According to the Željko and Damir (2016), operational planning is generally utilized by lower level managers who are directly linked to activity production. This kind of management enhances production schedules as well as production sequences. Operational level bring about effective production processes by enhancing to a large percentage the capacity utilization rate, reduced fallout ratio, as well as improved delivery time,
Managerial level of management is considered to have capabilities of executing the goals set by strategic level management (Zafer & Sahin, 2015). This level enhances upward communication to help strategic level leaders to improve the operational leadership.
Strategic level employs strategic objectives to help organizations in converting the broad vision into the more specific plans and projects. This level also ensures that the projects being assigned are realistic and actually and relates to the mission statement.
Operational level encompasses all daily endeavors that are accomplished as instructed by the strategic level to ensure the mission statement is well addressed.
The managerial level coordinates the programs designed on the mission statement and ensures that appropriate skills and resources are provided and controlled at the operation level for the purpose of fulfilling the nature of mission of the organization.
To enhance some efficiency I would encourage organization to use information systems that can serve their needs among the three levels, for example, one that does not allow human intervention for the purpose of enhancing gathering, storing and disseminating information across the three levels. More so I would encourage organization to opt for cloud computing strategies that allow off- the- shelf applications that is internet centric. Both users at three levels shall apply the availed procedures and rules in relation to organization objectives and seek redress without necessarily getting in touch of each other.
Discussion2
The three levels of Management Hierarchy: Strategic, Management and Operational
Strategic Management: In this level, the business focuses on market, customer, products and services, what it should, the direction, what markets and customers should the business be targeting and how the business prepares for them. The purpose of strategic management is to align with the external world and create long term value for the shareholders by unlocking the organizations potential, unlocking resources and capabilities and giving encouragement to the people’s wisdom and compassion. Strategic management process brings about a balance between the internal and external environment. Organizations constantly refines its strategies, structure, products and services, markets and competitive advantage. Strategic management is a critical business process for any organization which has a long-term vision to be a leader in its business. Strategic planning happens at organizations as an annual exercise with horizon of three-year period with the individual’s business units and functional units.
Managerial: In this level, the business focuses on the business model and organization, how the business does it and how the business generates revenue and profits to sustain itself and build the brand. It is the process of getting things done effectively and efficiently, with and through the people and resources. Doing the right things or tasks, helps the organizations reach its goals. Doing thing right, in which the efficient use of such resources as people, money and equipment etc. helps the business achieve its goals. So, efficiency is associated with resource usage, low resources, low wastes achieve high effectiveness and goals is the strategy which should be managed. How well the business does this, defines success of the organization. It primarily focusses on planning, organizing, leading and controlling the work activities of the business.
Operational Management: This level focuses on the policies, processes and technology of the business, how well the business does it and how can the business be more efficient on this. Operations refers to the business processes that transform inputs into outputs. In the transformation phase value is added to the inputs and transformed. The operations function overlaps with marketing, finance and human resource functions. The operation inputs will vary as per what is being produced, but generally we have raw materials, land, humans, machinery, money, information, time, skill etc. which all fall under this category and should be considered in the operations management. Then we have the products, depending on the business they are going to be a goods or a service.
As an IT, professional, how would you use information technology to improve the efficiency the three levels of management hierarchy?
It is extremely important that everyone in the organization understands the strategy, offer ideas and craft supporting strategic plans that align with the overall strategy of the business. The operational workforce will largely determine whether the strategic shifts will succeed or fail. As the operations adapt to a new brave strategic change. If the strategic level of the business does it part, the organization will avoid that when a business disposes those strategic initiatives. Managing the operational and strategic levels simultaneously to drive the business forward takes a lot of discipline. A perfect balance between these two levels will never exist, some days we give greater emphasis on operational side and the other days we will be focusing on strategic planning and execution. Those businesses that do not pay attention to these levels of management, will soon see that their business is ruined. If organizations carefully maintain these levels of management, those businesses will succeed in achieving their business goals.