Systems and Operations Management Practices: Atokowa Organization

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Systems and Operations Management
Analysis of Atokowa organization
Structures
Inputs
Processes
Outputs
Recommendations
References

Introduction

In today’s world of business and changing technology, the implementation of financial economic entrepreneurship has made organizations’ successes to depend on the management of systems operations according to Laudon &Laudon (2009).

This has become vital as a competitive business environment has made managers to realize the power of customers’ influence in directing the organization. In relation to the above statement, a high quality of production is very much a process that starts from the management to the consumer and which starts from manufacturing, selling, and delivery to the end points.

Thus operations management maximizes the organization’s profits hence greater impact on the end results in the social spectrum according to Hisrich et al (2009).

In addition, because of the constant growth of competition in the market, many organizations are faced with the difficulty to succeed in revamping their influence on the consumers and thus they are forced to review their operation systems.

Therefore, in studying Atokowa organization, the report shows the operations management process and analyses the power of data to manage the organizations effectiveness of its programs and operations. The aim of the report is guided by the implementation of recommendations adopted from data management.

Systems and Operations Management

In looking at the definition of a system, it is neat arrangement of related activities and procedures that facilitate the implementation of main functions in an organization. These systems include structures, inputs, processes and outputs.

In considering the four, we see that all organizational systems require processes that are independent in nature and which are composed of activities that influence the performance. In relation inputs (tools, equipment, materials, facilities and people) are needed in determining the quality of production.

Thus in having quality inputs and effective processes, the effects are most likely to have a fruitful result. In this, the organization has to be aware that short-term outcomes are those that are observable and can be measured thereby highlighting conditions and behaviors that affect the end result of production, while long-term outcomes are not easy to analyse since they are not immediately observed and measured.

In looking at Atokowa organization we realize that in analyzing their business market, we can see the relevant changes in their technological adaptation which have influenced their operations.

Analysis of Atokowa organization

Atokowa has been a major player in the stationery business influencing various cities in Australia. This success has been attributed to the management structures that advanced from an individual to his son who appointed a couple of managers to help him run the expansion of the business. In doing this, the organization made sure that they had to keep their leading role by delivering their products to their customers on a personal level according to Adler & Winograd (1992).

This led to the birth of many outlets which continued to address the needs of their customers in various states. Initially Lachan the founder started with just a photocopying machine with which he took various printing jobs and being the only machine, his work extended immensely that he had to open other selling points thus become a huge business according to Adler( 1992).

In making sure the customers were served well, the business became reliable and this forced them to give quality goods and services thus promoting growth. This inspired the owner to a vision development that would see the business being the leading stationery and office supplies business and as a result, expanded in many other states with the outlets stocking all sorts of various stationery and office materials.

In continuation of the business, the owner when retiring handed over the mantle to his eldest son who changed the vision to concentrating on advanced technology thus delivering electronic communications gadgets of the time according to Laudon, Kenneth & Jane (2009).

This selling of items integrated or involved the use of information technology leading to more expansion to other cities and hence the son followed the footsteps of his father.

In using this method, the cost management accounting reporting system was made efficient. In introducing the system, the staff had an opportunity to understand the role of systems and operations management and its integration into efficient and effective running of business.

It took a practical approach which involved the process of tracking of transactions which were measurable and easily recorded and was thus able to classify the relevant distribution of expenditure in all the outlets.

This gave a clear understanding of better business practice within the global organization. The method therefore was able to help the organization in presenting their data for the purpose of controlling and directing of necessary resources to their needed destinations.

This can be emphasized by Horngren et al (2010) when he noted that managers mostly use cost accounting in confirming decisions that aim at reducing the organizations cost of products and services thus increasing the possibility of higher profits. Therefore, in identifying and using this measuring tool, managers are able to plan, control and evaluate the organization by assuring accountability and proper use of resources.

This systems approach was able to develop the organizations’ systems thereby allowing effective analysis and highlight the business obligations. Through this, people and management issues were reviewed with emphasis on communication, teamwork and effective leadership which focused in quality management and business excellence thus focusing on customer relations.

The staff in understanding of the analysis process and operation management will reflect the improvement of the business process in introducing the information system using rules and analyses to examine costs, allocation of resources, and efficiency related to the delivery of goods and services.

The task will impact on the efforts and activities of operations systems and management in the production departments thus improve the daily running of things in the organizations.

The skills in operations management therefore become an important requirement of employers in many areas of business to developing the professional requirement needed for advancement of the organizations practicality in meeting their customers’ needs.

In operation management, the directors of businesses have to be knowledgeable and understanding and that they should be concerned with the production of goods and services thus taking up the role of managing strategies in integrating the business and evaluating the quality of goods produced and their delivery processes. In addition, the practical aspects of their skills are challenged by the intellect transferring this role into their management and operation systems.

Thus in this, Laudon and Laudon (2011) highlights that retailers’ understanding of growth in productions is as a result of using proper ways of keeping their data and knowing what needs to be implemented in the shortest time possible.

This is made possible by introducing systems that allow flexibility in their access to the customers and making sure they satisfy them. In using a good information system, the organization will keep track of their pricing line so as to make sure that they have a consistent stability in terms of convincing the customers.

In order to do this, the organization’s transactions are to be viewed analytically with the practical moving of goods from one point to the next. This will effectively enhance the planning and control capacity of the organizations. In this, the organization planning and control will be managed in ways that bring effective deliverance of their products thus satisfying their customers.

This will keep them on the market as the customers rely more on their systems thus permanently gaining the trust and will thus continue being long-term clients according to Adler (1992).

To be competitive in the market, the reviewing of the organization products with the changing needs of the clients will make them adapt and use the knowledge to inform their market of the various developments of their products. Thus in using quality control tools, the need for product development will be realized. In conclusion, the company’s operation process has to take root in the human resource to transform the entire operations department according to Jacobs & Chase (2011).

In looking at the quality control, the organization was led into coming up with ways of determining how they operate and evaluate the people involved. Therefore, the analysis undertaken reviewed the organization’s foundation and how it grew to expand in many other cities with management operating independently.

The analysis highlighted that with the new management appointed by the elder son, the various managers in the outlets ran the business separately from the centre source.

In the process of running the outlets in this manner, it was deemed as difficult because it involved the employees accounting for all the stock at the end of the day. It was then that one of the managers thought and suggested for the implementation of integrating electronic points of sale system thereby making the company’s stock be tracked by a bar code.

In following the review, the elder son requested one manager to manage the design and implement the Microsoft Access database whose operation’s success was based mainly on its simplicity. In its application, each outlet became equipped with standard Window’s computers which were connected over a simple local area network.

The structure of the following report is one that focused on the organisation which questioned the effectiveness of the system introduced for their daily accounting and stock taking.

The information system led to solving the complicated process of taking their stocks every day to become easier and able to be controlled and planned in a structured manner. Therefore, in following the process of an organized operation system, the organization’s management became effective and enhanced growth. The organization therefore used the following:

Structures

In analyzing the structures of the organization, there was only one manager who initially was running the business. In the handing over the business, the son appointed several people to manage the organization allowing the possibilities of expansion. As the organization expanded, the outlets were run independently which showed the operations facing difficulties thus needed solutions according to Bocij, P et al (2008).

It was in this review that the competence of one manager pushed him to suggest a way of dealing with the operations of the business thus bringing efficiency in their daily activities. The knowledge of how to handle information systems and understand its mechanisms saw the organization use simple technical techniques which could be understood by all the people who would use the new systems.

Assertively, it became a question of whether the company is able to technically have a new system that would be introduced in their running of their daily businesses. It was considered that their financial and social justification was vital to understanding whether the organization will be resistive or accepting to the new system according to Silberschatz et al (2008).

Inputs

The hypothetical design had undergone transformation and gave way to the practical aspect in coming up with a solution to handle the issues at hand. It is through the challenges of the organization that innovation and ingenuity arose as some members thought the solution out from their daily experiences in the running of the business.

This involved specifications of duties and tasks needed to make sure that the new system kicked with a high quality and effectiveness thus making it possible for everyone involved to take the chance to learn and improve their skills. This made it possible for the operation system to allow for flexibility as the organization got used to understanding and implementing the system.

The reviewing undertook the role of looking at all the outlets in terms of how they would be brought in one operating system with competent managers who would fit in the various operations into one system. This allowed the managers to flow with the changing mechanisms of improving the system and encouraging the customers and the employees.

Processes

When the right questions were put on the table, the organization became active in dealing with the current strategies to solve problems, the operating system was not isolative in its application because it used both the experienced staff and those who were literate with the new system.

This brought a spirit of team work that saw all levels of management assisting those who were to be practical in their organization. Therefore, the operating system made sure everyone in the organization had the opportunity to learn and be able to use the new system introduced. This was done by using the experienced staff to guide the ones who were lagging behind.

In evaluation, the approach proved to bring out the required factors that would broaden the specifics of the stages of analysis. In this part various solutions are evaluated on the basis of meeting the required expectations from the suggestions of a technical professional like the one who saw the need for pushing for changes in the company. The evaluator has to understand the business therein making specific recommendations of what is best to deal with the problem and offer a solution.

In the process of use, the system has to be reviewed and maintained through the phases of implementation. This is because the system has to be developed every now and then in order to improve its performance and usage among both the clients and employees according to Silberschatz et al (2008).

Outputs

The approach of control and planning of the organization introduced and implemented the new system in order to make it more effective by dividing the organization into stages and the introduction and implementation of the new system was introduced in stages thus giving all major outlets time to sieve in their data and be able to connect with the central management point.

In transaction of goods from point A to point B, planning is needed before implementation. This in the language of control will mean that the company shifts from the old systems to the new ones. As an easy task as it may seem, all required personnel come to the understanding that the system being introduced are well understood and everyone is reading from the same script.

However in achieving these installations of nearly all major equipments has to be taken into consideration leading to allowing the training of those who are going to use the equipments. In doing this, the implementation stage has to come in when all participants are in tune to start using the new system.

Recommendations

In analysing the present ways of running the company, it has to be noted that introducing a new system needs determining the extent to which the organization becomes flexible in its operations. Therefore, operations systems analyses provide the environment to which the results of the organization’s research are adopted. This ushers the new challenge of growth and success. Therefore, in coming up with recommendations of the best practices, the following have to be taken into consideration;

The businesses have to analyze their successes by looking at the business market, technological changes and operations’ environments.
The businesses have to realize that connecting with other organizations will test their agility for change and competition.
Atokowa needs to have its operation system up to date with the advancing technology and review it regularly.
Therefore to become a leading organization, Atokowa has to design a framework that challenges the members to innovatively review its operation in the face of the changing business environment.

References

Adler, P & Winograd A1992, The Usability Challenge. Usability: Turning Technologies into Tools, Oxford University press, New York.

Adler, P 1992, Technology and the Future of Work, Oxford University Press, New York.

Bocij, P et al 2008, Business information systems: technology, development and management, 4th ed, Financial Times Prentice Hall, Harlow.

Hisrich, et al 2009, Entrepreneurship, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, Boston.

Horngren, et al 2009, Financial accounting: How to study accounting, Prentice Hall, Sydney.

Jacobs, R &Chase, B 2011, Operations and supply chain management, (13th ed.), McGraw-Hill/Irwin, New York.

Laudon, C & Laudon, P 2009, Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm, Prentice Hall/Course Smart, New Jersey.

Laudon, K &Laudon, J 2011, Management Information Systems, Prentice Hall/Course Smart, New Jersey.

Silberschatz et al 2008, Operating Systems Concepts, John Wiley & Sons, New York.

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