Operations Management: Coca-Cola Company - Term Paper Example

Coca-Cola Company This is a multinational beverage firm situated at Atlanta Georgia in America specifically dealing with manufacture, retail and marketing of non-alcoholic drinks globally (Sclanert, 2011). The Company commands a great and vast market of beverage drinkers all worldwide with many people preferring its products because they are affordable (Sclanert, 2011). In addition, it offers a vast number of brands for all its consumers that have diverse flavours. Over the years, Coca-Cola has grown and exploited various opportunities globally with statistics indicating that it has its products in about 200 states. Besides the five major diverse brands that the company is widely known for, it has over 500 brands in all the states. Mainly, this corporation utilizes franchised system of distribution in which it uses other firms’ successful business models and reputation to distribute its products globally (Sclanert, 2011). Coca-Cola comprises of big team of professionals, self motivated and goal oriented employees that ensure its success and varied functions. This is by having several departments under one main managerial body. They include administration, contact centre, corporate engineering & trades, finance and commercial, human resource, information technology, manufacturing, sales and marketing as well as supply and logistics (Sclanert, 2011). Through these functions, it is capable of offering diverse opportunities from entry-level positions to experienced people management and specialist roles. Administration Coca-Cola is fast growing firm that constantly evolves to meet the daily demands of its consumers globally. Staying organised is a priority for the corporation for as it goes for best skilled and professional personnel that will comprise its administration (Sclanert, 2011). The administration is the core aspect in keeping the company in check and ensuring they meet its set goals in all the company’s endeavours Contact centre The company has a customer care service that is open and available for all users on a 24-hour basis. The customer centre department emface a national customer centre and equipment service team. This team comprises of approximately 400 people whose mandate is to operate equipments in order to ensure effective customer care services for its large pool of clientele. The team is active evident in the way it handles millions of consumers throughout the entire year to resolve their respective concerns. The team comprises of professional technicians who provide advice on use of equipments and frequently check on them to ensure they work properly. In addition, the entire team is passionate about helping customers because they understand the importance of the information they acquire meant for the future success of the business. Besides, the team has fast hand information in everything concerning the business, hence being in a position to give out accurate and positive information to customers. Corporate service centre This comprises of varied specialist functions and roles, which provide expert management, support, strategy as well as guidance to the entire business. The team usually comes up with strategies and plans to ensure the future of the business remains successful. Main areas of interest include corporate affairs, human resource, investor relations, legal operations audit and security, risk and insurance, security, fraud & risk, strategic procurement, taxation and treasury. Engineering and trades The firm is a home to many professionals, skilled technical engineers & trade professionals. The latter use their skills to conceptualize operations and equipment thus comes up with nice beverage brands, which are available in the market. It also has an integrated system that works very fast and precisely. The latter ensures that the business possess a technological competitive advantage over other beverage firms in the market. In this department, Coca-Cola offers trades jobs for self-motivated individuals looking for a platform of achieving personal as well as professional satisfaction. They frequently undertake routine services and maintenance of the business’s equipments. The latter is vital because it guarantees safety and quality of products in the market for consumers. Under this department, there are several sub sections having respective roles. The sub subsections consist of Maintenance engineers, project engineers, process engineers, quality assurance and control, workshop technicians, refrigeration technicians, maintenance technicians well as electrical technicians. Finance and commercial According to the company audit report, the finance and commercial department consists of two main subdivisions. The two subdivisions consist of commercial management as well as National Finance Operations and systems. The commercial management group comprise of teams located in all states, which the company has its brands and collaborates with major decision makers across all strategic business units. Others units are sales, supply chain and customer service. The main objective of the commercial teams is to provide insights, analysis as well as recommendations to guarantee sustainable financial outcomes in line with the business objectives. They create major influences on the business operations to achieve volume and sales success. The National Finance Operations and systems mainly focus on financial operational support and continual process improvement of the corporation (Bodden, 2008). National finance has various teams that subscribe to its support. The teams include financials and sales accounting, credit, risk services accounts payable, payroll, allocations, settlement and cash management, fixed assets master data and finance business processes. Human Resource The firm’s HR section consist of various experts renowned for their exemplary results and professionalism. The department provides consulting as well as advice on all aspects of our people agenda to drive business results. Every member of the team is passionate about delivering a Human Resource plan that aligns with the business strategic objectives. These objectives embrace, Ensuring Healthy and Safe Workplace Stabilizing Organisational Capability Creating a Great Place to Work Driving HR Efficiency Information Technology The beverage business is a first changing line of trade that includes a vast range of technological diversifications. Various competitors of Coca-Cola in the beverage company come up with new technological dimensions in order to spearhead their sales in the market. However, Coca cola as an entity has a great IT department that looks into all the corporations’ operations. The IT experts in the company utilize varied technologies to come up with synchronised system that makes the business operations work faster to meet the market demands (Bodden, 2008). In addition, The IT comes in handy to develop a good communication framework between the headquarters and all corporate branches globally. This firm’s IT section prides itself in availing innovative solutions across the business with customer intimacy being the focus. The technological environment being one that is constantly evolving, Coca-Cola business is always upfront in utilizing emergent technological ideas. In addition, the department is useful in operating e-commerce business for the corporation having that online trade is taking centre stage in major businesses. IT section aligns its structures to the business therefore ensuring accountability and ownership of delivery to internal customers. The latter takes place, while developing a strong culture of customer centric consultation. Manufacturing As part of the company’s functions, manufacture of non-alcoholic beverage products is its core objective (Bodden, 2008). The function is the most fundamental for the corporation as it defines the number of sales the business will receive in the market. The latter is because manufacturing is at the heart of getting diverse products out to the consumers and ensuring they appreciate them. Coca-Cola boasts of numerous manufacturing sites globally each contributing to the great number of daily manufactured products for the company (Bodden, 2008). In addition, it continues to invest heavily in its production capability looking to expand its volumes to meet the vast demands in the markets. However, even as it expands it focuses on safe, sustainable and sufficient manufacturing process. Sales and Marketing This section plays a significant role in the success of the entire enterprise. Selling the world’s most recognised beverage and food brands requires extensive and varied skills in leadership, passion, commitment as well as being innovative to ensure profitability growth. The latter is because sales team is responsible for getting the products in the market and ensure it is readily available for consumers (Petretti, 2008). The department is responsible to supplement all major and small retail businesses to ensure consumers get what they need and in time. Besides, this company has sales offices in every major states where they sell their products to oversee the supply chain. Supply chain and logistics This is where coordination of every process takes place starting from the acquisition of raw materials to distribution of final products (Petretti, 2008). It entails a lot of planning and expertise to verse all these functions of a major corporate company. The four main perspectives on operations strategy include top-down, market requirement bottom up and operation resource perspective. The above operations strategies are essential in conveying a business to future success. It is essential for Coca-Cola to utilize these operation strategies to have success in its future endeavours. Top down perspective The above strategy is about what the entire group in the business opts to do in all their operations (slack et al, 2009). It is also corporate strategy according to some business and affects the business as a single entity especially based on industrial terms whereby it intends to compete (Lewis, 2008). The top down perspective of Coca-Cola is to merge with other beverage firms that tend to poses stiff competition in order to acquire a major market share. This will ensure Coca-Cola acquires the market share that the other companies have and become the sole producer of non-alcoholic products. Bottom- down perspective According to Slack, this form of perspective entails improvements of operations, which later build the strategy of the business (Slack et al 2009). It is mainly the perspective that shapes a business’s operations from knowledge it gains from day to day activities (Lewis, 2008, p. 9). Coca-Cola can invest majorly on the manufacturing as well as sales and marketing department and apply other mechanisms that will bring future success. For instance, the Company can decide to conduct selling its products using online platform in order to achieve a proper aggressive edge in the market. Besides, Coca-Cola can also ensure that it has the latest module of technology that makes its operations more synchronised. The latter will ensure there is an increase in production as well as sales volume in all its branches worldwide. Market requirement perspective This perspective is about Coca-Cola trying to satisfy and meet its market demands (Slack et al 2009). This is by responding to its customer demands that vary across diverse states through the contact centre. The centre has over 400 operators ready to answer customers and meet their demands every day. The latter is essential for the company as they relay consumer complaints and suggestion to the finance and commercial department where they integrate the ideas into the business. Resource based perspective This perspective entails the way a business develops its operations resources over a long term, that guarantees strong impact on its strategic success (Lewis, 2008). For instance, Coca-Cola always employs quality and professional staff that are goal oriented as it gives the business a great pool of labour. In addition, the company also gives adequate training to them as the major resource is having a knowledge based firm. The latter the major reason behind Coca-Cola successes in the beverage business worldwide. Fanta This comprises one of the brands by Coca-Cola containing 5% orange juice, natural favours and no artificial colours (Lewis, 2008). The process includes five basic steps that are flavour base, mixing, bottling, preserving and distribution. (Lewis, 2008). Flavour base entails addition of sugar and orange juice. Addition of CO2 takes place to give it a bubbly sensation then preserved and branded ready for distribution. References Bodden, V. (2008) The Story of Coca-Cola, New York: The Creative Company. Lewis, M. (2008) Operations Strategy. 2nd ed. Essex: FT Prentice Hall. Petretti, A. (2008) Petrettis Coca-Cola Collectibles Price Guide, New York: Krause Publications Schlanert, S. (2011) Globalization - Blessing or Curse?, London: GRIN Verlag,. Slack, N., Chambers, et al. (2009) Operations management e-book. [online]. UK: Pearson Education. [Retrieved 3rd March 2014]. Available at :< http://lib.myilibrary.com>. Read More