BUSINESS: Operations & Human Resources

year 11

what is the strategic role of operations?

manage the transformation process effectively in order to create a competitive advantage through cost leadership and / or product differentiation.

what is cost leadership?

aiming to have the lowest costs in order to be price competitive

what is product differentiation?

distinguishing products in some way (features, service, quality, speed) from competitors

what is the transformation process?

conversion of inputs into outputs

what are inputs (transformation process)?

resources used in the transformation process

what are outputs (transformation process)?

the end result of business efforts, the good or service that is provided or delivered

what are transformed resources?

inputs that are changed or converted during the transformation process, Materials, Information, Customers (MIC)

what are materials (transformed resources)?

Physical raw ingredients, parts and supplies used in production

what is information (transformed resources)?

internal and external information which is used during the production process and information which is transformed during the production of a service

what are customers (transformed resources)?

the business provides services for customers, often the customer is an input and is transformed or moved in some way

what are transforming resources?

the inputs that carry out the transformation process – Human Resources and Facilities

what are facilities (transforming resources)?

the plant (factory or office) and the machinery used in the operations process

what are human resources (transforming resources)?

employees’ skills, experience, and efforts.

what are the two catergories inputs can be classified as?

transformed & transforming

what does processes refer to (transformation process)?

the actual steps or tasks that are undertaken (using resources) to create and deliver the output.

what are the three quality management strategies? (OPS)

quality control, quality assurance, quality improvement

what is quality management?

those processes a business undertakes to ensure consistency, reliability, safety and fitness of purpose of product

what is the purpose of using a quality management system?

improve customer satisfaction, lowers production costs, resulting in a strong reputation of quality for business, giving the business a competitive advantage and increasing customer loyalty

what is quality control? (QC)

inspection, measurement, and intervention (checkpoints)

what is quality assurance? (QA)

use of a quality management system which may be externally certified (e.g. ISO 9000 series)

what is quality improvement? (QI)

continuous improvement and total quality management (TQM)

what is quality improvement also referred to as?

TQM- total quality improvement

what is quality control seen as?

a reactive approach- occurs after issue is identified

what is quality assurance seen as?

a proactive approach- works to prevent issues before occuring

what does quality assurance use?

a QSM - quality management system

what would a QMS include? (QA)

standard operating procedures, guidelines for inspections, maintenance schedules for facilities & employee training requirements

what is the difference between how quality assurance and quality improvement are seen?

quality assurance = maintaining quality standards through documented procedures

quality improvement = raising those standards, either through breakthrough innovations or small, continuous changes.

what are aspects of total quality management? (QI)

cultural commitment to continuous improvement, inclusion of staff into improvement processes, customer focus & benchmarking performance

what is the strategic role of human resources?

to effectively manage the total relationship between an employer and employee in order to achieve the strategic goals of the business

what does HR stand for?

human resources

what is the human resources process acronym?

ADMS

what does ADMS stand for?

A= acquisition
D= development
M= maintenance
S= seperation

what is ADMS also referred to as?

the human resources cycle

what are the main elements of aquisition?

identifying staffing needs, recruitement & selection

what are the main elements of development?

training & development

what are the main elements of maintenance?

monetary & non-monetary benefits

what are the main elements of seperation?

involuntary & voluntary seperation

what does the HR Process Aquisition refer to?

process of attracting and recruiting the right staff for roles in a business

what does the HR Process Development refer to?

enhancing the skills of the employee in line with the changing and future needs of the organisation

what does the HR Process Maintenance refer to?

maintain (or keep) employees at the business, including compensation and benefits

what does the HR Process Seperation refer to?

managing employees leaving a business

what are the human resources strategies?

training & development + rewards

what are examples of training & development?

• Induction training

• Mentoring and coaching

• Hands-on training

• Instructor led formal training

• eLearning

• Simulation and role play training

• Lectures

what is induction training (T&D- HR strategies)?

for new employees

what is mentoring & coaching (T&D- HR strategies)?

where experienced staff who transfer knowledge and skills

what is hands-on training (T&D- HR strategies)?

where employees learn by doing their actual job tasks, guided by a supervisor

what is instructor led formal training (T&D- HR strategies)?

where training occurs in a traditional classroom with a teacher presenting the material

what is eLearning (T&D- HR strategies)?

online, self-paced training ideal for large groups and mandatory topics

what is simulation & role play training (T&D- HR strategies)?

where there is controlled practice of real-life scenarios

what are lectures (T&D- HR strategies)?

presentations to communicate important information

what are examples of rewards?

monetary, non-monetary, individual, group, performance

what does rewards refer to?

monetary and non-monetary benefits that employees receive in return for their work effort

what does Monetary rewards refer to?

rewards reflected in pay or having financial value

what does Non-Monetary rewards refer to?

rewards that do not have an obvious financial value

what does Individual rewards refer to?

where the employee earns the reward based on their own personal performance

what does group rewards refer to?

where the employee earns the reward based not on their own personal performance but on the performance of the groups of which they are a membe

what does performance pay refer to?

linking part of an employee's income to their performance at work

what is an example of performance pay?

bonuses & comission payments

what is an advantage & disadvantage of individual rewards?

+helps retain best performers

-increase rivalry and conflict, leading to lack of collaboration

what is an advantage & disadvantage of group rewards?

+fosters collaboration and teamwork

-may not adequately reward individual top performers

what is an advantage & disadvantage of performance pay?

+encourages employees to strive for higher performance

-assessing performance can be subjective