Mba503 Operations Management And Decision Assessment Answers

Moreover, the organization aims to improve quality by offering produce which is fresh.

The company has made it a primary mandate to foster necessary upgrades with respect to the experience that buyers have while shopping (Wu et al. 2015). 

Company size 

The company has grown over the years in size due to its expansion efforts. 

Currently, 807 supermarkets operate in Australia.  

In addition, more than 100000 individuals are employed by the organization. 

The company controls over 80% of the market available in Australia. 

Operations strategy 

The strategy generally applied by Coles aims at reducing the expenses that Australians might be forced to incur while on their shopping expeditions (Trevena et al. 2015). 

The result is that the supermarkets collaborate with Australian based farmers to ensure the sustainability of the operation’s future.

Hence, the space in which Cole’s operates is characterized by increased efficiency levels.

The products or services offered by Cole

Coles offers its clients different products and accompanying services.  

The supermarket offers various food commodities that buyers can purchase. 

They include baked products, fish as well as seafood, frozen foods and items that cater for the dietary concerns which might be prevalent among the company’s customers (Phillipov 2016). 

Household, beauty and stationery products are offered for purchase.

Coles’ operation strategy

The company does not clearly stipulate the strategy it relies on for its operations.

Hence, difficulties present themselves where the strategies opted for are to be evaluated for transparency.

Moreover, Coles has opted for some improvements in the direction that it was to take with respect to its strategy leading to some organizational evolution.

The enterprise can improve the strategies it uses for handling its clients particularly after they have made their purchase. The implication is that Coles can continue to guarantee its clients of the commitment made towards the provision of services which are exemplary. 

Decision-making processes and innovation

The decisions which are made with regards to the company’s strategy or its operations require a resolution. 

Meetings are convened for resolutions to be communicated to shareholders. 

Coles regards innovation as a tool necessary for its operations to stay ahead of competitors such as Woolworths. For example, the company has invested into innovations that would ease checkout procedures for its clients. 

Innovation is used to develop connections between available infrastructure and available offers.  

In addition, innovation increases the sustainability of the company’s operations.  

Cole’s feedback and control 

The company offers its consumers channels through which they can air their grievances.   

However, the channels are not efficient enough. Coles can utilize surveys on the channels where its clients are active (Wu et al. 2015). 

Moreover, different frequencies can be relied on to ensure that clients are able to give their input. 

The result is that any monitoring activities that might be required can be performed and the outcomes evident from respective agents can be subjected to thorough scrutiny. 

Quality management

Coles’ quality tools include the Integrated Lean Six Sigma which ensures that its operations are not only efficient, but also effective (Trevena et al. 2015). 

The company must strive to expand the capacity of its suppliers for them to align their activities with the standards that the company may deliberate to set. 

The improvement of the quality of the items that Coles can offer its clients is reliance on measures which include the removal of sodium from some of the product ranges.  

References

Grimmer, L. (2018) The diminished stakeholder: Examining the relationship between suppliers and supermarkets in the Australian grocery industry. Journal of Consumer Behavior, 17(1), e13-e20.

Johnston, R., Stafford, J., Pierce, H., & Daube, M. (2017) Alcohol promotions in Australian supermarket catalogues. Drug and alcohol review, 36(4), 456-463.

Phillipov, M. (2016) ‘Helping Australia Grow’: supermarkets, television cooking shows, and the strategic manufacture of consumer trust. Agriculture and human values, 33(3), 587-596.

Smith, K., Lawrence, G., MacMahon, A., Muller, J., & Brady, M. (2016) The resilience of long and short food chains: a case study of flooding in Queensland, Australia. Agriculture and human values, 33(1), 45-60.

Trevena, H., Neal, B., Dunford, E., Haskelberg, H., & Wu, J. H. (2015) A comparison of the sodium content of supermarket private-label and branded foods in Australia. Nutrients, 7(8), 7027-7041.

Wu, J. H., Neal, B., Trevena, H., Crino, M., Stuart-Smith, W., Faulkner-Hogg, K., ... & Dunford, E. (2015) Are gluten-free foods healthier than non-gluten-free foods? An evaluation of supermarket products in Australia. British Journal of Nutrition, 114(3), 448-454.