BUS599 Asignt 4

Operation, Technology and Management Plan

Raymond J Aikins-Kouakou

Strayer University

Strategic Management BUS-599

Professor Daniel Goldsmith

08/31/2017

Operation, Technology and Management Plan

Operation plan

An operation plan of any organization is a short but very detailed plan that is drafted by the management so as to achieve specific strategic objectives together with goals of the company. Operation plan usually has the aim of ensuring that the set aims are attained without failure so that the company’s revenue and profits can be increase and can attract more investors.

Maria Gardas Inc. is one among the many firms which produces energy drinks. For it to have a good operation plan, it ought to increase its operation accessibility in several areas such as Africa, China, Europe and India (Cheng, Wong, Cheung, & Leung, 2016). The company is also required to come up with strategies of engaging in producing other types of products like their main competitors do.

For the operation plan of Maria Gardas Inc. of expanding their business to the international market to be effective, the company ought to inform their manufacturers to ensure that they take essential actions through increasing their production. The company should also carry out market research so as to determine the demand in the projected locations. The company ought to develop some competitive advantages over their competitors in the market to ensure that they enjoy good business relations with their consumers.

Strategic planning techniques used by Maria Gardas Inc. to formulate alternative strategies

Identification of SWOT Analysis. So as to make well-developed as well as successful strategic planning, Maria Gardas Inc. management is supposed to go deep into their SWOT and determine the strengths as well as weaknesses that they have (Kajanus, Leskinen, Kurttila, & Kangas, 2012).

Using PESTEL Analysis. The company should ensure that it identifies its external environment so as to be successful in its operation plan.

Research and development activities

In strategic management, the issues of successful implementation are seen to be rotating around how effective or bad Maria Gardas Inc. responds to issues concerning changes and according to my research and development activities, there are four issues the company will have to pay attention to during operations planning.

• The problem of configuring the business units where business unites tend to have external market for products and services. Thus the management has the possibility of planning as well as executing strategies without depending on other pieces of the company such as the culture.

• Issue with traditional management reports which are not normally sensitive in monitoring the implementation strategies. This always makes the operations managers not to be fully aware of what is going on and can lead to poor performance.

• Issue with the company rigidity in accepting change

• Issue with the company upgrading the communication system.

Technological plan

Most business organizations use so form of technology in carrying out its business operations. For example, business professionals use information technology in processing orders as well as maintaining financial records together with making communication with customers and suppliers. Determining which hardware or software a company needs to remain competitive calls for planning as well as organization. Maria Gardas Inc. therefore needs to come up with a technology plan so as to maintain their business environment together with training their staff and supporting all workers who utilize the technology in their daily activities. Maria Gardas Inc. technological plan involves the following steps.

1. Maria Gardas Inc. needs ought to be known and then a must own a superior website blueprint done. This is carried out so as to ensure easy communication with clients as well as ensure internet sharing podium where buyers and customers have the possibility of freely posting their requirements as well as dissatisfactions.

2. Maria Gardas Inc. then has to decide to choose a technology which can grow as well as change with the Non Alcoholic Beverage Company and which offers support to the strategic goals. This is carried out through the usage of templates as well as tools together with resources presented by websites so as to aid it make decisions concerning how much it capable of spending on technological investments.

3. Evaluating of software alongside hardware products in accordance to the organization’s requirements is then carried out. This involves taking care of all the parties connected with the industry by characteristically providing lists of the vendors who are helpful in the provision of industry-specific technology. Maria Gardas Inc. then attends trade shows so as to see live exhibitions as well as speak with trained sales persons.

4. Maria Gardas Inc. is then required to involve itself in the development of a disaster plan so as to counter emergencies. If Maria Gardas Inc. depends on their technology to operate their beverage production each single day of the week, it might have to launch a backup site to enable it to run its operation in another website in the event of a natural as well as man-made disaster.

Management and organization plan

The management as well as organizational plan comprises the good managerial strategies that Managers at Maria Gardas Inc. put into action so as to guarantee the expansion of the company. They include:

Employment of qualified staff and workers. For Maria Gardas Inc. to expand, the management needs to hire qualified top management who has the possibility of improving the production of quality products to ensure widening of the customer base.

Instilling teamwork. Teamwork in the staff and employees is one among the many strategies that True Rat Company ought to employ to ensure that it expands in the international market (Strand, 2014). Teamwork guarantees that product production is done at the right time as well as with the right technology required by the customers.

 Company’s management hierarchy.

The Board of Directors of Maria Gardas Inc. is only answerable to the shareholders. The responsibilities of the board include the selection as well as oversight of the senior management, comprising the chief executive officer and the CEO. The top management is responsible for Maria Gardas Inc. operation as well as oversight.

The middle management is composed of the General Manager as well as the Regional Manager. The General Manager has the responsibility of overseeing all the administrative functions in the company. A major part includes leading as well as directing workers. He or she is also responsible with delegating administrative tasks like accounting as well as paperwork together with payroll. The Regional Manager at Maria Gardas Inc. is responsible for accomplishing regional sales as well as human resource goals through recruiting, selecting as well as training and disciplining workers among others.

The first line management consists of Supervisor as well as Office Manager and Team Leader. The Office Manager is responsible for maintaining office services by organizing office functions as well as designing filling systems etc. the supervisor is responsible for setting performance standards in the production of non-alcoholic beverage (Tillmann & Goddard, 2008). The Team Leader has the responsibility of providing guidance and direction to the group of employees that Maria Gardas Inc.has.

References

Cheng, M., Wong, J., Cheung, C., & Leung, K. (2016). A scenario-based roadmapping method for strategic planning and forecasting: A case study in a testing, inspection and certification company. Technological Forecasting And Social Change, 111, 44-62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2016.06.005

Kajanus, M., Leskinen, P., Kurttila, M., & Kangas, J. (2012). Making use of MCDS methods in SWOT analysis—Lessons learnt in strategic natural resources management. Forest Policy And Economics, 20, 1-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2012.03.005

Strand, R. (2014). Strategic Leadership of Corporate Sustainability. Journal Of Business Ethics, 123(4), 687-706. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-2017-3

Tillmann, K. & Goddard, A. (2008). Strategic management accounting and sense-making in a multinational company. Management Accounting Research, 19(1), 80-102. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mar.2007.11.002