9 - Finance Function & Operations Flashcards
2 roles of Ops
- Fulfil customer orders through production of goods/services
- Delivery to the customer
2 roles of marketing & sales
- Identify customer needs
2. Communicate info about org’s products/services to customers to procure sales orders.
1 role of product & service development
- design new products/services that will meet customer needs and generate sales orders.
3 core functions in any org
- Operations
- Marketing & sales
- Product & service development
3 support functions in any org
- Finance
- HR
- IT
Operations mgmt =
transformation of inputs into outputs that meet the needs of the customer + try to ensure efficiency.
Describe transformation process model
Inputs –> transformation processes –> outputs
2 types of inputs in transformation process model
- Transforming inputs e.g. labour, facilities
2. Transformed inputs e.g. Materials, info, customers
5 types of transformations we could have
- Physical
- Change in nature/form
- Change in location
- Change in ownership
- A psychological change (in customers)
What’s the output of a solicitor providing advice to a client?
Output = informed client = change in nature
What’s the output of rail industry?
Output = customer moves from one location to another = change in location.
What’s the output of a comedy show?
Output = entertained customer = psychological change
What are the four Vs of operations for?
Analysing differences between transformational processes.
State 4 V’s of ops & one-line description
- Volume: volume of units produced
- Variety: whether number diff inputs/range of output
- Variation in demand: seasonal/regular peaks/smooth & predictable
- Visibility: degree to which bis ops visible to customer
What does ops volume of units produced mean for input intensity?
High volume = capital intensive
Low volume = labour intensive
2 benefits of an efficient transformation process
- More product/service from given lvl of input = higher profit
- Reduced wastage favourable from CSR pov.
How are finance involve in ensuring operational efficiency?
Mgmt accounts monitor and report on operational efficiency + variance analysis
Value chain =
a sequence of business activities by which, in the perspective of the end user, value is added to the products/services produced by an entity.
Orgs create value for their customers by… + how is this measured?
performing transforming activities.
Measure by customer WTP above cost of activities.
Porter’s value chain is a model of what?
A model of value activities: procure inputs, process them & add value –> generate outputs. Shows the relationship between them.
State Porter’s 5 PRIMARY activities
- Inbound logistics
- Operations
- Outbound logistics
- Marketing & sales
- Service
Porter: what are primary activities?
Those activities directly related to production, sales, marketing, delivery and services.
Inbound logistics =
activities involving receiving, handling and storing inputs to the production system.
Operations = (Porter value chain)
activities which convert resource inputs into final product
Outbound logistics =
Storing of product and distribution to customers.
Marketing and sales = (Porter value chain)
Informing customers about product, persuading them to buy, enabling them to do so.
after-sales service =
Installing products, repairing them, providing spare parts.
Porter: what are support activities?
Provide purchased inputs, HR, tech and infrastructural functions to support the primary activities.
State Porter’s 4 SUPPORT activities
- Firm infrastructure
- HR mgmt
- Technology development
- Procurement
Porter: firm infrastructure =
the systems of planning, finance, quality control and mgmt - crucially important to org’s strategic capability in ALL primary activities.
Porter: HR mgmt =
Recruiting, training, developing and rewarding people.
Porter: Tech dev =
Apparatus, techniques and work organisation. Related to both product design & improving processes and/or resource utilisation.
Porter: procurement
Activities which acquire the resource inputs to the primary activities e.g. purchase of materials, subcomponents, equipment.
Describe components & shape of Porter’s value chain
Primary activities vertical at the bottom
Support activities at the top horizontal across primary
Arrow = margin (aim is profit).
Porter: a company’s value chain is connected to… + why
Value system - value doesn’t stop at org’s boundaries e.g. quality of your inputs produced by another org also determines value.
2 ways an org can operate its value chain
- Huge volumes @ min cost = high volume, low margin
2. Max value - low volume, high margins.
Briefly describe what value system diagram looks like (4 components)
Multiple supplier value chains –> org’s value chain –> distributor/retailer value chain –> customer value chain
How can an org create competitive adv wrt value chain?
It can manage it own value chain AND manage linkages with its suppliers and customers and make them more efficient.
Process =
a bounded set of activities that are undertaken in response to some event in order to generate an output.
Process design is concerned with…
understanding the activities that are undertaken in a business process with the aim of enhancing efficiency and effectiveness.
5 reasons an org may seek to improve their processes
- Reduce costs (esp. if econ downturn)
- Provide scalable platform for expanding prod or entering new markets
- Offer better products to be more competitive
- Exploit ops offered by tech e.g. cheaper comms
- Execute new strategic direction
Process design is closely linked to…
the design of new products and service.
What should an org do before looking to change its processes?
Understand how existing processes work = create process map
Process map =
visual representation of the steps involved in creating a product, delivering a service or performing a business operation.
Process map example: purchasing new machinery: step 1
Get board approval to put out a tender - provide compelling BC
Process map example: purchasing new machinery: step 2
Notify and invite potentially interest suppliers
Process map example: purchasing new machinery: step 3
Review tenders submitted from suppliers and eliminate unsuitable ones.
Process map example: purchasing new machinery: step 4
Invite selected suppliers to give a presentation show casing the benefits of their machinery.
Process map example: purchasing new machinery: step 5
Select best supplier offering taking into account cost and other factors.
5 pros of process maps
- enhanced understanding of main steps of process from beginning to end
- role understand: mgrs understand how to make best use of workers by allocating to specific tasks
- Opportunities: highlight areas for streamlining/standardising
- Identify inefficiencies e.g. duplications
- Support org schemes e.g. specific corporate objs such as enhancing the process for managing customer interactions.
Product & service development: stage 1
Consider customer needs - must meet needs ito quality, design and value.
Product & service development: stage 2
concept screening = idea of product/service vetted against certain criteria before progressing to design & dev.
Product & service development: stage 3
Design = build prototypes and ensure all components and features add value to the customer = value engineering
Product & service development: stage 4
Time to market = time to get final design ready. Short time to market = product might be released before competitors & means lower dev costs.
Product & service development: stage 5
Product testing = ensure product works as intended and that customers like it.
How can finance support the purchasing (procurement) operations teams: credit terms
Finance can liaise between purchasing and suppliers to help negotiate favourable credit terms.
How can finance support the purchasing (procurement) operations teams: price
Support profit margins by advising on maximum prices that should be paid.
How can finance support the purchasing (procurement) operations teams: payment
Purchasing approves payments to suppliers but finance actually processes them.
How can finance support the purchasing (procurement) operations teams: data capture
Data such as supplier and order details originally captured by purchasing –> passed onto finance
How can finance support the purchasing (procurement) operations teams: inventory
Liaise over inventory levels. Finance let purchasing know how many units are in stock so purchasing can order the right amount to fulfil an order.
How can finance support the purchasing (procurement) operations teams: budgets
Finance discuss costs when preparing budgets.
How can finance support the production (operations) team: cost measurement, allocation & absorption
Production measures quantities of materials and labour time in products. Finance team use this to calc monetary value of the cost (MC). This is then allocated and absorbed into production costs.
How can finance support the production (operations) team: budgets
Production determines level of output, finance calcs overall cost and incorporates into overall budget.
How can finance support the production (operations) team: cost and quality
Discuss product features and which materials to use. Agreement over level of quality required in raw materials and whether extra quality justifies cost.
How can finance support the production (operations) team: inventory
Discuss inventory levels to ensure sufficient materials for production that is planned.
4 main characteristics of services
- Intangibility
- Inseparability
- Perishability
- Variability
Service characteristic: what does intangibility mean?
Few, if any physical aspects to services which are activities performed by an org for the customer.
Service characteristic: what does inseparability mean?
Services consumed by consumer as they are created by the org = cannot distinguish service from the employee or bis performing it.
Service characteristic: what does perishability mean?
A service cannot be stored or saved to consume later.
Service characteristic: what does variability mean?
Services are unique and cannot be performed exactly the same way every time = difficult to truly standardise.
Finance link with service provision: charge out rates
Hourly rate charged to client for the service. Sufficient to cover employee salary plus other overheads and profit. Finance team helps determine suitable rate that’s not too high to put the consumer off.
Finance link with service provision: cost estimates
estimate level of overheads to include in the service charge and manage situations where costs increase due to service taking longer than expected to perform, making the cost too much to pass onto customer.
Finance link with service provision: measuring benefit
Market conditions may restrict charge out rate = lower profit margin. Finance can determine level of other intangible benefits of keeping customer happy and keeping repeat business therefore justifying continuing service provision.
Supply chain mgmt =
concerned with the flow of goods and services through the supply chain. Ultimately, goal = contribute to customer satisfaction (not necessarily decrease cost).
What does it mean for an org to be downstream of another org?
If the org is closer to the customer than another org.
What does it mean for an org to be upstream of another org?
If the org is further away from the customer than another org.
Supply chains must be…(2)
- Responsive
2. Reliable
What can facilitate integration between an org and upstream and downstream members of the supply chain?
Integrated info systems
Finance can play an important role in effective supply chain mgmt through…
business partnering
Supply chain networks =
interconnecting groups of orgs which relate to each other through linkages between the different processes and activities involved in producing products/services to the ultimate consumer.
How do traditional supply chains operate? How was this maintained?
Independently - maintained through holding buffer stocks & managing lead times.
Business motivation for more integrated supply chain networks
Market & competitive demands compressed lead times and reduced inventories and excess capacity = need to work more closely within supply network.
Integrated supply chains means the chain should be considered as a… not a…
As a NETWORK, NOT a PIPELINE. A network of vendors supporting a network of customers with 3rd parties such as transport businesses helping link them.
Arrows between orgs on traditional supply chain diagram vs integrated
Tradition: arrow between each stage & feedback
Integrated: one big arrow from first supplier to ultimate consumer (+feedback)
Implication of integrated supply chains for price & inventory
Businesses coordinate price so everyone gets fair share of profit+ coord inventory policies to avoid problems and bottlenecks caused by SR demand surges such as promotions.
Implication of integrated supply chains for computer systems
Linked systems e.g. through EDI which allows paperless comms, billing and payment.s
Implication of integrated supply chains for prod dev & component design
Suppliers get involved earlier
Implication of integrated supply chains for logistics design
Distribution systems might be restructured to allow certain product components to be added at dist factories rather than central factories (e.g. user manuals for products)
The BC for integrated supply chain mgmt is…
benefit to all participants ito performance objs, speed, dependability and cost.
What research did Cousins conduct?
He conducted a 12-month research project to investigate the level of strategic maturity in the purchasing function of UK/European companies.