Operations Management in Grove Juice Industry - Example

Operations Management in Grove Juice Industry Student's Name Student's Id Course Professor's Name Date Abstract The operations management is a core function to enhance and attain effective decision making in a company. The research aims at applying the new Operations Management (OM) in all sectors of the company by conversion of inputs like raw materials, labor, facilities, information, and other resources into an output. The application of the strategy will improve quality, speed, and efficiency of production and lead to customer satisfaction. The methods used to investigate the OM in the Grove juice company included interviews, observation, and survey which gave both qualitative and quantitative data which aided the project in the realization of the progress. The results of the research confirmed the application OM in the organization departments to produce goods for the achievement of the company objectives. The analysis showed that without the active cooperation of all sections in the establishment losses would result. Therefore, there was the need for the OM together with other departments to integrate as one part in order maximizes profit, expand, and meet customer requirement in the market place. Introduction Grove juice manufacturer is a private company that processes fresh fruits to produce juice. The head office located in Brisbane where production of naturally suitable and nutritious liquid saps takes place from 1969. More oranges and apples squeezing are currently taking place daily at their modern structures in Warwick. Esten's family has been cultivating their farm for years to ensure a continuous supply of juice annually. They have 20,000 citrus trees planted in Moree that invites customer closer (Smiley & Keith, p.59). The family facilitates a group of organization and is enthusiastic about supporting the community. They have a network of relationship with Australian farmers that supply the raw materials to the industry in contract terms. The family contributes in children charity in many ways; employ hundreds of staffs in the industry and grower associations. The industry markets the product under the juice brand. Their products are of high quality and therefore leading to cafes, supermarkets, takeaway shops, and hotels. Also, they market their product internationally. The industry juice gets accreditation from Safe Quality Food (SQF) standard that keeps their products on the top. To proceed with business growth contracted another site in Warwick, SW Queensland in 2011. There was a need to process the fruits from two locations including New South Wales which based near the apples of Stanthorpe. The site makes different categories of fruits throughout the year and got from Riverina, Widebay and Granite bell. The Grove mission is to deliver juice, cold-pressed juice, and preps near so that they can bring close a healthy culture next to the customers and selling organic fruit juice that enriches lives of people to improve and increase choices that lead to a beneficial lifestyle. Topic Statement Today, organizations are in a big contest to enhance their ability to persist the highly competitive aspect of the new international market. Therefore, the firms are coming up with an attempt to advance the production by an improvement of the process of decision making to be more efficient and operative to run into market fluctuations successfully. Many small or large corporations show concern with the liberal investments cycle by adopting Operations Management (OM). OM is the creation of goods and services through the process of controlling and designing production, concerned with increasing conversion efficiency of raw materials. The management involves managing raw materials, individuals, tools, information, technology and other tools required for the making of commodities hence it is the primary function in any industry. When managing processing or service operations, the two types of OM, various kinds of decision making take place. They include operations plan, valuable management, product and process policy, capacity, resource, and production planning as well as inventory mechanism which needs the intelligence of analyzing the current scenario to find a better solution that enhances the efficiency and the effectiveness of operations. Based on Ahumada, Omar, and Rene, p.12) the transformation procedure occurs as the raw material or clients change in the in nature, location and ownership, accommodation, use or form of statistics, physical and the mind of the customer. Corporations focus on cost reduction and maximization of products by increasing quality and eliminating identifiable problems. The project seeks to show the importance of applying manufacturing operations management to an organization with the aim of increasing quality of products and meeting customers' demands. Methodology The research was about the Grove juice limited where data collection took place by use of different instruments. There was an application of qualitative research that concern non-statistical method and samples. The study conduction was in the natural setting of the industry where activities were noted as well as processes by induction of logistic. It showed how the staff tried to use operations management to reach the goal of the industry. The research dwelt with Grove population where a sample of the members was used to relay information about the happening of the organization. The types used for collecting data included: Interview The study showed the relationship of workers as they provided information. The quality and quantity of data exchange depended on the roles of each stakeholder and their understanding of OM. Two members got interviewed from each department. The interviewed stakeholders gave their views as recording took place by use of tapes and note taking. The method was flexible, cheap and adaptable (Borah & Bipul, n.d). Observation The purpose of this method was to give data, understanding of the surrounding of the respondent and to show the climate in which the interview underwent. View of relevant feedback came from the office setting, the location, and the status of the industry. Survey The study is a quantitative method used to collect data from the member of staffs in the Grove departments that are more insightful to relay the significance and understanding of the happenings. The method helped to obtain resources on the current competency of the Grove managers. In this case, the survey research involved the use of questionnaire where the recorded questions got issued to certain people who then filled their answers. The study completion duration took ten minutes which gave enough time for response. Results Based on the above methodologies the data collected involves the following results. The chief executive officer provided information about the management of the whole industry in term of planning, controlling, coordinating, and leading in the production of juice as a product. From the finance department, the financial manager provided the knowledge about their role that they are undertaking in Grove Company which includes determining the current assets, controlling cash flow and capital savings. A marketer from the marketing department gave information about the sales they make, the way they meet the customers' demand and their understanding of the clients' choice and preference. The manager from management information system involved the responsibility of directing information flows. While the manufacturer explained how they receive the raw materials from farmers, processing procedure to final products. Also, human resource department outlined how the labor got divided into different sections in the company depending on their skills and ability to meet the organization goal. The Grove Company manufactures the fruits as raw materials to juice product that sold to the customers through different chain system. Processing chart Raw materials Oranges and apples are first hand-picked and handled appropriately from the grower who gathers them after optimum maturity. A close relationship is ensured between the company and the farmers to get the best quality fruit. The fruits are then put in ventilated crates ready for transportation to the factory and inspected for any contamination or damage then they are chilled to ensure flavor and vitamin C after squeezing (Steyn, et al., p.8). Sorting The fruits are hand sorted to remove the poor quality ones. The cracked, damaged, and unripe ones excluded from the list of quality fruits. Sorting is done to eliminate undesirable taste and flavor and to increase the life-shelf of juice. Washing and squeezing The fruits are washed with plenty of water to remove dirt, contamination, and foreign materials from the raw materials. They are then rinsed thoroughly before cold squeezing by use of a premium extractor that operates in an inside out manner to squeeze the liquid. Samples are tested and examined in the lab to ensure meeting the required specifications. Bottling and packing The sterilized juice is chill filled in bottles and put in cartons which then put in cold rooms in preparation for distribution. Distribution network The fluid undergoes transportation through the cold chain supply network designed to deliver the local, national, and international customers through a proper, flexible, and reliable delivery system. The product delivery takes place in a supermarket where the customers can acquire them. Similarly, the company can distribute to wholesalers where the retailers get the products from and then further distribute to shops, supermarkets, and hotels where the clients purchase. Customers Clients are the very critical component of the supply chain process since they use the final products a company manufactures. The satisfaction of consumers' need is crucial to understand what they want due to different taste and preferences. The service delivery to potential users is a key factor to consider to ensure satisfaction and hence achieve the company's goal. Discussion Organization chart From the findings, the Grove Company is progressing successfully in its conversion of raw material into finished goods supplied to the customers. The marketing department promotes the brand of the juice to the potential consumers to meet their needs. They are also a concern in giving feedback to the organization about how the customers view the products. Marketing is crucial in this category for it determines the sales and satisfaction made and hence the success of the industry. Finance Department shows capital indifference in term of inflow and outflow hence profit made. Human resource department is the biggest and crucial in all organizations as it involves human labor used to convert inputs into output. It is evident that human power in any organization plays a vital role in the production of products into delivery procedures and thus crucial as they determine the success of overall company objectives. The department recruit, train, give responsibilities to employees and also payment of these workers to maintain them and avoid turnover rates. The management information system is also critical as information disseminations and retrieval based on each sector. The unit provides information about the whole company operations from the top management to various sections and finally to the client who receives the products. OM transformation role Operations management aims at transforming the conversions of inputs into finished goods and services. The resources include workers, managers, facilities, processes such equipment and buildings as well as materials like information and technology. In Grove manufacturing plant the conversion involves turning fruits into natural juice hence OM accounts for many activities and decisions that produce products plan and delivery system (Clarke & David, p.82). OM ensures there is the production of enough quantities of juice sale in the manufacturing sector that needs delivery to the target consumers. The finance industry determines the profits and losses the organization get and if the group is getting a damage the OM get concerned and develop strategies to overcome the costs involved. OM ensures that every human resource is accountable in their duties to increase the effectiveness of the Grove juice limited. Therefore centralizing the operations management in all aspect of the company is a key to success of the juice firm. Recommendation There is a close link between the marketer and Operation Management in that the manufacturer after making sale gets information from the consumer about the fluid products. The information received is then used as a weighing tool in determining the demand and customer satisfaction level and more so the views about the product to enhance them and improve the quality. Operations management in the creation process value enables optimization and actual time response to creation events, receiving production information for immediate interventions to cause change. OM also combines with and disseminates feedback received from the marketers to the administrative and financial sectors that later support the union of supply chain and the cooperation to consumers. The International market requires the interaction of marketers with foreign clients. Participation of this kind can improve the knowledge of the current trade, trends, and the goods demanded by the customer which can help to plot a way for the future development. By so doing the participation will enable product lines diversification, will add flexibility of production as well as smoothen the company's cycle (Caixeta-Filho & Jose, p.639). Operation managers can turn the response, cost leadership, and differentiation into activities that can be completed to deliver the commodity to a better, cheaper, and responsive manner. By use of this strategy in the organization, marketing will lead to the competitive advantage over another competitor. Low price per unit, small investment degree, high capacity usage, high product quality, and operating efficiency if implemented determines good decision making which boosts the core competencies. Conclusion In conclusion, with the Grove juice manufacturing operations, management strategy, the production processes become the fundamental part of the company technological plan. Producers can increase importantly more flexibility and productivity during creation planning, digitalization and application of the increased speed, accuracy, and quality of the way to respond to the demand of customers. Therefore companies that have a supply chain should coordinate and join up the operation function to make the entire chain operate in a whole and perfect manner. Engagement of all parts of the organization in this seamless strategy will ensure production of quality goods and services will facilitate response to customer's demands and also increase the capability and capacity of production. Finally, the unified function will get new goods to reach the market faster, will strengthen the relationship between manufacturing and business goal and it will enable the global market to be reached and satisfied. The integration of the organization will reduce wastage, increase worth and lead to a better and responsive business. Works cited Ahumada, Omar, and J. Rene Villalobos. "Application of planning models in the agrifood supply chain: A review." European journal of Operational research 196.1 (2009): 1-20. Borah, Bipul. "Economic appraisal of Orange cultivation a study in the Brahmaputra valley Assam." (2013). Caixeta-Filho, Jose V. "Orange harvesting scheduling management: a case study." Journal of the Operational Research Society 57.6 (2006): 637-642. Clarke, David. "WEA conference focus is in value adding for the industry-from the grape to the glass." Australian and New Zealand Grapegrower and Winemaker 604 (2014): 82. Smiley, Keith. "Farmers Have Their Say." Australasian Farmers' and Dealers' Journal Feb 2011 (2011): 59. Steyn, Catharina E., Michelle Cameron, and R. Corli Witthuhn. "Occurrence of Alicyclobacillus in the fruit processing environment—a review." International Journal of Food Microbiology 147.1 (2011): 1-11. Read More