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Operations Management : Kudler Fine Foods

Operations Management: Kudler Fine Foods
A process is defined as “any part of an organization that takes inputs and transforms them into outputs that, it is hoped, are of greater value to the organization than the original inputs” (Chase, Jacobs and Aquilano, 2005, p. 176). Acquiring inputs is the first of three stages of operations management. The second stage entails converting materials into products. The third stage involves delivering the output, or product (Gomez-Mejia and Balkin, 2002, p. 368). As business processes need strategic implementation, operations management is needed to oversee the execution of the processes. Specifically, operations management “focuses on carefully managing the processes to produce and distribute products and services (McNamara, C. 2007).
As Kudler Fine Foods plans to contract growers of organic produce, the current operations system will need to be updated to accommodate the expansion. The gourmet retailer now carries organic fare in limited quantities. In benchmarking a similar retailer, information technology was revealed as a critical component in augmenting the efficiency of the supply chain. Just as Kudler has maintained old fashioned methods in selected areas, Organic Family Farms (OFF) specializes in organic dairy products. The company once used spreadsheets to handle its planning. As the company experienced a shift in growth, information technology was necessary for survival. The production of organic fare is sometimes affected by a variation of elements. Such elements include product quality, seasonal conditions, availability and shelf life. Having very time sensitive details, OFF chose Infor, a technology solution that has been successful in increasing the company’s efficiency. The supply chain planning capabilities of Infor have enabled OFF to meet necessary criteria including production, ordering, finances and inventory management. In the case of Organic Family Farms, the company now has “visibility...