Components activities of John Lewis

To identify the component activity for an organisation of ” john lewis” ( this is the organisation that i have chosen). Evaluate the performance objectives used by each and critically examine and suggest ways in which the performance could be improved?

The component activity of the business is an important factor, which contributes towards the successful business operational activities. Every company differs from others in production activities and values. The strategies adopted vary and depends upon various factors. This is one of the reasons, the components activities have to be identified and differentiated from the other business that is indulged into the similar production activities. Component activities includes the below mentioned factors –

1. Analysing the long term goals of the company
2. Identifying the organizational goals for the company like the values, mission, brand image, and production activities.
3. Development of the staffs and managing the organizational culture.

This report has been has been prepared on John Lewis one of the upmarket department store is located in the UK. The stores are owned by the John Lewis, and have been in operations since in Oxford Street London. Due to strategy development and growth, the company has been able to develop new stores across England. The success of the store has been contributed to the successful operational planning executed by the stores (Turban et al., 2007).

Some of the important components of the John Lewis partnership are

• Setting out the operational activities by highlighting the vision and mission of the company
• Analysing the environmental factors
• Developing partnership strategies
• Conduce of the SWOT analysis

The mission statement is associated with the goals that are proposed to be achieved by the company. John Lewis believes in rendering unique services to the potential clients from different parts of the country and the world. The unique factor is associated with handling the needs of the customers, providing quality services, and implementing better strategies for increasing the quality of the services proposed to be rendered to the clients. The success of the store has been also contributed towards the staffing process, through which the business sustainability plan has been implemented in an effective manner. The vision and the mission of the company have been discussed with the clients and the stakeholders, as this helps in achieving the set target ( Rachel et al., 2010).

John Lewis offers branded and cost effective services to the clients. The prime objective of the store is to render the better services and share information with –

1. Marketing department
2. HR department

Such factors are required to earn profit, which is one of the prime objectives for the company. At the time of sharing the information, the management ensures to highlight the unexplored opportunities and the strategies through which the challenging tasks at the business place can be achieved (Scheer et al., 2007).

Marketing department are provided with accurate and reliable information about the business performance. Through this process, an attempt is made to develop long term and positive relationship with the organization. Detailed information about the business conduct and other activities related to the business needs to be discussed with the members on a timely manner. Such sharing of information secures the partnerships and makes the employees confidence about the business conduct (Ya-Fen and Tzai-Zang, 2009)

In the HR factor, the partnership of the store ensures to render the best possible services to the existing and potential clients. The queries faced by the customers are handled in an effective manner. This has been done to introduce strategies for improving the value of the customers and include honesty into the process. For this, the HR management provide quick and reliable services to the clients. Query handling and the benefits associated with the customers are shared in an effective manner (Kruppke & Bauer, 2005).

Mission of John Lewis

The quality of services has been proposed to be improved through the introduction of latest and efficient technology. The process includes for handling the below mentioned factors –

1. Supply chain management system
2. Keep a track of the sales (Pugna et al., 2008)
3. Develop staff retention process
4. Analyse the quality of the products and services sold by the company
5. Introduce inventory system
6. Analyse the budget and objectives of the company

It is necessary to analyse the external environmental factors which is one of the most important factors that would contribute towards the successful business conduct. Through this process, an attempt is made to improve the quality of services and standards that are intended to be provided to the clients. There are different factors that could impact the strategic decision making process of the stores. It is recommended to consider the factors through which the quality of strategic management and the procedure that has to be followed for earning goodwill (Hays and Hill, 2001).

Strategic management plan for increasing the production process and analysing the changes intended to be implemented by the managers of the stores are an important factor. Through this method, the decision regarding the business development, introducing changes with the production and sales process, and others are analysed. This is required for improving the organization decision regarding the business development and intruding new technology for serving the clients with the better options (Heizenberg, 2009).

Some of the factors that are analysed in this process include –

• Social – It includes implementing different strategies through which the changes in the production process can be introduced. Fair-trade and other factors are considered to be essential for setting out the standards that are necessary for the conduct of the business. The prices and the quality of services promised by the company are analysed in an effective manner. The changing needs or the expectations of the clients are analysed, s this will help in the business development plan (Holton, 2009).
• Training of the staffs – The store ensure to recruit qualified and experienced staffs that would provide the best customer service to the clients. Staffs are put through rigours training process, which enables the employees to learn better methods to increase the relationship with the clients of the stores. In this process, strategies are prepared to retain the best working staffs with the stores. For this motivational factors for the staffs are analysed. Through this method, the members are encouraged to work towards the goal achievement that has been set forth by the company (Kiraka & Manning, 2005).
• Traceable products – In this method, the traceability of the goods and services rendered by the stores are analysed. This forms an important part of the component activities for the organization. John Lewis has been serving clients for more than a century now. The increase in the level of competition and expectations of the clients has encouraged the stores to introduce better methods to improve the sales and productivity. The steps involved in the process are critically evaluated through the strategies adopted by the management. In this method, the management work towards gaining the confidence of the consumers from the national and international market.
• Product safety – This is another type of component activity, where the products are integrated with the mission and objectives of the company. The standards are evaluated and the same is communicated with the members. Safety measures include analysing the quality environment, animal welfare, and other factors that are associated with the execution of the task.

The components considered to be essential for the success of the business are –

1. Strategies adopted for increasing the sales and productivity for the organization
2. Implementation of the technology through which the desired task can be achieved by the management (Kaplan & Norton, 2001)
3. Staff management

In this method, the management work towards improving the quality of the services which would affect the environmental factors. This includes controlling the wastages of the products that has been sold by the company. For packing the goods, the company ensure to use reusable or recycling materials. Such a factor reduces the wastages that are involved with the products and services rendered by the company to the clients (Albescu et al., 2007).

In the technological factors, the implementation of the latest process to manufacture and sell the products and services is adopted by the company. The technology is expected to help the management in introducing the better strategies for analysing the stocks, handling the staffs report, and others. The prime objective is to minimise the delay in the process of execution of the tasks or reduce the wastages (Ballard, 2006).

Trained and experienced staffs of the company tend to perform better for the company. The store ensures to recruit the best staff that would be able to handle the challenging tasks at the workplace. The training program has been designed and implemented by the management after analysing the future goals. Through this process, an attempt is made to minimise the labour turnover, which increases the operational expenses for the company.

Recruitment process is done after evaluating the job analysis process. In this method, the strategies adopted by the company have to be analysed as this will help in selecting the qualified and experienced staffs for the stores. Advertisement for the job is done through online and offline method. Through such process, an attempt is made to recruit the suitable candidate who will be able to handle the challenges involved at the workplace.

Component associated with the business strategy

Through this process, the store analyse the strength and weakness of the management.

1. Commitment towards the goal achievement
2. Provide the best possible services to the clients.
3. Effective strategies which enables the company to handle the challenging tasks even during economic downfall (Devis & Brabander, 2009)
4. Management through proper business plan has developed and implemented effective strategies through which the cost for the products has been controlled.

1. Economic factors affect the profit earning margin for the store
2. Increase in the competition and demand change of the customers
3. Develop effectives strategies through which the business could be developed and customers can be served with the better option (Ekerson, 2007)

1. Proposal to expand business to different parts of the global market
2. Brand image building
3. Development and retaining positive relationship with the clients
4. Adopt transparent method for increasing the sales and goodwill for the company

1. Handling the changing needs of the clients
2. Increasing competition in the industry

The success of the company or the store depends upon the effectiveness of the performance management that has been adopted and followed by the stores. In this process, the strategies are prepared to increase the quality of the products and render the best possible services to the clients. The changes required in the form of the production, marketing, and promotional activities has to be planned and introduced in the right manner (Eleni et al., 2007).

However the challenge arises when the management are loaded with huge expectations of the clients and the stakeholders. Performance management is associated with the objectives drafted by the company, availability of resources like the staffs and funds, and other factors that are considered to be important for the business success. In this case, the management needs to plan and introduce effective strategies, and has to evaluate the same. The changes in the production activities have to be evaluated and related with the objectives that have been outlined by the company. The expectations of the store with different stores vary and depend upon various factors. Thus, an effective planning strategy has to be developed. Through online sales, the management plan to increase the sales and goodwill for the stores.

Steps to improve the performance

1. Planning – The steps required to be followed for implementing the changes in the production process has to be planned. This will help in reducing the losses that can affect the business performance.

2. Execution   – Planned activities has to be executed in the planned manner. This will help in increasing the production activities (Harmon, 2003).

3. Monitoring – The steps followed by the management has to be monitored. Through this process the management intends to improve the quality of the production process.

Conclusion

Performance management and effective planning system is considered to be essential for the business management. In this process, the challenges involved in the execution method needs to be analysed. This will help in introducing the required changes through which the changes can be introduced by the management. The process followed by the management is planned and implemented in the planned manner. The changes can be introduced after analysing the challenges involved in the process of execution of the task.

References

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