Compare the Management of Operations Vue Cinemas and Elm Surgery

Simon William Baskerville

PI: B7020925

B203: Business functions in context

TMA01 - Choose two of the organisations featured in the DVD (Vue, Fuller's Brewery or Elm Surgery). What are the similarities and differences in the management of operations in these two organisations?

* operations strategy

* design

* planning and control

* supply chain management

* quality and performance.

I have chosen to compare the management of operations Vue Cinemas and Elm Surgery. Both companies are services based with their main transformed resources being the customer's themselves. Vue Cinema's according to general manager X are a customer focused business with main emphasis focusing around 'the customer journey' essentially a series of processes a customer goes through when visiting a Vue cinema.

Elm surgery also a service based operation exists both to make a profit for the partners in the business but also to assist the NHS in providing the general public with a reliable health service. Unlike Vue Elm surgery only operates from a single premises with approximately 6000 patients a year and 20 staff. Both operations pride themselves on a quality customer service but how to they manage operational activities to achieve their objectives?

Firstly i will compare their key operational objectives using a Polar representation method Fig.1

Elm surgery is a msall NHS funded medical pracise located in Plymouth - they have a customer base of 6000 patients yearly and aim to achive a fast through-put time and a resoanbly varied service. Although some procedures have to be referd to third party or other contractors.

Customer processing Unit cut out wasted time on arrivl reduce waiting time improve customer experience. Electronic ticket buying serivece online - reducing waste in customer waiting times increase through put time reduce cost increase effecentcy.

Voume versus variety - 4 V's model what are the operational objects how do they compare - figure 1.7 page 20) reduce buffer make operation leaner - maximising staff equipment utalization.

Forcasting - steady for surgery - unpredictable for VUE

Planning and control - MRP vs JIT philosophy -

Quality control - Mystery hues - nhs guidelines - balance score cart planning nd - apply meurments. - independant demand MAIN PERFORMANC OJECTIVS apply model

Location design - Demand pull customer requirement over supply requirements in both companies. Capacity mnagment

I have chosen to compare .................. operational functions. I have broken down my comparison in to five sections operations strategy, design, planning and control, supply chain management, quality and performance with an in depth looking into the differences in operational stratergy design and quality perfomrnace measurements.

Vue Cinemas currenyl run X amount of cinemas across the uk with expansion plans of 4-5 new cinemas over the nest 2- 3 years. General manager stes they pride them selfs on their customer experience focus - relying on exceptional customer service to set them apart from their competitors which in the case of X cinema would be of vital importance as the location of competitors is very close. Product design will be the main defiretiator.

What is the nature of there process operations (four V's) plus

DESIGN: product process matrix does the process requirements match up sufficiently. Page 101!

How to Volume and Variety affect process design in each operation . disscuss

Mainly a process desing rather than a producy design or manufacture process - as both companies are operating a service based organisation

Good services focus on fast THROUGH PUT TIMES/ through put rates. - Minismising time customers request a servie and the actual time they recive it or 'Lead time? (maybe more relevant in terms of ordering materials from suppliers)

Utalization - or resources/realising capacity - whilst not comparmising on objectives.

Location design objectives ! -supply network design Demand lead or supply lead locationsal decision ? (page 157)

Table 4.1 illustrates impact of the 5 performance objects on design objectives.

Service types/ mass/ shop/ specialised effects on process desing - and achievable objectivs. Are they different why nature of industry ?1

Process mapping using symbols to illustrate method - simplfy process in order to cut out waste if possible for Vue - Elm can only simply some process eg. Customer arrivals actual diagnosies and treatment maybe difficult to simplfy - one main difference in the way operations will be ran.

Process variability in design are processes designed to accommodate variatios in demand - eg capacity requirements stock requirements staff requirements what to the companies to do mange variation in demand (forcasting - predicting- buffer inventory? JIT or MRP orientated design.

Breakages - staff illness hows is this managed?

Mension planning and control volume vs variety possibly.

Concept,Packages,process - Design 'meeting customers expectations - satisfying perceptions.

Adapting axssilary products to particular demnd due to movy sohwing . eg. Kids fruit juices - adults coffe. Know you cutomer in order to