurance. In this paper, focus shall be placed on three areas, namely quality management, service design and the supply change.
Quality management informs a critical part of project management as well as the success of an organization. Quality management involves features and characteristics of products or service that bear on their ability to satisfy specific needs. It entails standards applied in the organizations systems and products. Without a properly established quality management system, the likelihood of an organization providing substandard products and services increases. It is, therefore, critical for any management, either at an organizational level or the project level, to establish a quality management system that upholds the standards established. Quality management is important in any organization as improved quality always results in gains in sales as a result of customer responses. High quality always would a positive impact on the reputation of an organization in turn translating to higher profitability. In addition, it has the impact of lowering production costs and improving the level of productivity.
Quality management equally involves the observation of customers’ intimate needs. In the context of AT & T, it is essential for them to maintain customer information and confidential data. This necessarily involves the investment in technology that protects the confidential information accessed through the various AT & T devices. For instance, for customers that use the company’s mobile devices, it is advisable that AT & T maintain the confidential communication in line with the legal privacy rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Of course, in isolated cases, the non-observation of the rights is justifiable given the limitations imposed by the law. The case of the Patriot Act is a perfect illustration that entertains such exceptions. However, ultimately the quality of services from the company depends on its ability to guarantee confidentiality, among other clientele concerns.
Assurance is another critical element as it enables an organization to convey and assure confidence. Others quality management elements include empathy which is about being approachable and a good listener; the tangible aspect of a product such as cleanliness, durability, among others. Continuous improvement plays an important role in quality management. It entails the continuous improvement of process and promotion of customer satisfaction. Its implementation includes identification of any improvements that needs to be done and making a plan. The plan is then tested before being implemented. After the implementation, the plan is checked to determine if it is working or not and any necessary adjustment made.

Service/Product Design

Service or product design entails the creation of goods and services. The product design process involves the conversion of inputs into output. The inputs, in this case, include materials, information and employees that provide labor. There is a distinct difference between goods and services that constitute or contribute to the final output. Whereas goods can be resold, reselling of services is unusual. Goods can be quantified into inventory, but it is not possible to quantify services. When it comes to goods, some aspects of quality are measurable. The same does not apply to services, where it is difficult to measure. Further, selling and production as pertaining to goods are distinct while selling is part of service.
Telecommunication companies are no exception to the product design requirements. It must not be lost on us that telecommunication companies operate on the free market wrought with high level competition. In order for companies such as AT & T to maintain a market niche over the rest, it is imperative that they invest heavily on proper and attractive designs. In that context, the research department of the company must never be taken for granted. It should embark on continuous research with the overall objective of staying ahead of its competitors. Interestingly, AT & T assumes a diversification approach. In this approach, the company does not merely train its guns on its traditional market. Far from it, it continuously embarks on activities that lead to the development of better products and innovations. This has so far successfully kept it afloat ultimately enable it lead in the market with the provision of competitive services. It is imperative for AT & T to maintain its innovative model if it so desires to retain its lead in the industry. The internal organizational design and flow of AT & T must equally be considered from the perspective of cost saving. The argument often floated in the market is that companies must purpose to offer competitive products at low costs. The consumer is in the business of saving on costs while enjoying the best of the services available. This cost implication often surfaces on the nature of product design in that ultimately the product has to remain within the scope of its intended consumers as far as costs are concerned.
However, be that as it may, it remains important for AT & T to consider the entire product design and manufacturing process. Incidentally, while the final outcome may not be associated with the various stages, it usually is the sum of the whole. This is to say a product would be complete only when all departments address all their areas of concern. In that regard, the product design process ought to be inclusive. The same is to say that the product process from top to bottom must be assessed in line with the anticipated final output. The critical input of all departments remain necessary and critical. In that respect, AT & T operates in teams and ensures that all teams liaise and work towards the achievement of one overall product. In addition, it is necessary for the company to have an integrated process for purposes of assessing the successful implementation of the product development and production process.

Supply Change

The supply chain entails the network followed in distributing an organization's product or services. It can include a chain of distribution stores and centers that make the availability of the product easier for the customer. By developing relationships with supplier's over time, the company has been able to scale up its operations for its existing and new products to its customers. For companies like AT & T that handle a number of activities and engage in different activities throughout the financial year, the supply chain management must be thoroughly thought out. The success of the company depends on heavily on the effective management of the supply. In addition, the company management ought to ensure that all suppliers are coordinated and operate within the timelines set. In addition, the supply chain needs to operate on an overall framework that encompasses trust and dedicated towards the ultimate objective. In that context, it is noteworthy that AT & T has set up systems operative towards the overall attainment of its objective. AT & T focusses its operations towards effective service delivery. It ensures that their consumers can get reliable services as and when necessary.

Part Two

Marketing and Product Design
In this section, the paper relates operation management to marketing. It is critical to appreciate the relationship between the two. Marketing forms an important part of organizational success. It refers to the process through which goods and services find their way to the customer from the concept level. The main elements in the marketing concept include product, pricing, place and promotional strategies. The product forms the basic and the most important since, without it, no marketing process can be initiated.
There exists a relationship between product development and the marketing process. In order to ensure the success of the product in the market, creating a synergy between the marketing team and the product design team is crucial. This is because the marketing team is the link between the organization and its customers and can, therefore, provide critical information to improve the marketability of an organization's products. Due to the changing market dynamics including the customer preferences, the marketing team is relevant for the collection of information and data that can help an organization keep up with the changes. This includes providing timely information on customer preferences and any complaints advanced by the customers that can negatively affect the company’s sales if not promptly addressed. The information is also necessary for ensuring the continuous improvement in the product design, keeping an organization ahead of probable competitors.
Pricing is another key element in marketing. Companies set their prices according to the preference and capabilities of their customers. The marketing function is important in establishing the organization's customers and their capabilities in buying the product. The pricing of products is also dependent on their design. Therefore, it is crucial for the product design team to have prior knowledge and information on the pricing level of the product being designed. Sharing of information is, therefore, critical to marketing and product design in creating synergy that benefits the company. The pricing model adopted by AT & T is particularly interesting given the environment in which it operates. The telecommunications industry though within the purview of the free market, remains within the control and dominance of a few market leaders. As such, AT & T can utilize its market domination to create its own unique pricing. In many cases, AT & T survives because of the market stability and customer loyalty. In most cases, customers having gotten used to some services find it difficult to shift and, therefore, shoulder the relatively high prices. As such, AT &T and other companies within its rank are able to practice a concept referred to as price discrimination. Under the same, the company charges different prices across the market depending on the target market even for cases where the product offered is the same. This practice has been adopted in such companies out of the realization that customer loyalty and not pricing often influence the decision of the customer to subscribe for the company’s services.
Having said so, it is imperative to appreciate the need for a smooth organizational flow and relation between the marketing department and the operations management. The overall product promotion and company success depends not only on the operations management, but equally relates to the ability to market well. The company, as such needs to package its final product in a manner that is attractive to its end users. In the same breathe the operations management department necessarily need to incorporate the feedback collected by the marketers. This is because in many cases it is the marketing department that interacts with end users. As such, the operations management department gains a lot of insight from the marketing department. In the modern set of operations, work is dispensed in teams and it is upon the teams to coordinate their activities in a uniform manner. This requires that ultimately the two departments are integrated well.
In conclusion, it is accurate to conclude that AT &T maintains a good standing in the market typically because of its unique practices. In addition, it should not be lost on us that AT &T operates on a market that remains highly competitive. As such, it must stay on top of its game if it is to succeed in its endeavors in the industry.

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