You are required to prepare a report that investigates the operations processes used in a small business organisation of your choice.

Assignment Brief

Operations Management and Service Excellence

You should not use large organisations or franchises nor an industry sector. You need to choose an operation to which you can obtain ready access or observe, and which will allow you to carry out each component of the analysis. In general, this requirement means that you will choose a business operation that is relatively accessible and where information on the operation is available from observation or is in the public domain. Ask yourself: Can I draw a sufficiently detailed process map of the operation? Can I capture enough data to critically appraise the operation and make recommendations for improvement? The operation can be anywhere in the world. You can choose to investigate a part of an organisation (for example, front of house in a restaurant), but you should make your assumptions clear in the introduction. Some ideas of small business operations may include:

• Bakery
• A snack bar
• A street food vendor
• Bar/ pub
• Small supermarket
• Corner shop / convenience shop
• Catering service
• Cobbler (shoe repairer)
• Dry cleaners / laundry
• Restaurant
• Gym
• Patisserie
• Post office or post room
• Small print-shop
• Small sports venue
• Taxi company
• Walking Tours of a city

Report Structure

1. Introduction and Overview (Total 15 marks)

Provide an overview of the organisation and its operations including such information as:

• The location
• Layout
• Products and services offered 
• Competitors

You must include a map showing the location of the main business operation, and a diagram communicating the layout of the operations. Ensure that you present and critically discuss operational issues related to the four bullet points above. For example, you should discuss, as it relates to bullet point “Layout”, the various types of process layouts as observed in the chosen operation, and how this affects the operations of the business e.g. in terms of customer service or product throughput.

2. The Operations Process (Total 25 marks)

Using appropriate tools, identify and analyse ONE key operations process within the business and why it is important to the business. In doing so, identify and provide an evaluation of the challenges and issues faced by the operation, clearly explaining which of these need to be addressed and why? Support your arguments through evidences gathered from the organisation and through literature.

Create a process map of the chosen operations process. It may be necessary to map the surrounding processes to get an appreciation for where this process fits within the wider operation. You do not need to use process mapping software. Presentation software such as PowerPoint or Keynote is perfectly adequate. Your process map must be contained within a single side of A4, landscape formatted. Use the process mapping concepts taught in the course.

3. Operations Analysis (Total 25 marks)

The core of the assignment is to analyse the operation and chosen operations process using ONE or TWO tools, concepts or techniques provided on this module. This is where you focus on the operations challenge and/or problems briefly discussed previously. This should consist of a brief overview of your methodology followed by the main analysis.

Sample Answer

Operations Management and Service Excellence Report

1. Introduction and Overview

For this report, I have chosen a small local bakery called "Golden Crust Bakery," located in the town centre of Brighton, UK. The bakery is family-owned and has been operating for over ten years. It offers a variety of fresh products, including bread, cakes, pastries, sandwiches, and hot beverages.

Location: Golden Crust Bakery is situated on a busy high street with good footfall. It is easily accessible via public transport and is surrounded by other small shops and cafes.

Layout: The layout of the bakery is simple. The front of the bakery includes a display counter, a seating area with 5 tables, and a small cashier station. The back of the bakery contains the kitchen, storage, and staff area. The workflow moves from the kitchen to the display area, then to customers.

Products and Services Offered: The bakery provides baked goods made fresh daily. It also takes special orders for custom cakes and party platters. In addition, it offers a small eat-in and takeaway service.

Competitors: The main competitors include two other bakeries within a half-mile radius and one supermarket with a bakery section. However, Golden Crust Bakery has a loyal customer base due to the quality and freshness of its products.

Operational Issues: One key issue is space. The back kitchen is small, which can slow down production during peak hours. Also, the layout does not allow for easy customer flow, causing congestion at busy times.

2. The Operations Process

Chosen Key Process: Bread Production Process

This process is critical to the bakery`s success as bread is a staple product. The steps include mixing, proofing, shaping, baking, cooling, and displaying.

Challenges and Issues:

• Limited space in the kitchen makes it hard to produce large quantities.

• Manual mixing and kneading are time-consuming and labour-intensive.

• There is a lack of consistency in bread size and shape.

Process Map:

1. Ingredients measured

2. Dough mixed and kneaded

3. Dough proofed (rested)

4. Dough shaped and placed in trays

5. Bread baked

6. Bread cooled

7. Bread displayed in the front area

3. Operations Analysis

Tool Used: Bottleneck Analysis

A bottleneck in the bread production process is the proofing stage. Limited tray space and resting racks restrict the number of dough batches that can be proofed at once. This causes a delay in baking and reduces overall output.

Solution: Invest in space-saving, multi-level proofing racks to increase capacity without needing extra floor space. This can improve the flow and reduce wait time between processes.

Continued...