Response Discussion 6.1

Internal Operations

Response Guidelines

Read the posts of your peers and respond to at least two (see below). When responding to others, seek clarification, share your personal experiences that relate to their experiences, and provide feedback on their posts.

Student 1

Internal Operations

Describe the implications of operations improvement for international operations and how these differ

from domestic applications.

International operations although producing/selling generally the same product or service require some

tweaking to adapt the product to local markets. For instance, McDonalds sells hamburgers. When it

entered the Indian market they expected sales to be high. However, this was not the case. The burger

which sells easily in USA could not sell in India. The reason was that the cow is sacred in India, so people

do not eat beef. A non-beef burger had to be produced.

Analyze the potential differences between the operations improvement process for the service and the

manufacturing sectors, both internationally and domestically.

Operations improvement in the manufacturing sector aim at making the product function as efficiently

as possible in serving the customer needs. The customer might be internal, domestic or international.

On the other hand, in the service sector, operations improvement aims at enhancing the customer

experience since a service is consumed as it is produced. For instance, helping hotel guests carry their

luggage from the car to their rooms makes them feel good. Calling them using their names goes a step

further in making them feel special.

In manufacturing, a process can be improved by one person and replicated through automation. This is

not so with services. Every person involved in the service chain is a producer and has to learn to

embrace operations improvement.

Describe how ISO certification might affect the operations improvement process in the international

and domestic realm.

International Standard Organization (ISO) certification involves a set of processes that show that a

product, service or system meets the requirements of an ISO standard. The process of getting certified is

rigorous and entails a lot of improvements in product or service production processes. These high

standards have to be maintained continuously. As a result, undergoing the conformity assessment

process and obtaining ISO certification produces many benefits associated with operations

improvement process. These include:

It provides consumers and other stakeholders with added confidence about the company’s products or

services

It gives the company a competitive edge over competitors who are not ISO certified

It helps regulators ensure that health, safety or environmental conditions are met

The main forms of conformity assessment are testing, certification, and inspection. These are carried

out at the place of production whether for a product or service. Thus ISO certification affects positively

the operations improvement process in the international and domestic realm by making the

organization improve its processes.

References

http://pqacertification.com/process-improvement/improve-iso

Student 2

Describe the implications of operations improvement for international operations and how these differ

from domestic applications.

Operations improvement for international operations is directly aligned with the policies of the target

country, given the inherent differences in international nations relative to the home country.

Considering that businesses of international operations are geographically and physically detached,

decisions associated with operations improvement may need to be more rapidly the benefits of

obtaining assistance or guidance from Headquarters. Another important factor to consider is that the

operations improvement method must include the national cultural differences, given that these

differences may directly influence the desired outcome of the improvement goal (Aponte, n.d.)

Analyze the potential differences between the operations improvement process for the service and the

manufacturing sectors, both internationally and domestically.

There are many differences between the operations improvement process for service and the

manufacturing sectors. Some of the most significant differences involve 1) the human element is more

important in service; 2) availability of service delivery is key; 3) service are typically more difficult to

measure; 4) there is more variety of demand in service; 5) services are intangible, products are tangible;

6) the environment of service delivery/production is more important in service. Within this construct,

there is more flexibility of approach for services to ensure relevant tools and techniques are optimized

to maximize process improvement (Court, 2018).

Describe how ISO certification might affect the operations improvement process in the international and

domestic realm.

The International Standard Organization (ISO) sets forth specialized standards to improve process

operations. The ISO Management System Standards provide organizations with a platform for

performance improvement through the implementation of specific steps, goals, objectives, and

increased levels of employee awareness and management leadership commitment (“Management

System Standards”, n.d.).

Reference:

(n.d.). Management System Standards. International Standard Organization. Retrieved on November 14,

2018, from https://www.iso.org/management-system-standards.html

Aponte, J. (n.d.). Implications of Operation’s Improvement in International Operations. Jorge Aponte

MBA. Retrieved on November 14, 2018, from

https://jorgeapontemba.wordpress.com/2013/01/26/implications-of-operations-improvement-in-

international-operations/

Court, L. (2018). 6 Reasons why Service Industry Process Improvement is Different to Manufacturing.

Reinvigoration. Retrieved on November 14, 2018, from https://www.reinvigoration.com/improve-

processes-services-versus-manufacturing/