Operations and Project Management Assignment Sample

Introduction

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In this research, Burberry Group Plc’s operations and project management have been thoroughly examined. The London-based Burberry Group Plc, a worldwide leader in high-end apparel, was established in 1856. Outerwear, including trench coats, sunglasses, and fashion accessories, is available in a variety of styles and colours from the brand (Vivek and Nanthagopan, 2020). The firm now focuses on the high-end fashion sector. Around the world, there are 498 locations and franchisees operating under the name. It also offers its items via third-party retailers. The efficiency and efficacy of the selected organization’s operation management are scrutinised in this study.

Continuous improvement in operation management has also been utilised and explored. In addition, the Burberry Group Plc has used the PLC concept in the context of its projects. In addition, the research examines how PLC is used in the particular circumstance. A total of 9234 people across the world are responsible for ensuring that the premium brand remains one of the world’s most popular fashion brands (Chawla et al., 2018). A British corporation has rated 10th in 2020, the only one to do so. Based on 2019 sales of 2.19 billion GBP, the organization’s worth was assessed at 4.8 trillion US dollars in 2019.

2. Review and Analysis of the Efficiency of Operations Management Principles

2.1 Conduction of a Review and Analysis of the Implementation of Operations Management Principles within an Organisational Context

It is not uncommon to hear the term “operational management” used in conjunction with manufacturing or service production because of its multifunctional character. It is in charge of efficiently translating inputs into outputs since it is delivery-focused. Equipment, technology, and human resources are all examples of possible inputs. In order to ensure the long-term viability of the organisation, relationship management is an important component (Strazzullo et al., 2022). The actions connected to the creation of products and services by changing inputs and outputs characterise operational management. Planned, organised, staffed and controlled procedures are all part of it. Burberry Group Plc’s operational management in organisational duties. This section explains the importance of operation management in detail:

• Inventory management: It aids in inventory management and aids in the efficient conservation of financial resources for the organisation. It also discusses minimising Burberry Group Plc’s inventory costs by reducing the number of resources that are wasted. It’s difficult for businesses to thrive and stay in today’s highly competitive market without good inventory management (Belinski et al., 2020). Using inventory management techniques, the Burberry corporation may better coordinate the distribution of its products to end users.

• Cost Reduction: Organizational procedures that are unneeded or redundant may be eliminated via operational management. This ensures that the company’s money is not squandered. Operating at a lower cost level is one of the most important things that operation management does (Khanal, Bento and Tagliabue, 2021). Because of the management’s assistance in eliminating resources and procedures that aren’t essential for the whole manufacturing process.

• Optimisation of Available Resources: Burberry Group plc’s operations management helps to maximise the company’s limited resources. In addition to linear programming and statistical analysis, several tools and approaches are used. The management helps save a lot of money by managing the precious resources, which can be used to construct new valuable resources (Belinski et al., 2020). Burberry PLC has the ability to make better use of its resources by, for example, optimising its scarce resources.

• Management of the Suppliers: The raw material suppliers’ distribution networks must be taken into account by operational management. They must maintain track of their warehouse, clients, network, and distribution centres, among other things. The operation management team is also responsible for keeping an eye on supply management (Khanal, Bento and Tagliabue, 2021). A network of suppliers for various raw materials is formed and distributed by operational managers. The manager of Burberry Plc. must keep track of the many warehouses, clients, suppliers, and customers, as well as the numerous distribution centres.

• Quality management: Every firm has to control quality since today’s customers have a wide range of choices, and quality influences their buying decisions. It increases the efficacy and efficiency of the company’s operations (Belinski et al., 2020). Operation management introduces quality management concepts into the organization’s goals to modify the operating principles of the organisation. Customers expect only high-quality apparel from Burberry Group plc; thus, this element is critical.

2.2 Evaluation and Critique of the Application of Operations Management in Relation to Six Sigma Methodology and Lean Principles

In the field of operations management, six sigma is a popular strategy. Six-sigma concepts are used by managers to eliminate mistakes and faults from the production process. It saves money as well as time. Six sigma is a costly choice, but it pays for itself and helps the organisation in the long term. As a result, consumers benefit from better-quality goods and services. The “no wasting” of resources is a key component of the lean thinking approach, which aims to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of operations. This strategy reduces manufacturing costs, which gives the company an additional advantage. Lean manufacturing isn’t completely applied at Burberry Group Plc. The necessity of eliminating waste, increasing quality, and enhancing customer happiness is becoming more prevalent in today’s businesses. A technique known as “Six Sigma” was developed by mathematicians and is often used in operations management.

Managers at Burberry PLC utilise this to identify areas of improvement that will help the company achieve its aim of sustainable development. Using the adyta in Six Sigma helps to identify the areas that need particular attention. A variety of assessment methods and phases are used in this process. Burberry PLC’s effeminacy may be improved by a variety of methods, all of which add to the company’s “Bottom line profit.” Using the “Lean Principle” is related with reducing waste. Every process must be subjected to the lean concept in order to decrease waste. It is via this method that the Burberry group can maintain a constant state of development while simultaneously decreasing waste and improving productivity. Firms that follow the lean philosophy have an edge in the marketplace over those that do not. The five principles of Lean include, for example,

• Value Recognition: There are a variety of factors that determine a product’s value.

• Mapping Value Stream: The steps necessary to produce and manufacture the goods are then sketched out after the value determination. The first steps in this process are the creation, acquisition, production, and consumption of services and human resources.

• Flow Creation: To keep Burberry PLC’s company running smoothly and eliminate any bottlenecks, the waste removal from the value stream is started once the value stream map has been completed.

• Pull Development: Pulling the Burberry products is part of this stage’s action, which also comprises improving the technique to provide a more efficient corporate culture.

• Seek for Perfection: Lean thinking may be made more efficient by streamlining the process for creating an efficient corporate culture. In order to do this, it is necessary to practice the procedure as much as possible.

3. Application of The Conception of Continuous Development in an Operational Context

3.1 Preparation of a Non-Stop Improvement Plan Depended on the Review and Critique of Operations Management Principles within an Organisational Context

Some focused progressive measures in the manufacturing procedures are used to continuously enhance the organization’s performance. Linear and gradual innovation within the current operations is at the heart of the continuous improvement approach. Statistical methods are used. For Burberry Group plc’s continuous improvement approach, the fabric used to make clothing accessories may be seen as an example of this. The strategies for improving the product are outlined in a document called a continuous improvement strategy. It differs from reactive plans in that it specifies the steps taken by a company’s crisis management team (Juliani and de Oliveira, 2020). In addition, it helps identify bottlenecks and weaknesses in existing programmes and processes, which may then be used to improve them. In order to construct Burberry Group Plc’s Continuous Improvement Plan, the following seven actions are necessary:

• Review of past year’s objectives

• Analysis of collected data

• Per Burberry Group Plc’s performance requirements, the evaluation of progress.

• Setting SMART objectives

• A brief summary of the preparations that took place

• Compliance

The best organisation employs a broad variety of tactics to ensure that it is always improving. Lean thinking, the PDCA cycle, and TQM are a few examples of these quality management techniques. It’s important to emphasise cooperation and b employee participation in order to reduce process output variability and to standardise procedures. Lean manufacturing practises are increasingly prevalent in the textile sector, such as Burberry Group Plc. (Honda et al., 2018). The “zero waste” notion is at the heart of this strategy. Flow is a key focus of lean thinking. In this way, items may be dragged through the production process by customers. Lean manufacturing results in a reduction in the variability of the organization’s production line, which improves the company’s performance.

3.2 Analysis of the Efficiency of a Continuous Improvement Plan Using Suitable Theories, Concepts and Models

Continuous improvement is well-known for its emphasis on small but steady gains over time (Stupnisky et al., 2018). For continuous improvement, PDCA cycle is the most often utilised technique. Deming Cycle and Shewhart Cycle are other names for this cycle.

• Plan: During this phase, the potential for change is discovered and the necessary steps are taken to implement it.

• Do: Small-scale implementation of the adjustments.

• Check: Determine whether or not the data is relevant to the outcome of the study.

• Act: If the experiments prove to be a success, broaden the application of the modifications.

In this method, Burberry Group Plc’s current procedure may be improved.

The primary goal of Burberry PLC’s continuous improvement is to increase production efficiency by implementing particular specific initiatives. The company uses both linear and incremental improvisation as part of its method of continuous development (Brinch, 2018). For example, this enables Burberry group PLC to devise effective methods for creating high-quality items. Three phases of the “Continuous improvement strategy” are included in this method.

Organisational Goal Evaluation

It has been determined that Burberry PLC’s objectives have been met. Analysing their job and activities, where they place a premium on originality and innovation, may help to make the identification (Dania, Xing and Amer, 2018). The organization’s goal is to broaden the range of possible outcomes.

Analysis of Review of the Data

At this stage, the company’s success is assessed in order to generate revenue and effective analysis helps to discover any areas of development that affect the long-term viability of the firm (Brinch, 2018).

3.3 Implementation of Suitable Theories, Concepts and Models to Validate Strategies of a Continuous Improvement Plan for Accomplishing Improved Efficiency

In order to increase performance, continuous improvement is a method of intervening in difficulties. It strives to create a sustainable culture by including all employees in the trash reduction process. Various programmes, such as “TQM”, “lean thinking”, “six sigma”, and the “PDCA cycle”, are used to implement continuous improvement processes (Pambreni et al., 2019). Six sigma focuses on minimising process variability, while TQM aims to raise customer satisfaction, both external and internal. It is the goal of the lean method to improve the efficiency of the manufacturing line. Eliminating variances is at the heart of lean manufacturing’s six sigma approach.

Progress Evaluation based upon the standard of Burberry PLC

The Burberry group’s criteria are used to assess finished goods in this phase. Consumers may be certain that the company’s quality standards are upheld thanks to this procedure. Regardless of these processes, the Burberry group may also adopt a variety of strategies to efficiently carry out commercial operations (Kharub, Mor and Sharma, 2018). Methods such as “Quality Assurance”, “Six Sigma”, and “Lean Manufacturing” are just a few examples. The business depends on Lean Manufacturing since it is in the textile sector.

Justification

It seems that Burberry PLC’s practice of continual improvement is a critical component to its success. The major goal of Burberry PLC’s continuous improvement program is to create a culture that will endure. Six Sigma is one of a number of tools, approaches, and strategies that may be used to identify and fix problems in a company (Pambreni et al., 2019). High-quality products are ensured by quality management systems, and lean concepts include five steps that reduce waste and expedite delivery of the finished product to clients.

4. Application of The Project Life Cycle (PLC) To A Given Context 

4.1 Implementation of each stage of the PLC to an assumed project, producing required supporting documentation for completing the project

In order to complete a particular project, there will be a sufficient requirement of resources as well as effective planning (Irina, 2020). Therefore, a project encompasses several important stages to accomplish in a significant way and the effective stages are initiation, planning, implementation, and termination. In the context of the Burberry Group plc, the utilisation of these stages in the project management will be extremely accommodating for the company to accomplish its project. 

• Project Initiation: The project initiation is considered the most prevalent stage in which the project manager might be able to turn the idea into a sensitive goal. In this particular stage, the project manager of Burberry Group plc focuses on exploring as well as outlining the abilities in terms of the initiation stage (Grinchenko et al., 2020). After the completion of this procedure, it will be the managers’ concern to improve the basic process as well as effective approaches in terms of attaining the assignments. The managers also aim to create a healthy relationship with other strategic partners.   

• Project Planning: This particular stage, it basically requires completion as it accumulates efficient data in terms of forming an appropriate roadmap for accomplishing the project. During this planning stage, the manager of the Burberry Group plc needs to implement his extensive research skills along with applying creativity and inventiveness to successfully conduct this stage (Grinchenko et al., 2020). In fact, the purpose of the team is to make a combined schedule that will coordinate various tasks such as procuring, constructing, and designing. Another purpose of the team is to monitor the expenditures as well as form a budget. 

• Project Implementation: The project implementation stage is considered most obligatory as in this stage the project deliverables are developed and accomplished (Galabova, 2019). In this particular phase, the project manager along with the team make the implementation by targeting their assignments as well as monitoring them in an effective manner. In fact, resource allocation also has been done in this particular stage. It has been observed that the project team achieve the required task which has been provided in the planning procedure along with making an appropriate alteration for the change management consequence (Doubek, 2018). The project management team of Burberry Group plc requires to be aware of certain changes during the time of accomplishing the project. 

• Project Termination: Project termination is the final and the foremost stage for project management. it has been measured that a team closes or terminates its project at the meantime of conveying the undertaking project after interacting with its stakeholders (Doubek, 2018). Therefore, in this particular stage, the expulsion of the resources in terms of the supplementary projects. This also comprises activities such as allocation of the resources as well as observing the timetable. 

4.2 Examining the rationale for the project methodologies, utensils, and leadership within the PLC for the given project

Regarding the fact of the aiming on the objectives as well as accomplishing its requires much attention and improvement (Irina, 2020). There is an extensive range of project methodologies available that might assist the project management and by the utilisation of these tools Burberry Group plc might be benefitted in an extensive manner. 

Agile methodology 

The agile project management methodology has the ability to provide several advantages in terms of working co-operatively in particular project management (Beerbaum, 2021). Therefore, this particular project methodology demands and explains progression through the co-operative effort of self-organising terms and as well as cross-functional. It is considered the most suitable project methodology in order to accomplish a project and Burberry Group plc will be benefitted after utilising this particular agile methodology. 

Waterfall methodology 

It has been observed that are five effective stages related to this methodology which are:   requirements, designs, implementation, verification, deployment, and maintenance (Kisling, 2019). This particular project management tool is considered extensively recommended for the Burberry Group plc in terms of documentation. Through the implementation of the Gantt chart, the company might be able to effectively monitor the activities in the project management. In fact, the application of the project management methodology will support the Burberry Group plc effectively monitoring the project management operation. 

Lean development methods 

This particular method describes the highlighting in terms of forming a change-tolerance system. It has been beneficial due to its effective contribution in terms of fulfilling the expectation of the customers (Hendriadi and Primajaya, 2020). In this particular method, the team is intimately inspired to provide the determined value in terms of the payment regarding the customer. Regarding this fact, the utilisation of this model has been facilitating for the Burberry Group plc in terms of project management. 

System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

It is considered the effective model which is also considered service relayed and that is extensively utilised for project development. It has been observed that two or more two projects might be included in this model in order to get the unsurpassed possible outcome (Kramer, 2018). However, Burberry Group plc has to momentously focus on the strict guidelines as well as on the documentation procedures. It has been observed that this company relays on the leadership and therefore the leaders of the Burberry Group plc might be able to progress a cooperative culture within the organisation. Regarding this fact, this particular strategy has the competence to motivate the staff in an effective manner. in terms of that, the utilisation of this efficient strategy might be extremely accommodating for the company to help in the project management process. 

5. Review and critique the application of the PLC used in a given project 

5.1 Evaluation and analysis of the effectiveness of the PLC in application to the selected project using appropriate theories, concepts, and model

In the case of Burberry Group plc, marketing plays an extensive role in terms of the company. In terms of the product life cycle, it is basically considered accommodating describing strategies which are dependent on the fact of several important stages. Therefore, in order to launch the latest product, the company will require to focus on planning, investing as well as monitoring the segments of advertisement (Mallick, 2019). These effective stages help the group maintain it expansion stage in an extensive manner. 

Therefore, the progression of the decision making progress considered extremely accommodating for initiating any type of change. In a relation to that, the decision-making procedure makes it easier for the estimating procedure along within the subtle (Wibowo and Uda, 2018). Also, it has been observed that the decision-making process is beneficial for calculating the sales data as well as measuring the previous year’s performance in an effective manner. Furthermore, this provide suggestion or recommendation to the mangers an edge through formulating them against their rivals. Regarding this fact, the company might be able to initiate its advertising procedure as well as draw attention towards its potential customers (Wibowo et al., 2018).  This will directly impact the organisation making the promotional process more exclusive and applicable. Yet, it will also be accommodating as it helps to make the promotional procedure of the competitor irrelevant. 

It has been observed that there is a convinced limitation of applying the Product Life Cycle (PLC), and that is also declared in this particular report. This particular strategy does not have the ability to encounter variability in the data. However, this particular procedure also considered hampering due to its implication of taking enormous time for completing project management (Mallick, 2019). Regarding this fact, the data collection and analysing procedure requires an extensive amount of time. For this, Burberry Group plc has to keep account of various factors in terms of applying this particular process. 

By analysing the utilisation of the PLC in terms of the project management, it has been observed that it might be beneficial in case of making changes as well as progressing in the decision making process quite in an effective manner. Regarding this fact, the implementation of the PLC has been widely recognised due to its numerous aspects. Through proper utilisation of this project management tool companies might prosper in every possible way they can.  

5.2 Critical analyse of the way the usage of suitable theories, concepts and models in the PLC will differentiate between large and small-scale projects

It is indeed true that large enterprises are basically organised as well as arranged in a global manner. Regarding this fact, the large scale organisations tend to monitor the predefined hierarchy while the small scale organisations are often structured in a deprived condition within an informal manner (Wibowo and Uda, 2018). it has been observed extensively that the implementation of PLC is considered a successive factor in case of the large enterprises. In fact, it has the ability to make certain of the fact of their supremacy in terms of the domain of knowledge. It is considered exceedingly accommodating for setting an unblemished chain of command in the product development stage (Maphanga and Nel, 2020). On the other hand, the ultimate focus of the small-scale organisation is to maximizing sales as well as increase the revenue margin expansively. Due to this reason, the small enterprises often have to encounter major failures and have to tackle challenging situations. Moreover, in terms of the PLC of small-scale enterprises, they often fail to make a decision about the final goods and what to do within the final outcome (Wibowo et al., 2018). Therefore, the PLC will be able to assist in creating another plan for the betterment of the organisation in an effective manner. 

5.3 Critical Evaluation of The PLC Through A Practical And Theoretical Exploration Of Its Effectiveness

It is indeed true that in terms of accomplishing project management, there has been the availability of an extensive rate of tools and methodologies. In terms of the practical approach of the PLC, it has been frequently seen encountering several challenges for accomplishing the project in an extensive manner. therefore, this particular approach might take an extensive amount of time regarding the fact of implementing the upgraded form of the planning process (Hanaizal and Mansoor, 2019). It has been observed that large scale companies have to deal with manufacturing different types of products and that implementing this approach might be problematic for the project initiation. Therefore, the allocation of the resources and fulfilling the expectations of the clients might get tough with the utilisation of this ineffective tool. It has been observed at an extensive rate that small-scale organisations get benefited from the application of this particular approach (Maphanga and Nel, 2020). However, the theoretical feature of PLC sounds operative and a handy implement for the managers to effectively accomplish project management. On the other hand, the PLC can be advantageous as it encompasses the feedback phase and consequently not utilising this tool would not mitigate the desired expectations of the customers for increasing profitability. 

By the analysing various facts, it can be considered that companies can apply this specified approach in some areas to maintain their productivity. Furthermore, companies have to comprising of invoicing, business intelligence, RM and PM in terms of cooperative cases as well as investigating the previous projects to augment the PLC (Hanaizal and Mansoor, 2019).   

Conclusion 

Project management is indeed a significant part and it needs to be accomplished by keeping in mind of a number of processes. Regarding this fact, the Burberry Group plc must effectively organise this process as well as analysing the project cost and other necessary resources. by critical evaluation of the operational management procedure, it can be concluded that the company has to keep account of each and individual thing during the time of managing a project. A range of project management tools and methodologies have been discussed and applied to measure effectiveness. Each and individual stages of the project management methodologies have been elaborated in an extensive manner to investigate the effectiveness as well as analysing its possible risks. Consequently, the basic philosophies of the Project Life Cycle (PLC) in context within the Burberry Group plc along with analysing of its usefulness in the project management. There have been some implications in this approach however applying successfully this approach might be considered extremely beneficial for the project manager to get a positive outcome. Thus, the report has been discussed efficaciously to get the outcome that has been required.