17-11-2012, 01:50 PM
A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE SYSTEMS AND OPERATIONS PRACTICES AT ATOKOWA ADVANTAGE, AUSTRALIA
A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS.docx (Size: 27.36 KB / Downloads: 37)
Introduction
Business organizations are established with the aim of maximizing profits while minimizing costs. In order to effectively achieve this, quality control becomes very significant. Businesses must improve their quality and scope so as to remain in the market and make profits. As a result of this, this report shall look at the current state operations and systems processes in Atokowa Advantage Company then analyze the short comings of the systems and further suggest possible ways through which the companies can achieve greater heights.
Executive summary
Having a very rich success history, Atokowa Advantage was established in 1964 by Lachlan Atokowa in Sydney, Australia. No doubt, a company that has survived all forms of competition for over 40 years and is still in business today must have been run by exceptional managers. Growing and expanding its products and service lines, Atokowa has forced its way into six major cities in Australia today. They include Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Newcastle.
With its humble beginning as a photocopy serve provider, Atokowa gradually incorporated other lines of business such as printing of flyers and brochures. It continued to grow amidst various challenges and has successfully become a one – stop shop for stationeries. Today Atokowa is one of the leading stationery and office equipment suppliers in Australia.
Scope and purpose of the report
In quest to achieve greater heights and make more profits, it is very important that a critical analyses of the current as well as the past systems and procedures involve in Atokowa should be carried out. This will help the company to understand its current level of operations and have a better focus on what areas it needs to improve or what areas to eliminate from the company.
A frequent mistake of many business reports is that the author makes the scope (purpose) of the reports too general or vague. As most business reports are required to support specific organizational objectives, strategies and decision making, it is critical that a chain of continuity in argument and evidence can be demonstrated between the purpose of the report, the research, and ultimately the solutions, findings and recommendations. (Thompson, 2005). This report is structured to focus specifically on the systems and operations of the company and possible suggestions on how to improve them. The report is prepared for the management and directors of Atokowa Advantage Sydney, Australia.
Operations and Systems management of Atokowa
Atokowa Advantage is sub-divided into four different departments which are run by different Directors: Retail operations, Purchasing and supply, Marketing and Human resource Management, and Finance departments.
First of all we shall take a look at the business mapping process of Atokowa Advantage.
According to SmartPros2002, In order to effectively analyze business processes, reviewers need a tool that takes into account the objectives of the business, the actual work being accomplished, and, most importantly, the impact of processes on customers. Business process mapping is just that tool. In a four-step process, analysis can be performed that accomplishes this holistic approach. At the same time, business process mapping also helps gain employees' buy-in and can result in an increased sense of pride for employees.
CATWOE
Rich Picture is a tool created by Peter Checkland which uses the simplicity of drawing a picture to analysis complex relationship situations. The Rich Picture steps we’ve outlined for the technique should not be rigidly adhered to. A flexible approach helps this style of analysis. There is no need to be expert at artistic presentation; the focus is on information capture. Team analysis of the rich picture takes place using the CATWOE framework detailed overleaf.