Developing And Monitoring Implementation Of Operational Plans

What must you do prior to developing an operational plan? Explain each action:

The operations managers should follow the below-mentioned steps while forming operational plans:

Step 1: The operations managers should consider the target assigned to the departments they are heading. The target can consist of sales target, generation of standing amount outfrom debtors and improving the employee competencies to a higher level[1].

Step 2: They must communicate the target to their subordinates. The operations managers must communicate the targets to their subordinate employees and encourage them to participate in making plans to achieve the targets assigned[2].

Step 3: The operations managers should breakdown the target into smaller parts like the portion of the target which the team under them should achieve with a particular week. This break down would enable the managers to monitor and control the achievement of the targets. This would also enable them take steps to ensure targets if the same are not achieved within the target time.

Step 4: The operation managers should assign the portions of the total target to appropriate team members. The senior members of the team should be assigned more targets while the new members should be assigned less target. The target assigned to individual employee should be realistic and achievable.

Step 5: The operation manager should maintain record of the targets achieved and take steps to improve the performance of the underperforming employees[3].

What would you need to consider when analysing resource requirements for your operational plan? (Consider more than the budget)

Funding:

The operation managers should take into account the amount of financial investment operations may attract and also recognize the sources from where the company can source the estimated funds.

Organizational structure:

The managers should take into account the structure of the organizations and their implications on the decision making. They should consider factors like the size of the organizations, their areas of business and present operational capabilities.

Organizational attributes:

Operational managers should consider the personnel aspects of the organization. The personnel aspects should encompass the key personnel of the organizations under question, the current team of staff which the organizations have, their specialization and allocation of jobs to them. They operational managers while exploring the personnel factors should take into account the relationships between employees and areas of control of each employee[4].

Physical resources:

The operational managers should consider the physical resources which the companies under question hold at a given point of time. The resources include raw materials, finished goods, technology and research and development facilities.

In what areas of planning should you involve others in the planning process? (Consider WHO you would involve and in WHAT parts of your plan)

Operational plans give directions to the different areas which have to be covered in order to achieve the goal and also points out the involvement pattern of different individuals in the project. The operations managers should consider involving different stakeholders at different point of time. For example, the operational managers should involve the customers in the initial product development part or phase. They should consider the feedback from customers to form the product strategy.

The operations manager should involve the project team in forming the project plan like the raw materials which would be required to manufacture the product, the stock of raw materials already in inventory and the raw materials which have to be acquired and formation of project budgets. Thus, at this phase the project managers should involve their teams of subordinates.

The third stage should involve gaining approval form the management and the other related departments like the finance department. This analysis shows that at this stage the stakeholders involved would consist of the apex management and the middle level management.

The fourth stage in managing the operations would be acquisition of the raw materials. Thus, it can be pointed out that the operations at this stage have to contribution from the suppliers. It can also be pointed the operations managers at this also require involving the logistic chains which would supply the raw materials.

The fifth stage would involve production of finished goods which would form the crux of the project. Thus, at this stage the stakeholders to be involved are the production staff members and the in-house teams.

The sixth stage would be involving marketing of the finished products which would invite participation from the marketing team. The marketing team would make arrangement to distribute the finished goods among the channel partners like distributors, wholesalers and retailers. The companies at this stage also involve logistic and marketing companies. The process ends with selling of products to the final consumers.

What should you include in your plan to help measure organisational performance? (Be specific as to HOW you measure performance)

The operations managers should include the following aspects to measure the performance  of the organisations they are employed with:

1. Organisational vision:

The operational managers should take into account the bench marks which the organisation looks forward to achieve in the short and long run. The short run aim can be earning higher profits while the long term goals can consist of achieving higher market position. The companies in the long run also aim to achieve higher degree of customer satisfaction with each passing year.

2. Organisational mission:

The operational managers should take into account the mission which the organisation seek to achieve, like customer satisfaction and profits.

3. Business objective:

The business objective can consist of bringing about changes which would optimise the operations of the organisation. For example, increasing the target profit to be achieved in the coming year[2].

Key Performance Indicators:

The business organisation must set the key performance indicators which the employees have to achieve in the course of actions. The KPIs should mention but not remain limited to profit generation alone. It should also include objectives like minimising of errors, minimising wastage of resources and increasing repeat business besides new business generation.

Present capability of human resources:

The operations managers should recognise the attributes of their present team members like their knowledge, experiences and qualifications.

How can you minimise the impact of unforeseen circumstances? (WHAT strategy would you use, HOW will it minimize impact)

Negative impacts of risks or unforeseen circumstances can be combatted by the use of various workplace health and safety measures. This will include the ensuring the welfare, safety and physical health of the employees. This process will involve the use of:-

The use of installation of adequate personal protective equipment like fire-extinguishers, CCTV cameras or clothing and other accessories relative to the work at the right positions in the right proportion[3].

It also involves precautions against physical or biological hazards. Proper medication facilities should be present for the employees at all time. In case of disease affected persons, adequate amount of quarantine measures should be present to prevent the spread of those diseases across other employees.

The legislative bodies of several Australian states have implemented the use of RSL Care, which is a charitable organization working towards the provision of safety of and at work. It provides sufficient facilities to ensure proper health of the worker, even after their retirement. It also measures and verifies the audit and gives a significant amount of importance to the worker’s opinions about their own health and the associated benefits that are being provided to them.

Also, the ‘Privacy Act 1988’, regulated by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, protects the privacy and personal information of the citizens by implementing customised blocking of the information share[4]. It works in tandem with RSL Care. In order to comply with the privacy legislation, the operation plan must ensure security and update of these personal information, both of the employees as well as the customers.

What must you ensure when developing and presenting proposals for resource requirements? (Please explain in detail)

The budget requirements should be planned by the operations manager after consulting with his/her colleagues and it should comply with the financial scope of the proposed project. It must be ensured beforehand that the specific funding agency can meet the needs of the project.

What method can help ensure team members understand and incorporate the requirements of operational plans? (Consider ALL staff in the organisation, HOW will you record it…)

The operations manager should engage in short meetings, wherein the brief overview of the project-specific goals and relative approachable procedures will be discussed.[6]

 Training programs should be devised accordingly.

 Such meetings and trainings cements the relationship within an organization.

The approach and behavior of the operations teams should act as models that are inspired to be followed by the employees[7].

What factors must you consider when acquiring human resources? Explain each factor:

 Competition – Adept employees are recruited based on this particular factor. However, a significant amount of goodwill saves the money for advertisements as skilled candidates are going to apply on their own accord. The company need to identify the right skill-set and competitive spirit required for the proposed work. A proper human resource department is necessary for this purpose.

Compensation – The HR department must ensure that that compensation provided to the employees are equally balance between the industry standards on one hand and the budget of the company[8]. The pay scale should also be wisely distributed according to the experience and specialization of work. This enhances employee retention and prevents burnouts.

The HR department is responsible for ensuring that every person of the company, including the operation management team, abides by the law.

Explain what strategy you can implement to ensure that physical resources and services are acquired in accordance with organizational policies, procedures and practices?

An approval for the concerned project from higher authorities or the government is the primary concern.

Correct methods of communications must be ensured, wherein the policies and procedures associated with the project are properly conveyed, such that they are being followed by the employees[9].

Questionnaires must be set at the end of the training programs to examine the understanding of the trainees.

The terms and conditions of related to the task should be clarified at the time of orientation or induction. They should be enlisted properly and handed over to all the employees for future reference.

Putting up of motivational posters or charts at the workplace can be encouraging for the employees.

These policies must be updated from time to time, and ensured that they are being internalized by the employees. This helps in maintain a healthy yet competitive environment at the workplace.

Why is it important for managers to review the operational plan, performance systems and processes?

1.      Constant update of these features helps to assess the progress of a company, and frame new policies accordingly. 

2.      Updated feedback at regular intervals help employees to escalate the bar of quality and productivity of their work. If this method fails to create an impact, then linking their salary with their current and expected performance may prove to be helpful. However, this measure should come as the last resort, as it risks the company of losing employees, who constitute the main asset.

3.      Provision of adequate incentives based on productivity can keep such problems at a distance.

4.      Appraisals and rewards, based on performance, at regular intervals may also be useful in this context.

You want to review your establishment’s profit and productivity performance. What information sources could you refer to? What will they tell you?

The primary source of and organization’s profit and productivity can come from the Financial Report or the Annual Report[10]. While on one hand this, takes into consideration the performance of the existing employees, inability of retention may also significantly affect the net profit of a company. This calls for a revision of the internal policies and procedures of the company.

If a closer scrutiny is required, the invoice of the various businesses the company engaged in during the financial year may come as a helpful resource.

At the same time, a review of the productivity and performativity, with respect to time management may also be helpful. This is, in turn, related to the allocation of wages. The pay roll can help the company to come to terms with these issues.

Use an industry example to explain what an unfavorable indicator of performance is:

Kenoss Contractors, a Canberra based construction company, was fined with a mammoth 1.1miilion dollars after the death of a truck driver, Michael Booth.[11] 

He was ele3ctricuted when his truck touched the tip of a low hung high voltage wire.

The fine was imposed due to a breach of the National Safety Laws, legislated by the Australian government.

It was also reported that the company followed poor corporate culture. It was accused of nepotism as the son of the general manager was appointed the safety officer despite being unqualified for the role.

The goodwill of the company was further hampered when the company showed no remorse for the tragic loss of one of their employees.

What can you do to support individuals and teams to effectively, economically and safely use resources?

1.      The resource requirements must be designed at the very beginning, and the budget plan done according to the existing and required resources[12].

2.      In order to frame the resource requirement, one must engage specialist resource managers who are adept at observing, understanding and planning the requirements accordingly.

3.      After the preparation, a report of this plan must be presented to the employees/discussed with them in order to make sustainable use of the existing as well as new resources together as much as possible[13]. The distribution of this report can be done through the electronic medium, or direct conversation in the form of conference.

4.      This can lead to brainstorming and emergence of effective ideas from unknown quarters, which can be important for the company in the long run.

5.      After this process, the operations team must take into consideration the new ideas and finally shape the management and action plans both on short-term as well as long term basis.

6.      The major performance indi9cators must also be taken into consideration, whereby monitored observations are used to enhance the efficiency of the work system demonstrating the accountability of the employees, and identifying areas of improvement.

You have identified a deviation in your operational plan. What actions will you take? Please explain each step in detail.

Discussion

• The opinions and suggestions of the superior bodies or authorities must be taken into consideration. 

• There should be clarity in the understanding of the job role and its importance. 

• Seek the necessary help from the supervisors.

• The purpose of the discussions with the supervisors must be clear. Accordingly, the expectations must be communicated clearly.

 • The views and opinions of the employees must also be given equal importance. Respect and understanding forms the bedrock of success.

• The work design and organizational goal must be clear to everyone working under the organization[14]. It should be adequately internalized at every level of the workflow.

·         The work-life balance of the employees must also be taken into consideration.

·         The internal as well as external factors that has a bearing on the company must be taken into account.

·         ‘Compliance monitoring’, that is adherence to the requirements of the company, and ‘Performance monitoring’, which constitute surveys, interviews and data analysis, must be properly conducted at regular intervals for the successful operation of a company[15].