OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT- mba only

Paper instructions:

Question1

Organisations are open systems and thus cannot operate in isolation. They are impacted continuously by external factors. Operations managers should continuously develop strategies in order to mitigate the impact of these factors. These constitute some of the biggest challenges to operations managers.

Discuss the challenges faced by operations managers and the strategies adopted by them in order to meet these challenges. Your discussion should refer to one particular industry.

Your answer should include the following:

? An introduction

? A short Literature review of around 1000 words on Operations Management and related issues. You are expected to reference whatever material, which is not yours. Use the Harvard referencing system to reference them. Also don’t just have online source. Items from journal articles are expected. They should not date prior to 2008.

 
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? Some of the factors and hence challenges to operations managers are:

Rising price of raw materials

Rising cost of production

Scarcity of required type of labour

Globalisation of competition

Intensification of competition

Competition from low cost producers

Increasing customer expectations: Demand for higher quality product and service

Greater awareness as regards environment protection

Pressure from environment protection groups

1.

Change in technology

Increasing influence of social media

Change in laws

Trade barriers

Ageing population

Innovation and demand for new products

Flexibility of production system

You are expected to discuss some of the factors, which you think , are having an impact on the industry you choose to discuss. Not all the factors above are applicable to the chosen industry.

However you are expected to discuss at least five factors.

For each factor write a small paragraph on it, supported by material you have gathered from literature review and same to be referenced. Discuss the importance of this factor, its impact on firms in the industry, the challenge it provides, the response of operations managers in order to meet this challenge and how successful they have been.

The discussion on each factor should be of a minimum of 250 words.

? Conclusion: Write a small conclusion, indicating whether operations managers of firms in the industry are able to meet the challenges.

? List of references

 
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