STRATEGIC OPERATIONS REPORT

Strategic Operations Report

Table of Contents

Introduction2

Discussion2

Operations and Business Strategy2

Value Chain and the Quality5

Identification6

Technology and Core Competence6

Frame7

Foam and Fiber Fillings7

Suspension7

Leather7

Skilled Workforce8

Technology8

Issues9

Layout9

Process Type9

Technologies9

Conclusion10

Strategic Operations Report

Introduction

“Saxon Leather Upholstery Ltd.” is one of the leading home furniture companies in United Kingdom located in Manchester, Bolton. It was established in 1982 The Company believes in delivering the quality products that are made with respect to the customer's specifications of the order that was placed, the skilled craftsmen works with their best capabilities and then the company delivers the products direct to the customer's home. Their supply chain involves various steps (such as order placement which attached to their computerized aided designs (CAD) systems that facilitate online orders, than the specified orders comes to the production with all the details attached and production department starts working according to the delivery date that has been asked in the order detail file and then the finished products are delivered by the company's delivery staff.

“Saxon Leather Upholstery” a company which is a family firm and believes in quality products that are manufactured in their own factory located in Bolton, Manchester. They are confident enough to give ten years of guarantee to their customers with an option of money back guarantee within 28 days of their purchase receipt (Robert J, Managing Director).

Discussion

Operations and Business Strategy

Operations strategy is the expansion of the long-term plan for utilizing the key assets of the company to get a strategic fit and how the operations can be configured with business or corporate strategies that related to the core objectives of the company in order to get the competitive advantage over the competitors. The questions that “Saxon” should be concerned about while making their operations strategies were, what level of facilities that are being given to the customers? What should be the procedure that take place in the manufacturing, majoring the level of supply chain from order placement to the finished goods and from finished goods to the home delivery. What will be the environment of the workplace? How to make certain about the quality of the products? These questions should be addressed in detail before to designing the operations strategy and then implementing according to the corporate level of business level strategy (T. Hill, 2000).

Operations strategy gives a detailed overview on what company should do and how its resources should be prioritizes and utilizes in order to get the competitive in the industry. Saxon being the leaders of the industry, has to think beyond the imagination of their competitors because developing a strategy can be an easy task to do but implementing it throughout the organization according to the core capabilities and objective of the organization is a hard task to do, any external factor that affects the strategy can affect the overall performance of the organization, whether it is the increasing trend in globalization, competition in the market or advancement in the technology. Therefore, the preventive measures that should be taken by an operations manager is lowering the cost of labor, cost of ...