Capstone Project Plan

Operations Management is one of the three main business functions. Through operations management, a business uses various inputs and strategies to combine those inputs to create value for its target consumers (Slack et al., 2010). This project aims to study aspects of operations management in the context of a real-life organization. The project will evaluate the type of product the company produces, its production strategies and processes, its quality control activities, and its facilities, among other factors associated with operations management. The company of focus for this project will be Zara. Zara is a fast fashion company that retails relatively affordable clothing globally. The project will evaluate how this company has maintained global operations allowing them to become a multinational clothing business in the highly competitive clothing and textile industry.

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Company Background

Zara is one of the most popular fast fashion brands in the world. This company is under the multinational clothing company Inditex, based in Spain. This corporation manages different subsidiary companies, Zara being the one that targets low to medium-income customers. Zara’s mission is to give its target customers a unique exclusivity of choice by always creating a quick stock turnover compared to other clothing retailers. The company aims to create value through product differentiation (Inditex, 2019). People with unique fashion needs can shop at Zara and feel the company has met their requirements. Indeed, Zara provides its customers with one of the most versatile fashion options. To fulfill this mission, the company has created an excellent operations management system that allows consistent quality products throughout its global stores.

Various stakeholders play a massive role in ensuring the success of Zara’s operations. First, the top managers include the company CEO, human resource managers, operations managers, financial managers, and other executives responsible for managing different functions that directly or indirectly contribute to operations management. Other stakeholders in the company’s operations are the employees. The employees of Zara ensure that the company’s plans are a reality. They are the people that do the actual job of implementing the organization’s plans. Lastly, the customers are stakeholders in the company’s operations by being the parties that inform the company’s decision-making. Zara makes its decisions in a manner that fulfills the needs and wants of the consumers.

This project will study Zara’s operations with the help of a branch manager who understands the company’s processes to provide quality clothing to its customers. The following is a planned interview with a Zara branch manager at a local store investigating different aspects of the process and strategies through which the company creates its value for the customers.

Interview Plans

The following interview will be done with the manager of Zara at The Galleria. The interview will be done through Skype to make the process cheaper and easier to manage. The discussion will tackle various areas of operations management, including the company’s product design, facilities, and quality control. The following are the planned interview questions in multiple areas of operations management.

Interview 1

Company Description
- How would you describe Zara?
- What is the history and culture of Zara?
- What is your value proposition?
- Who are your primary target customers?
- Who are your main competitors?
- What gives you a competitive advantage?
Product Design
- What is your main product?
- What is the process of developing this product?
- What strategy does Zara use to design its products?
- How does the company source its inputs for the product?

Interview 2

Quality Control Analysis
- How does Zara ensure quality in its products?
- Do you have a specific quality control framework?
- How do you test for quality in production?
- Do you have a strategy to ensure consistency in product quality?
JIT Analysis
- Would you describe the production process from receiving the raw materials to where the products get to the stores?
- Do you have strategic partners to enable this supply chain?
- Do you have a JIT analysis strategy?

Interview 3

Facilities Analysis
- How many production facilities does your company have?
- What are the locations of these facilities?
- Is there a specific reason for the choice of location?
- Does Zara use any technologies for production and inventory control?
- How are your production facilities connected to the rest of the supply chain?
Company Alignment
- What is the mission of your company?
- What are your company’s core competencies?
- How are these core competencies used to enhance operations?
- How do you align your mission with your core competencies?

Similar Post: The Business-level Strategy of Starbucks

References

Inditex (2019). About Us: Our Brands-Zara. Retrieved from: https://www.inditex.com/about-us/our-brands/zara

Slack, N., Chambers, S., & Johnston, R. (2010). Operations management. Pearson education.

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Question

[u01a3] Unit 1 Assignment 3 Capstone Project Planning

The course project is a critical component, and its assignments are integrated throughout it. To better understand the course project, please review the project description.

Capstone Project Plan

Start your project by determining the company you will review and the person(s) you intend to interview for your project. Include a brief description of the company and a list of questions you will ask the interviewee and submit the information to your instructor.

Capstone Project Planning Scoring Guide

Due Date: Unit 1
Percentage of Course Grade: 3%.

CRITERIA	DISTINGUISHED
Describe a company and stakeholders associated with assessing operations management. 33%	Describes a company, stakeholders, and the role of those stakeholders associated with assessing operations management.
Describe operational interview questions associated with understanding processes and practices. 33%	Describes interview questions associated with the role and importance of understanding processes and practices related to transforming inputs into usable outputs for the customer.
Describe operational interview questions associated with understanding the relationship of operational tactics and strategies to the company mission and goals. 34%	Describes interview questions associated with the role and importance of understanding the relationship of operational tactics and strategies to the company mission and goals.