Discuss about the Managing Operations of Virgin Atantic.
Virgin Atantic is a British Airline company having its head office in head offce in Crawley, United Kingdom. Virgin Atlantic aircraft is operating with a three-class cabin configuration that includes Economy, Premium Economy, and Upper Class. The various operations management techniques of the organization includes designing of goods and services, quality management, process as well as capacity design, location strategy, layout design and strategy, job design and human resources, supply chain management, inventory management, scheduling, as well as maintenance.
The organization, however, is being faced with certain problems that includes the problem of making investment in new plant or machinery, problem relating to the location of business premises that includes challenges relating to new quality processes, problems relating to distribution of products or the problems associated with the development of control processes.
It is essential to explain the changes that is required to be made to the operations processes for providing quality improvements. In this regard, it is required taking into consideration the current process wuthin the organization. Then, it is required having the knowledge as to why the organization is required changing the process. The changes that should be made is required to be clearly identified and it is should subsequently be mesured, analyzed, improved as well as controlled.
The various topics that will be explained in respect of operations management will be including the operations technologies, Just-In-Time and Lean Manufacturing, production planning and employee productivity.
Just-in-Time
In respect of the current problems that are prevailing within the organization, Virgin Atlantic Airlines can use the Just-In-Time (JIT) production strategy. The major componnets associated with the Just-In-Time production strategy are having only the necessary inventory when required, improving quality to zero defects, reducing lead times through the reduction in setup times, queue lengths as well as lot sizes, having an incremental revising regarding the operations as well as accomplishing these thigs at a very less cost. The major goal relating to Just-In-Time manufacturing is doing the reduction of the manufacturing lead times. This can basically be actualized through a radical reduction regarding work-in-progress (WIP). Moreover, a slight increase in the capacities of production will be leading towards a major reduction regarding manufacturing lead times as well as major reduction of work-in-process inventory (Talib 2013).
JIT applications can be successfully used regarding repetitive manufacturing, operational aspects in which standard product batches get produced at increased speeds as well as volumes. However, in respect of implementing JIT production strategy in Virgin Atlantic Airlines, there is the requirement for making specific changes to the new plant as well as the way its management is being carried out. In this regard, there is the requirement for stablizing the schedules of production, increasing the work centre capacities, improving the quality of product, cross-training of the workers, reducing the breakdowns of equipments and developing long-term supplier associations.
The JIT manufacturing components is associated with the aspect of doing the elimination of the waste, doing the enforcement of problem solving as well as continuous improvement, reduction in the inventories as well as working towards repetitive manufacturing. There also occurs the elimination of waste in manufaturing by making only what is required presently, reducing the waiting through the coordination of flows as well as balancing the loads, reducing or eliminating the handling of materials as well as shipping, eliminating every unrequired steps of production, reducing the set-up times as well as increasing the rates of production, eliminating the human motions as well as eliminating the defects as well as inspections. Just-In-Time is also considered being a method of imposed solving of problems (Talib 2013). One of the steps is lowering the inventory in a gradual manner for exposing the problems as well as forcing the solutions.
Regarding the development of the control processes, JIT is having a strong component regarding the aspect of training as well as worker’s involvement, there is the requirement for developing a culture of mutual trust as well as teamwork, also there is the need for developing an attitude of loyalty towards the team as well as development of self-discipline. One more key component of JIT is the process of empowering the workers, providing them with the authority for solving the problems associated with production. Just-In-Time is considered being a pull system, where only the next stage of production is being looked at and determination is made regarding what is required there and then only those producttions are being made (Talib 2015).
In respect of the problems related with the distribution of products, there is the requirement for doing the the development as well as evaluation of the matching plan of production. The rate of production gets dictated with the help of the aggregate demand that has been forecasted, the forecasted aggregate demand will get converted into the necessary level of workforce through the use of the production time information. The primary expenses regarding the strategic aspect are the costs relating to the changing levels of workforce from time to time. The development as well as evaluation of the level production plan is associated with the gap between the amount planned for production as well as the filling of the forecasted demand with either inventory or backorders such as, no overtime, no idle time and no sub-contracting. In respect of services that are considered being standardized, aggregate palnning might be less complex than in processes that do the production of products (Stevenson 2015). In respect of customized services, there might occur difficulty in respect of doing the specification of the characteristic as well as extent of services that would be performed in respect of every customer and customers might be considered being an integral part of the system of production.
The kinds of production-planning as well as control systems include the pond-draining systems, push systems, pull systems, as well as concentrating on the bottlenecks. The pond-draining processes is emphasizing on holding inventories regarding materials for supporting the production, and there is very limited information that is passing through the system. With the drawing down of the inventory level, there occurs the placement of the orders with the supplying operation for repoenishing the inventorym and this might be leading towards excessive inventories and is rather not flexible in its capability toward responding to the requirements of the customers (Slack 2013). The push systems is using the information regarding the customers, suppliers, as well as production for doing the management of the flow of materials. The planning as well as controlling of the flows of materials are done with the help of a series of production schedules that are stating when the batches of each specific item will be coming out of each production stage. It might be resulting in significant reductions regarding the inventories of raw-materials and in greater worker as well as utilization of process in comparison to the pond-draining processes (Sallis 2014). In respect of the pull systems, it can be stated that there will occur the pulling of raw materials as well as parts from the back of the system toward the front where they will be getting converted into the finished products, and in this respect, it can be stated that the successful implementation will be requiring significant preparation. By focusing on the bottlenecks, it can be stated that the bottleneck operations do the impleding of production because they are having limited capacity in comparison to the upstream as well as the downstream stages, and there occurs the constraints related to the binding capacity that will be controlling the capacity regarding the system (Sabella 2014).
Earlier the meaning of automation was associated with the process of replacing the effort of humans wih the effort of machines, for saving the cost of labour. In the present time, the meaning of automation is associated with the aspect of doing the integration of a complete range of advanced information as well as engineering inventions into the methods of operation in respect of strategic purposes (Reason, 2016). Also, presently the application of automation is done not only in respect of labor cost savings, but also in respect of better quality, improved flexibility as well as faster production as well as product delivery.
The kinds of manufacturing automation will be including the machines attachments such as the low-cost add-ons to the machines, representing the oldest automation technological aspects, and characteristically doing the performing of one or more simple operations. Then there is the numerically controlled machines that are having a system of control that does the receiving or reading of instructions as well as translating them into machine operations. There has also been the evolution of the numerically controlled machines that includes the computer numerically controlled as well as the direct numerically controlled (Ooi, 2014). Then there is the automated quality control inspection that will be taking the physical dimensions of parts, comparing the measurement to standards, doing the checking of performance as well as making complete inspection to be feasible economically. Then there is the automatic identification systems that includes the feeding of sense as well as input data into computers, using the machine vision as well as optical character identification, and there occurs the reading of the data from products, documents, parts as well as containers. In respect of the automated proess controls, there occurs the using of sensors for obtaining the performance measures, doing the comparison of measures with the standards (Oakland 2014). There might occur the using of ‘expert system’ for determining what process adjustment is essential.
Towards the aspect of redesigning the products in respect of automated assembly, there is the requireement for reducing the amount of assembly that is necessary, reducing the number of fasteners that is necessary, designing the elements to be delivered automatically as well as positioned, designing the products in respect of layered assembly well as vertical incorporation of parts, designing the parts such that they are aligned individually, designing the products into key production units, as well as increasing the quality of the component for avoiding the jams in the machines (Miranda-Silva 2014).
The Automated Production Systems include the Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS), and Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS). Regarding the Flexible Manufacturig Systems it can be stated that, there occurs the loading of kits of materials in respect of a product on the material-handling process, there occurs the entering of code into compueter identifying product as well as its location within the sequence. Each production machine will be receiving the instructions from the computer, automatic loading as well as unloading of necessary tools will occur as well as there will take place the carrying out of its instructions relating to processing (Mehta 2014). In respect of the Automated Storage & Retrieval Systems (ASRS), there will occur the process of receiving the orders in respect of the materials from operations, collecting the materials from the warehouse locations, delivery of the materials to the workstations regarding the operational aspects. The 3 essential components of Automated Storage & Retrieval Systems will be including the computers as well as communication processes, automated handling of materials as well as systems of delivery and storage as well as systems of retrieval (Mahadevan 2015). The major advantages in respect of Automated Storage & Retrieval Systems are increasing the storage capacity, incrased system throughout, reduced cost of labour, as well as improved quality of products as well as services.
In respect of the software system that will be used in respect of automation, there exists three ‘complex’ computer-based processes such as the Computer-Aided Deisgn and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM), Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) as well as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). In respect of the Computer-aided Design as well as Computer-Aided Manufacturing, it can be stated it is merger of two processes such as CAD as well as CAM. It is considered being the automation of switching from the designing of the product to the manufacturing of the product (Khanam, 2016). In respect of Computer-Aided Design, it can be stated that it is associated with the automation of certain production design phases, then there occus the using of computers regarding interactive engineering drawing as well as design storages and there occurs the installing of the CAD processes towards increasing the productivity of the designers, improving the designs quality, improving the standardization of product, improving the documentation of designs as well as doing the creation of manufacturing database (Johnson 2014). In respect of Computer-Aided Manufacturing, it can be stated that the its capability to progress is slower in comparison to CAD. It is also concered with the aspect of automating the process of planning as well as production control that includes the plan of production, preparation of product routings, fixing the machinery settings, preparing the schedules of production as well as controlling the operations (Jaca 2015). In respect of the Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, it can be stated that every operations of the organization in relation to production are integrated with the help of an incorporated computer system for assisting, augmenting, or automating the operational aspects. Also, the output regarding a single activity will be becoming the input regading the subsequent acitivity. In respect of the Enterprise Resource Planning, it can be stated that it is considered being a complex set of software programs. It does the integration of majority of the functional aspects regarding business within Virgin Atlantic Airlines. This includes the process related with accounting, human resources, purchasing, production, logistics as well as e-businesses (Hitt 2016). For instance, in Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Enterprise Resource Planning is used in respect of air traffic control, as well as passenger reservation.
There is the requirement for ensuring operations strategy so that all the tasks that are being performed are considered being the correct tasks. Operations strategy is considered being a plan in respect of the design as well as management of functions regarding operational aspects. There occurs the focsing of operations strategies on particular capabilities that is giving it a competitive edge in respect of cometitive priorities. The function of operations strategy is associated with providing a long-range plan regardng the use of the resources of the organization to do the production of the primary services regarding Virgin Atlantic Airlines (Herzallah 2014). The structural aspect will be including the facilties, product flow as well as the technological aspects and the infrastructure will be including the planning and control method, workers, pay as well as quality.
Total Quality Management
Total Quality Management is considered being a management philosophy that does the integration of all functions of the organization such as marketing, finance, engineering, design, production and so on, for focusing on meeting the needs of the customers as well as objectives of the organization. Total Quality Management does the viewing of an organization to be collection of methods. It states that organizations are required striving for doing the continous improvement of these methods through the incorporation of the knowledge as well as the worker’s experiences (Heizer 2016). The major principles of Total Quality Management includes management commitment, staff empowerment, fact-based decision making, continous development, and the focus of the customers.
The advantages regarding Total Quality Management states that it does the lowering of costs all through the organizational infrastructure. Since, it is considered to be an all-inclusive program regarding quality management, Total Quality Management assists different departments towards communicating their requirements, problems as well as desires with one another, such that solutions that are considered to be workable can be found out that will assist Virgin Atlantic Airlines in cutting costs all through the supply chain, distribution chain, shipping as well as receiving, accounting and departments of management without the loss of productivity or the capability for operating in a rapid manner when a change is occuring (Dale 2015).
The disadvantages regarding Total Quality Management states that there is a high cost for doing the implementation of a program relating to TQM, as well as the fact that it might take many years in respect of the implementation of the full program prior to the seeing of the benefits as well as results, can be considered being a major disadvanatage regarding a Total Quality Management program, particularly in the indecisive economic conditions of the present day. Therefore, Total Quality Management is regarded as a long-term investment (Calvo-Mora 2014).
Deming’s 14 Points regading Quality Management, is considered being a key concept to do the implementation of the total quality management. It is a set of management practices that assist the organizations to do the increasing of their quality as well as productivity.
The 14 Points will be including,
Conclusion
To conclude, it can be stated that by taking into consideration Virgin Atlantic Airlines, certain problems relating to the operations management of the organization has been discussed. An explanation has been provided regarding the different processes, and a discussion has been provided in respect of certain operations theory such as Total Quality Management as well as Deming’s 14 Points. The implementation of the various processes will be done for overcoming the problems associated with making investment in new plant or machinery, problem relating to the location of business premises that includes challenges relating to new quality processes, problems relating to distribution of products or the problems associated with the development of control processes.
It can be recommended that the operational process can be improved within Virgin Atlantic Airlines through the implementation of certain strategic aspects such as Just-In-Time production strategy, Total Quality Management as well as Deming’s 14 Points. There will also occur the implementation of various operations strategies as well as operations technologies. These operations strategy are considered being plans in respect of the design as well as management of functions regarding the operational aspects.
References
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