Operations Management of LensCrafters - Case Study Example

1. Evaluate LensCrafters operation strategy and explain how the company seeks to gain a competitive advantage in terms of sustainability. Like almosteach and every effective firm in the market, LensCrafters operation strategy is directed towards improving upon the tasks and engagements that the firm makes each and every day. The end result of all of this is of course to create higher profitability through maximizing efficiency and productivity. However, like so many other firms, LensCrafters has recently come to understand that a distinct competitive advantage can be had in terms of sustainability. As a result of the fact that the need to recycle and be mindful of the planets resources has come to resonate with nearly each and every consumer within the current market, LensCrafters has engaged with this particular trend and is now offering to recycle old glasses and lenses for individuals that are less fortunate. However, more than merely a charity campaign, LensCrafters bills this particular effort as a dual benefits; both in terms of the benefit that it paid to work and under as well by the Earth’s environment and the fact that material can be reused and recycled (Barrere, 2011). Although it might be tempting to understand that LensCrafters is doing this as a function of protecting the extent environment and seeking to provide for the welfare of less fortunate individuals, the ultimate reason behind this particular strategy is to engage a level of positive reinforcement within the mind of the consumer or potential consumer. Study after study has proven that those firms that represent themselves as sustainable and take efforts to promote sustainability throughout the current environment have a noticeably higher economic benefit as compared to those that completely ignore it. In other words, LensCrafters is utilizing the sustainability approach as a means of furthering its own and; an increase in profitability. 2. Analyze how operations management activities affect the customer experience. Select 2 operation management challenges and provide the solutions for confronting them. Operations management activities affect the end consumer due to the fact that they had ultimately improve upon the level of service or price competitiveness that a product or service is able to represent. For instance, if a firm comes to the realization that operations management can be beneficial as a tool for directing a further level of efficiency within the workforce, this is affected and the savings are ultimately passed on consumer. Conversely, in a situation in which a particularly inefficient resource allocation strategy is engaged, operations management can be utilized as a means of effectively denoting which strategy is ineffective and how it can be improved, phase out, or reengaged in order to provide a more utilitarian approach to the project at hand. There are of course challenges with respect to providing solutions for operations management (Barbaro, 2006). The first of these has to do with the fact that changing operations management threatens to derail the way in which business has been engaged in the past. Although organizations and businesses are warned against the dangers of place and with the status quo, interrupting it can oftentimes create a situation in which stakeholders are unwilling to perform certain changes and business productivity suffers a result. Another challenge that exists has to do with the unknown of whether or not a new approach for new dynamic will be beneficial. For instance, in a situation in which a firm seeks to improve upon the way in which it engages its workforce, a strategy might be employed that ultimately does not correct the situation as they had hoped for; effecting a greater loss of efficiency or productivity as compared to the prior model that was sought to be improved upon. 3. Examine LensCrafters value chain and evaluate effectiveness to operations in terms of quality, value creation, & customer satisfaction. The case of LensCrafters value chain is somewhat dynamic. The underlying reason behind this has to do with the fact that LensCrafters value change is predicated both on service and upon products. In terms of understanding the product aspect of this value chain, the value is ultimately represented to the customer in terms of the quality of the products provided and the means by which professionals are able to personalize these products to the needs of the individual customer. As can relevantly be seen, the customer service aspect of this value change is profound in the fact that even though the products may be of a superior quality, and inefficient or poor level of service renders you change has essentially stopped because of the it is necessary for LensCrafters to improve not only upon the quality of raw materials that utilizes in terms of reading glasses, lenses, and contacts, as well as accessories, it is also necessary for the firm to focus a high level of emphasis upon the degree and extent to which customer service is reflected in the way in which training takes place (Malley, 2009). Without focusing resources and attention on both of these determinants, the overall degree and extent to which when crafters can continue to be effective and operate profitably within the given market is severely in doubt. 4. Determine the different types of performance measurements that can be used to measure their service-delivery system design. Choose 2 types that apply and justify the choice. Although it is true that there are a litany of different types of service delivery systems that can be utilized as a function of understanding whether are not standards of customer satisfaction have been engaged, the following discussion will be concentric upon only to the least. Firstly, it would be possible and cost-effective for LensCrafters to offer a reward program that customers can engage with as a function of receiving a certain discount. As such, the discount would serve as a fundamental reason for the customer to provide feedback concerning their in-store experience and the overall level to which their expectations were satisfied in terms of the interactions they had while at LensCrafters (Daley, 2012). An additional means by which service delivery system design can be improved is by employing dedicated teams to analyze service levels within LensCrafters and ensure that they are abiding by corporate standards. Although it is true that training and education for staff members and provide a considerable incentive to perform according to the way in which corporate structure has defined, it is invariably true that without a thorough analysis on an individual level that it is impossible to discern whether or not these have been followed. 5. Examine the different types of technologies applied to their service operations and evaluate how the technologies strengthen the value chain. Finally, it must be understood that the different types of technologies that are utilized within service operations oftentimes determine whether or not a firm to be successful or whether or not it will begin to lose market share. The reason behind this is concentric upon the fact that customers are interested in the degree and extent to which technology is employed within any specific sphere of service or product delivery; as technology is oftentimes understood as synonymous with improvement, development, and positive change. As such, firms that are unable to exhibit positive changes in terms of technological innovation often recognizes situation in which the competitors that do employees standards of technological development surpass them within a relatively brief period of time. If there and the inclusion of new and changing technology is notably absent from the value chain. For instance, the in-store experience itself is one that has remained largely unchanged at several decades. To LensCrafters credit, they have now employed computer systems that track patient appointments, utilize inventory management, and function in much the same way that many other firms seek to engage the utility of their consumers. However, in terms of reaching above beyond this, LensCrafters still remains rooted firmly. However, it is not all pessimism in terms of the use of technology and its implementation within LensCrafters. For instance, a quick review of the LensCrafters website reveals the fact that the firm has taken great strides in utilizing technology as a means of integrating with potential consumers and encouraging them to understand the importance of the products and services that they are. For instance, rather than merely offering a tool by which the individual schedule an eye exam online or providing contact information for the nearest branch of LensCrafters within and available geographic area, the website also features prominently a scientific discussion of why I examination is so important and a health analysis for some common eye ailments that can affect individuals. Beyond merely seeking to utilize technology as a means of informing and promoting the product, this particular approach is useful due to the sense that the individual consumer is potentially engaged with the understanding that LensCrafters is representing a health service by which they are interested in the eye health of each and every one of their patients. Whereas this may not be entirely true, the implementation of technology as a function of representing an extraordinarily well balanced website, available on android and iOS, is an essential complement whether or not firm continue was integrate with consumers in your future. References Barbaro, M. (2006, April 15). At LensCrafters, Selling Candor and Designer Frames. New York Times. pp. C1-C6. Barrere, M. (2011). AAO, LensCrafters set May test. Ophthalmology Times, 20(16), 1. Daley, R. (2012). LensCrafters Looks to New Opportunities. (2011). Review of Optometry, 148(5), 8. Malley, M. (2009). LensCrafters: A View into the Future. Ophthalmology Times, 20(35), 1. Read More