Jaoa Carlos Operational Planning As2

Operational Planning Assessment 2. Question 1: You have been approached by the procurement manager who proposed that you may save operating costs by using one product key of MS Window and Microsoft Office package to multiple computers in the office. Do you accept the procurement manager’s idea? I support the procurement manager’s idea as one product key office package will make it easier for information to be distributed to all the departments in the office. It will also ensure that information shared is the same to all departments as it is coming directly from the one central focal area. Furthermore it is cost effective thus money saved can be utilized in other areas within the office to generate revenue. Question 2: Required : a. Assess whether the store can achieve the targeted monthly sales ($1,000,000). If the store ensures that staff no shows are low or even done away with and that customer satisfaction level is high let’s say more than 9, then it can achieve its target sales. For example in the trend analysis, when the staff no shows were low at 3 and the level of customer satisfaction was high at 8.9, the sales were the highest at $940,000. b. Assess whether there is a relationship between customer satisfaction and the number of staff no shows. Based on the trend analysis, when the level of customer satisfaction was low at 7.4, the number of staff no shows was high at 12, and when the level of customer

satisfaction was high at 8.9, the number of staff no shows was low at 3, suggesting that there is direct relationship between the number of staff no shows and customer satisfaction. c. Assess whether the company’s net profit ratio can achieve the targeted net profit in the scenario. Looking at the trend analysis, if the store can focus on minimizing the number of staff no shows and ensure that the level of customer satisfaction is high, then it is possible to achieve the targeted net profit of 15%. For example when the number of staff no shows was low at 3 and the level of customer satisfaction was high at 8.9, the net profit was 13%. Question 3: You are using the Gantt chart to organize all tasks in operational plans. Explain the benefits and drawbacks of the Gantt chart. (KE 6) Gantt charts are bar chart used for tracking the progress of a project. The merits of a Gantt chart are:  Managers can use them to allocate resources including time schedules for various tasks in a project, hence effective time management.  They allow the project manager to track progress and workflow easily, thus any constraints can be addressed quickly.  It simplifies complex information to be manageable and seen clearly hence easy of understanding of what tasks to be done at what time.  It enables the team leaders to set realistic goals and set time schedules with clear expectations.  It improves communication among team members as everyone is able to see clearly what tasks to perform. However, grant charts have the following drawbacks:  They require regular updating which is time consuming.  Not easy to represent all tasks in one sheet

Required: Complete the following table. No Issues Benefits Drawbacks 1 Customers must use their smartphones to enter the store and to purchase goods. Customers will feel valued and this will create brand loyalty thus attracting and retaining more customers. Other customers may have a challenge following the steps in there smartphones and also there those elderly customers who may not be conversant in using a smartphone thus they will feel disadvantaged. 2 Customers safety may not be guaranteed Customers will plan themselves and come early to the store which will reduce long queues experienced near the closing time. Customers may opt to go and shop somewhere else which the store will lose clients. 3 The investment funds for the system can be recovered in a 6- months period Investments funds recovered and be invested somewhere else such as in social media marketing to bring in more sales. In case of a breakdown in the system, it will be difficult to recover the investment funds. 4 Customers may feel freedom as no staff Customers will be at Customers may

watching over them easy to make their purchases which will even make them remember other items that they could have forgotten when a staff is watching over them, thus more sales for the store. take a lot of time in a section where other customers too want to visit and make a purchase in the store hence leading to frustration with no order and this will make clients to avoid the store. 5 No concerns for staff no shows, sick calls The management will now focus on ensuring that the system functions efficiently thus increasing the level of customer satisfaction. One on one interaction with customers will be lost thus they will not feel the sense of being valued. 6 Do not have to manage staff roster Time that was used to manage staff roster can now be utilized to accomplish other tasks in the store There will be no one on one interactions with the customers thus customer complaints are not handled immediately 7 Security of the system must be upgraded on a regular basis Upgrading the system is vital as it ensure that it functions smoothly and any issue can be rectified Upgrading the system takes some time which at that moment sales are closed and thus customers cannot

Required: With the above steps, you are required to complete developing the customer feedback evaluation processes. Complete the following table. Step 1 Receive feedback from the customers and finalize the feedback by the end of each month. Step 2 Record all feedback onto each staff file. Step 3 Evaluate customer satisfaction against each staff Step 4 Reflect the evaluation against their performance reviews. Award/ Reward Support Inform the staff who received excellent feedback Step 5 Confidential meeting with the staff who need improvement. Celebrate the award in the staff newsletter. Step 6 Identify shortfall skills to be improved Award/Reward the excellent service provider. Step 7 Organize relevant training for the staff. N/A Step 8 Evaluation of the training and the staff. Question 8:

Required: Explain the benefits of social media marketing. Social media marketing is the advertising of products and services of a business in the social media platforms such as Facebook. Twitter and Instagram. The benefits include:  There is one on one interaction in social media marketing which increases the level of customer satisfaction as any complain is handled immediately.  Social media marketing will put the store in a better position to know the industrial trends in the market as they get real time information in the social media platforms.  Social media marketing is relatively cheap and reaches a large market population compared to traditional marketing which is way expensive.  Social media marketing increases brand awareness and thus the store is able to attract and retain more customers  Social media marketing can reach the millennial generation who are techno- savvy as they spend most of their time with their laptops or smartphones and thus will be loyal to the brand of the store. Question 9:

The unmanned operating system will also be implemented since it is cost effective; it will reduce the long customer waiting queues, increase customer satisfaction and thus generate more profits. Therefore we seek for your approval sir. Regards Project manager- 7 twenty four Australia