Assignment:
Write a report recommending operations strategies for ‘Starbucks'.
Question 1: Outline briefly the company's products and/or services and identify how these products/services qualify and win orders in the marketplace.
Question 2: Analyse the company's operations, focusing on how its operations strategy is deployed to meet objectives.
Question 3: Review at least two aspects of operations management themes you have learned in class.
Question 4: Synthesise the company's operations strategy and operations management themes and recommend:
(1) how the company can improve its operation management
(2) how it can attract more customers.
Guidance:
A) Qualifiers and order-winners:
(a) Outline the company's products and services
(b) Use Slack et al (2014) as a starting point for the analysis of qualifiers and order-winners.
B) Operations strategy:
(a) Consider the dimension of operations strategy (price, quality, speed/flexibility, reliability, product range, amongst others as appropriate)
C) International Operations Management themes:
(a) Use the recommended reading list and electronic searches of the university's databases to identify appropriate readings
D) Recommendations:
(a) Consider how the company can improve its operation management
(i) Consider, for example, how the company can improve productivity and reliability;
(ii) And/or which kind of operation methods is best suited for speed of delivery, amongst other considerations.
(b) You may present the analysis in a table, if appropriate.
General guidance:
(a) The aim of the assignment is to analyse application of operations strategies themes in a real world scenario.
(b) The report requires you to put themes you have learned into practice. Avoid describing the themes in operations management in detail; focus on the application of them for your chosen company.
(c) Any analysis of the company's strategic position is not needed and will not attract marks; avoid SWOT, 5 Forces analysis and similar techniques.
Textbooks, Journals to look into for referenc:
1) Kortext - Export-Import Theory, Practice, and Procedures (Belay Seyoum)
2) International business: competing in the global marketplace - Hill, Charles W. L. c2012
3) International business - Rugman, Alan M., Collinson, Simon 2012
4) International business: environments and operations - Daniels, John, Radebaugh, Lee, Sullivan, Daniel c2013
5) International business: strategy, management, and the new realities - Cavusgil, S. Tamer, Knight, Gary A., Riesenberger, John R. 2008
Journals
https://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.mdx.ac.uk
https://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.mdx.ac.uk/