hi

Alzahrani 1

Motorola and Alcatel-Lucent

Sustainability in the Operations Management is a vital for any company. In order to realize all the gains of the firm, the organization has to use a number of environmental sustainability in its operations (Chase). For instance, Motorola and Alcatel-Lucent have all been known for employing a number of these strategies in their respective companies. The measures in turn helped the firms realize their full potential and maximize on their efficiency as part of the operations effected.

Quality management: Motorola cut their waste amounts by cutting down on the defects found in their products like their televisions. The training conducted by the organization so as to reduce the costs and saved was concentrated on the technical leaders (Brown et al.). Alcatel-Lucent on the other hand adopted the DMAIC methodology of the six sigma whereby it entails the stages represented in its title by their first letters. They include Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control. The phases were used to guide the course of action undertaken for every project (Brown, Bessant, and Lamming).

Lean systems: Motorola’s employees were trained to the highest proficiency in the techniques required to maximize their output and reduce the costs whilst saving the little they can. Meanwhile Alcatel-Lucent had chosen leaders that will also help the other employees in making sure that the production is going according to plan to avoid wastage. Both companies applied different lean systems that would help their employees achieve optimum productivity(Brown, Bessant, and Lamming).

Product design: Motorola uses their new product designs as a means of cutting down on wastage through making less defective products. The various members would help their teams to realize their potential by virtually being the managers of their respective projects. For instance, the designs of the various components of their phones would be done at the same time in order to ensure the teams agreed on the choice of components (Mehrjerdi). Alcatel-Lucent’s leaders on the other hand would be used to define all the projects and their individual goals before embarking on them. They also chart the course taken and then devise solutions to any issue that may arise over the course of fulfilling the set objectives. The product designs helped in the production of products that the market was ready for and that suited the different market needs with less time wasted in their production. With the companies working as a unit, it was simpler to have each of them realize the benefits of the new product design mechanisms.

Process design: The other benefit was the training of new employees who could take over and maximize their productivity with less wastage and more profits. Motorola for instance saw a reduced number of products returned to the industries owing to defects. The reduction was vital in the reduction of the costs of production with almost all the materials ending up efficiently used. Alcatel-Lucent also was not left behind(Ranky, Kalaba, and Zheng). The processes of production in their industries were taken up by specialists to help guide the others on how to best produce efficiently. The leaders of the various teams were in charge of identifying inefficiencies, troubleshooting them and finally coming up with workable solutions that would benefit the company. Despite the initial hitches in the end, both companies were able to realize their goals and improve the process of production.

Works Cited

Brown, Steve et al. Operations Management: Policy, Practice and Performance Improvement. Routledge, 2013. Google Scholar. Web. 7 Oct. 2014.

Brown, Steve, John Robert Bessant, and Richard Lamming. Strategic Operations Management. Routledge, 2013. Google Scholar. Web. 7 Oct. 2014.

Chase, Jacobs. Operations Management. Tata McGraw-Hill, 2012. Google Scholar. Web. 7 Oct. 2014.

Mehrjerdi, Yahia Zare. “Six-Sigma: Methodology, Tools and Its Future.” Assembly Automation 31.1 (2011): 79–88. Print.

Ranky, P. G., O. Kalaba, and Yijun Zheng. “Sustainable Lean Six-Sigma Green Engineering System Design Educational Challenges and Interactive Multimedia Solutions.” Sustainable Systems and Technology (ISSST), 2012 IEEE International Symposium on. IEEE, 2012. 1–6. Google Scholar. Web. 7 Oct. 2014.