Operations include all activities associated with transforming inputs into the final product form.
Operations could create value for both the business and customers by efficiency of plant operations. Whole Food Markets should conduct the operations of its plant efficiently by focusing on the process that bring added value to the operations while eliminating the process that bring non-added value to the operations. This is because it will help to increase the productivity of the company and it will not bring any benefits if the company still operate the activities that does not bring any value to the whole operations. The company can reallocate the budget that have been allocated for non-added value activities to operations that bring added value. Thus, by doing so it will help the company to minimize the unnecessary costs and increase the effectiveness of transformation process of products.
Next, operations could create value for both the business and customers by efficiency of store layout and workflow design. Whole Food Markets should rearrange the store layout and redesign its workflow as mentioned in the case the company do not have standard store design, thus the store’s design is customized to fit the size and configuration of the site selected. By doing so it will help the company to fully occupy the space in the store and it will attract the customer to visit the store and buy the products due to the positive image with an inviting appearance. Besides that, by redesign the workflow it will help to ease the staff to perform the daily operations as have been instructed.
Lastly, operations could create value for both the business and customers by improvisation of appropriate process technology. Whole Food Markets already have their own test before the products been accepted and put it on their stores such as quality standards but it just need a slightly improvisation. This is because as mentioned in the case there is lack of available nutritional brands with a national identity. The company could tap in the market and persuade the customers to try the products that have been produced by themselves. By doing so it will help to persuade the customers to continue buy the products due to high quality of products being produced.
b. Marketing and sales
Marketing and sales activities are associated with purchases of products and services by end users and the inducements used to get them to make purchases.
Marketing and sales could create value for both the business and customers by using an innovative approaches to promotion and advertising. The company can use a promotion as a one of the ways to attract the customer to buy the products especially during festive seasons. Combination of promotion and festive seasons will increase the customer’s desire to buy the products and tend to spend more due to reduction in prices as compared to prices during non-festive seasons. Besides that, the company can apply the approach using combination of display and advertising. It is a good way to support and increase the sales of products. This approach will captive the customer’s attention within six seconds, create a desire for them to buy and sell the product. As a result, it will helps to maximize the sales of the company.
Marketing and sales could create value for both the business and customers by using proper identification of customer segments and needs. The company need to identify their customer segments and needs properly because if they make a mistakes in identify it will bring negative effect to the sales. As mentioned in the case, the company carries all the items that one would expect to find in a grocery store and also plenty that one would not. The company should focus on the products that the customers buy more and stop from taking the products that the customers would not purchases it. This is because it will helps the company to minimize the unnecessary cost and prevent from excessive stocks due to inability to sell the products.
Marketing and sales could create value for both the business and customers by exploiting the channel expansion opportunities. Nowadays the customers are technology savvy and if the company does not take a proactive action to tap the opportunities it will bring downturn to the sales. The company may create company’s website or selling on online marketplaces platform. As the customers now technology savvy, they are preferred to shopping online or check the availability of the products on the website or online marketplaces before they go to physical stores. The company may create online marketplaces as they are so many platform that offered this services besides they are less cost need to be incurred. This approach also may increase the product sales and helps to maximize the sales of the company.