Quality and system management Essay Example
Quality and system management Essay Example

Quality and system management Essay Example

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  • Pages: 8 (1978 words)
  • Published: August 21, 2017
  • Type: Case Study
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Executive Summary

The purpose of this report is to discuss various approaches to measuring and improving the overall operations procedure of Walls Ice Cream (Cornetto). The company is currently experiencing challenges in their operational procedures despite their success over the past decade. Walls Ice Cream expanded their operations to attract more customers and enhance their business by introducing new products and making changes to their menu. However, they are struggling with their operations due to a lack of proper operational management system. This has resulted in significant issues such as customer complaints regarding food and service quality, decreasing revenue, and high employee turnover. These challenges have multiple underlying reasons. To improve the current situation and further enhance their operations, specific strategies categorized as trials are recommended for implementation in the operation

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al procedure. To address these issues, the following assignment layout has been organized. The text covers three main areas related to ice cream production: critical rating of working procedures, challenges faced by the ice cream industry during operations, and upgrading and further development of active procedures. This project primarily focuses on the ice cream brand Cornetto.
The text discusses the development and success of Cornetto ice cream cones by Spica, an Italian ice cream maker. In 1959, Spica solved the issue of the cone becoming soggy by coating the inside with oil, sugar, and cocoa. Walls Ice Cream impressed Unilever employees during a visit in 1962 and later acquired Spica. Despite initial poor sales, Walls Ice Cream launched a mass-marketing campaign after buying out Spica in 1976, resulting in increased sales. The purpose of Walls Ice Cream is to provide efficient operations by delivering goods and service

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at the right time and place. Operations management plays a role in helping organizations utilize their resources effectively to produce satisfying goods and services for customers. The text also mentions that operations offer four benefits to organizations. This study will evaluate the specific initiatives launched by Walls Ice Cream to expand their operations.

Part 1

CRITICAL EVALUATION OF ICE CREAM

This study aims to assess the efforts made by Walls Ice Cream to expand its operations.Both the positive and negative outcomes of the entire operational process will be discussed and assessed under the principles of operations management. The scope of operations management includes making decisions about the planning, designing, and controlling of various important factors that impact operations. These decisions involve determining how to provide a facility, which products to produce, what techniques and equipment to use to enhance product quality or provide better service, how employees should be trained, and what methods should be used for quality assurance.

Walls Ice Cream has introduced new ideas in their operational strategies to offer a diverse range of flavors on their menu in order to attract more customers. However, Walls Ice Cream failed to include important elements in their operational planning, hindering the implementation of their new ideas. As a result, they were unable to effectively handle the strategic change and their entire operational development failed. Despite this setback, the packaging of Walls Ice Cream is carefully designed to ensure the safety and practicality of the product. Packaging plays a significant role in marketing and helps identify the product among competitors. Additionally, packaging is a strong competitive force in the market.Walls Ice Cream takes great care in

ensuring the safe transportation, security, and appeal of their product. Their operational planning should be improved to enhance efficiency and reduce customer wait time. Effective operational system management is crucial for meeting company goals and customer satisfaction. Inadequate service can lead to longer wait times and incorrect orders, resulting in dissatisfied customers and potential loss of business. Walls Ice Cream must manage their new operations based on customer expectations. Despite increased production, Walls Ice Cream failed to adjust their input accordingly and struggled with managing capacity changes. The strategic direction of Walls Ice Cream is focused on maximizing profits while providing high-quality Frost Cream to customers.The strategic action and decisions establish the objectives and activities of the entire process.

Evaluation OF 4 Vs

The evaluation of the 4 Vs (volume, variety, variation, and visibility) is utilized to assess the level of visibility in Walls Ice Cream's operations. The ability to attract customers and expose operations to them holds significance for customer satisfaction and business performance. However, there have been complaints about queuing on the boulder cliffs.

Part B

REASONS BEHIND PROBLEMS AND SUGGESTIONS

The primary reason for Walls Ice Cream's failure and problems is a lack of an adequate operation management system. Despite opening new stores and introducing new product ideas, they encountered significant challenges due to insufficient operation running tools and expertise. There are multiple reasons behind these issues, and various suggestions can be discussed.

Prediction Tools used for Problem Solving

Entire Quality Management (TQM) Tools

Cause and Effect, Ishikawa or Fishbone Diagrams (designed by Kauro Ishikawa), are employed to illustrate numerous factors that may contribute to problems and their

resulting effects in Tantaliser plc. These diagrams can become confusing when too many ideas and products are identified. An alternative approach is using a tree diagram which is easier to follow.< h 2 >LACK OF PRODUCT AND SERVICE QUALITY< / h2 > Walls Ice Cream was not adequately serving its customers.
With the introduction of new operations, Walls Ice Cream saw an increase in their serving time from 7 minutes to 10 minutes per customer. Along with this, they were also facing issues with incomplete and incorrect orders, resulting in a decline in customer satisfaction. To tackle these problems, I suggest that Walls Ice Cream should diversify their product menu and introduce new creative ideas. They should also work on improving the quality of their products and services. Additionally, it is crucial for them to treat their regular customers with politeness and implement proper service practices to ensure timely delivery of correct and complete orders.

One significant issue faced by Walls Ice Cream is the deficiency of human resources which directly impacts service quality. Meeting desired standards is essential for customer satisfaction, making it necessary to address this problem. Increasing the number of staff and providing them with proper training to handle changing situations can help resolve this issue. Considering implementing a part-time staff schedule during busy periods can also be beneficial.

To address the mentioned problem effectively, I recommend focusing on four key areas of operations management: planning & control, improvement, operations strategy, and process design. These interventions will contribute towards improving and expanding Walls Ice Cream's operations.In addition, there are alternative methods that can be explored to address this issue and improve overall performance and expansion.

Walls Ice Cream's operational strategy can be enhanced through the implementation of strategic processes. By introducing new ideas and adjusting their menu to attract more customers and improve their business, Walls Ice Cream can effectively recover and expand their operations. They should follow principles of operations management, engage in calculated planning, and incorporate both top-down and bottom-up activities in their operational strategy. It is also important for them to develop effective strategies for product and trade development, as well as establish plans for managing accounts and waste throughout their entire process.
Furthermore, management plays a crucial role in maintaining quality control at Walls Ice Cream. It provides guidance and structure for operations while organizing activities aimed at managing and maintaining control over the organization's quality standards. Quality assuranceand quality control are essential components of a successful quality management system at Walls Ice Cream.Quality assurance involves implementing planned and systematic activities in the quality system to meet the requirements for producing high-quality products or services. Quality control ensures that the desired level of quality is maintained in all working techniques and activities, including monitoring and supervising lab activities related to meteoric observations and influencing variables.

In terms of product and service quality, Walls does not rely on personal selling but instead heavily relies on its sales endorsement strategy. The success of Cornetto and other products depends greatly on their display at Point-Of-Purchase (P-O-P) stores. The goal of Walls is to persuade buyers to make a purchase, with their main task being to attract customers towards their P-O-P displays. Walls strategically places freezers with distinctive monograms where they can catch customers' attention. These freezers are provided at no cost

to sales outlets. The placement of Walls suggests that it should be situated where it can easily catch consumers' attention as the best-selling brand. In addition, Walls attracts customers through advertisements for its products such as Magnum and Cornetto.

PROCESS DESIGN

The process design involves arranging resources to meet functional demands and create products or services. All managers are also responsible for designing processes. To improve the process design of Impressive Burgers, it is important to incorporate values that satisfy customer needs. Valuable improvements should be introduced while avoiding costly ones.

JOB DESIGN

Job design aims to create a positive psychological state for employees and achieve motivation and job performance outcomes. Walls Ice Cream needs to enhance their operations and design as customers complain about long waiting lines. The company should consider hiring new staff members and implementing job rotation, job enlargement, and job enrichment to motivate employees and increase satisfaction. Additionally, proper inventory planning and control should be implemented by maintaining an appropriate level of inventory that meets daily operational needs and commercial demand estimates.

Commercial programs serve two main purposes: acquiring external support and providing internal solutions for early corporate expansion to guide the organization towards its goals.The technology improvement at Walls Ice Cream includes upgrading factory machinery to produce high-quality ice cream more efficiently, reducing serving time. Implementing lean operations and a just-in-time approach will allow Walls Ice Cream to produce more units at a lower cost, maximizing income. As consumer interest grows, competitors enter the market and additional product features and support may be needed. Prices are stable or decreasing as market share becomes the focus, while expenses decline and profits improve. Distribution is also expanding.

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT

The concept of Total Quality Management (TQM) emphasizes excellence and improvement as guiding principles for all organization operations (Slack et al 2007). TQM aims to meet customer needs and expectations by ensuring that everyone in the organization understands the importance of customer satisfaction. This includes providing customers with desired products and services at a lower cost. TQM focuses on:

Meeting client demands and expectations

This involves offering customers the products they want to purchase.

Involving all parts of the organization

For TQM to be effective, it is crucial for Walls Ice Cream to involve all employees in every company activity.

Involving every individual in the organization

Every employee has a responsibility to deliver high-quality work, as they have the ability to ensure and enhance quality. In TQM, employee compensation should not only recognize their contributions and commitment but also aim to prevent mistakes.

Examining all costs associated with quality, specifically failure costs

To maintain quality, it is crucial to thoroughly analyze all expenses related to it, including any costs incurred due to failures or deficiencies. These costs are typically categorized as disincentive costs, responsibility costs, internal failure costs, and external failure costs.

Decision

The focus is on engaging customers at the point of sale. Our top-performing brands should be positioned attractively when someone opens the deep-freeze. Furthermore, our deep-freeze should be prominently placed in stores as a priority when customers enter. We utilize television ads to introduce exciting new products and provide reminders to keep customers engaged. Additionally, fortnightlies and location panels are used in stores for promotional purposes.

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