Operations Management and Tesco - Essay Example

Signboards with directional arrows were found to hang from the ceiling. Commodities were segregated on the basis of different parameters, each type being found at one place. The positioning of items was so done as to optimise space and also allow easy access to the customers. An interesting feature of the store is the open space that facilitates movement of products as well as customers. The entire arrangement has been designed in a way that ensures minimum collision between people moving inside the store.

Surveillance cameras are installed at strategic points that keep an eagle eye on possible shop lifters. In operations management, the 4 V's are commonly defined as volume, variety, variation and visibility. In a large supermarket like that of Tesco's, all of them could be sensed, though in varying proportion. (Slack N., et al, 2007) The supermarket offers only one service that being providing commodities to customers. However, this is not the all. The uniqueness of the super market lies in the fact that it provides a plethora of goods and other necessary items for sale.

It allows the customers the freedom to shop groceries, garments, accessories, cosmetic products, beverages and toiletries all at the same place. In addition to this, customers can also enjoy free home delivery services in case their purchase bills exceed certain pre determined limits. The volume of operations is thus, very high.Continuing from the volume analysis, the variety of services that a customer receives from the supermarket is high. It also needs to be mentioned that it depends on the customer whether she would like to enjoy the whole range of services provided.

For example, many people were seen to visit the garments and electronics goods section but none of them purchased from there. In the strictest sense of the term the variety is very high. The store which was visited had maximum number of customers purchasing grocery and food items.Variation in sales happens depending on the product. Generally, food items have a moderate level of demand. Garments are in high demand only in certain seasons. However, variation in sales was also experienced throughout the day.

Towards the evening, there was a rise in the number of customers purchasing hard drinks, beer and fruit shakes. Visibility, as defined in theories of operation management, is very low. Customers seldom can see how the shelves are getting filled up or the source from where frozen foods are obtained. Most of the rearrangement is done during the early morning or late night after the store gets closed for customers.The Layout, Flow and Use of Process Technologies In a supermarket, the layout and flow of various products are of paramount importance.

It has to be borne in mind that placing of the products plays an important role both for the customers as well as the service provider. In the visited store, the layout was more like a process layout. Items of same kind were placed at one place. Among the items of same kind, the heavier ones were placed in a manner that would make it easy for the customer to carry it. Personal items and toiletries were found to be arranged in columns, the bigger packets forming the base and the smaller ones