The use of necessary skills in work is an essential part of almost any profession. The better the employee is oriented in the assigned tasks and can execute orders in a qualified manner, the more likely that a specific organisation will receive a professional worker. An appropriate application that helps to feel at the place of a real employee gives a chance to assess what skills are necessary for the job, and what operational decisions must be taken to achieve the most significant results.
Personal Reflection on Operational Business Decisions
Introduction
The main essence of the simulation game is working as an operator who takes calls and answers questions from clients who seek help (McGraw-Hill Education 2012-2016). Successfully passed stages of this visual simulation allow understanding what communication skills need to be developed in this post, and also to determine what professional knowledge such a worker should possess. The result is the reflection of how well this or that employee is prepared for work in the role of operator and how qualitatively he or she can react to any non-standard situations arising in the course of practice activities.
Operations in Practice
One of the methods that manifests itself in the simulation game process and is an integral part of work in the chosen position is empowerment and responsibility. As Dubey, Gunasekaran, and Ali (2015, p. 124) note, for the correct implementation of this theory, staff should be able to monitor critical processes of performing their duties in the context of an overall transparent business structure. This opportunity is based on obtaining information about the goals and missions of a particular organisation, as well as about the specifics of a structural unit where the worker operates. It is also necessary to be aware of the job description; otherwise, the results of the activity may contradict the goals that the management sets for the employee.
Another operational method is to induce interest in the work performed. According to Belekoukias, Garza-Reyes, and Kumar (2014, p. 5349), people as professionals want to have an exciting activity and see the result of their efforts. As a rule, there are no entirely reliable means for measuring interest in work. Nevertheless, management can always conduct relevant surveys and analyse the current concern of employees in achieving their goals. Based on the simulation game, it is possible to see that the character takes part in dialogues with customers quite willingly, which allows saying about his or her enthusiasm for the occupation (McGraw-Hill Education 2012-2016).
Impact of Operational Decisions
When evaluating the results of the first module of the game, all levels were not passed with the best results (McGraw-Hill Education 2012-2016). Nevertheless, the information obtained is a rational basis for concluding what changes must be made in the production process. Perhaps, some decisions would be worth reconsidering, and a more extended reflection on this or that answer could have helped achieve a better result. The same goes for module two. The average outcome can be explained by the lack of some knowledge in the field of management. Training such skills is necessary for the stable work of the organisation (Hayes 2017, p. 49). Therefore, the direction of development is quite evident, and the skills that should be improved are determined.
Undertaking Supply Chain Management Responsibilities
The organisation of work includes not only the performance of immediate duties in the form of specific tasks but also the regulation of additional activities that are directly related to the work of the company. In particular, it can be about supply chain management, as well as establishing partnerships with distributors and suppliers. These moments play a significant role since the quality of their implementation influences how well a specific organisation is equipped with necessary materials.
Supplier Relationships
In the process of work, it may be necessary to develop specific strategies aimed at establishing trustful and mutually beneficial relations with suppliers. If it is a question of short-term cooperation when the company, for example, once orders a particular product from an appropriate firm, there is no need to think over long-term tactics of negotiating. As a rule, in such situations, two organisations just agree on the cost of delivery and all the essential conventions.
According to Dong, Kouvelis, and Su (2014, p. 223), working with partners requires interest from both sides. If two companies intend to cooperate mutually, there are no obstacles to take advantage of each other’s services at least once.
However, when it comes to long-term cooperation, it is necessary to think over the strategy carefully since losing a reliable partner is very unprofitable in the face of a fierce market competition. It is especially true for those companies whose success depends on the products they offer to consumers. As Pettigrew (2014, p. 107) remarks, long-term cooperation strategies should not work in such a way as to satisfy the interests of only one party. One of the options that a specific company can offer is to organise partnership on mutually beneficial terms. For example, in exchange for the delivered goods at an affordable price, the supplier company can count on advertising from the partner. It is also possible to use a barter system and implement it as one of the strategies for doing business.
Quality within the Supply Chain
Any trading company can significantly improve its performance by developing the quality of supply management processes. Appropriate control over the availability of a specific type of goods is necessary and essential, especially when it comes to a large or well-known organisation that has long been working in the business sphere. On the one hand, it will not freeze current assets and, on the other hand, will not let logistical costs increase due to regular supplies (Sharma, Mithas & Kankanhalli 2014, p. 437). Therefore, it is necessary to control the frequency with which the goods come responsibly and also monitor their quality to avoid extra expenses.
Another reason for the need for control is that improving the quality of processes in the supply chain allows companies to free up their working capital (Hayes 2017, p. 175). It is expressed, for example, in a faster realisation of a specific product. Deferred payments, on the contrary, negatively affect the company’s performance and may spoil relationships with partners.
Conclusion
Thus, a described simulation game is a rather convenient way to train personal skills in the field of sales manager and customer service. There are quite a few factors and strategies that influence the success of organisations. Productive and long-term partnership depends on various factors and tactics that are used by management. Proper control of the supply chain can allow saving money and receive necessary goods in time.
Reference List
Belekoukias, I, Garza-Reyes, JA & Kumar, V 2014, ‘The impact of lean methods and tools on the operational performance of manufacturing organisations’, International Journal of Production Research, vol. 52, no. 18, pp. 5346-5366.
Dong, L, Kouvelis, P & Su, P 2014, ‘Operational hedging strategies and competitive exposure to exchange rates’, International Journal of Production Economics, vol. 153, pp. 215-229.
Dubey, R, Gunasekaran, A & Ali, SS 2015, ‘Exploring the relationship between leadership, operational practices, institutional pressures and environmental performance: a framework for green supply chain’, International Journal of Production Economics, vol. 160, no. , pp. 120-132.
Hayes, J 2017, Operational decision-making in high-hazard organizations: drawing a line in the sand, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
McGraw-Hill Education 2012-2016, The Practice Series from McGraw-Hill. Web.
Pettigrew, AM 2014, The politics of organizational decision-making, Routledge, New York, NY.
Sharma, R, Mithas, S & Kankanhalli, A 2014, ‘Transforming decision-making processes: a research agenda for understanding the impact of business analytics on organisations’, European Journal of Information Systems, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 433-441.