Week, we learned about the Product Development Process and the Product Life Cycle. We saw how businesses like Alikay Naturals work to understand their customers’ needs, design products to meet those needs, and continue that process in order to keep serving their customers. This week, we’ll explore what happens next. Product development is just one part of a larger area of business called operations. Operations is the part of business focused on ensuring that all of the various steps in making a product and getting it to the customer are working together efficiently. These steps include sourcing the materials needed to create the products, choosing the best production method, implementing quality controls, and handling shipping and logistics. These elements all work together so that products make it to customers in a fast, affordable, and consistent way. For this week, we’ll focus on the largest part of operations: manufacturing and production. Depending on the type of product sold, a business chooses the best method to ensure that it can create the right number of products at the right price while maintaining high quality. These various methods are called Production Methods, and they are the focus of this week’s Strayer Talk. We’ll explore each method in detail and learn how a business chooses which approach is best. Picture of product on shelf. Operations is one of the most difficult parts of a business. It requires that many moving parts work together in unison. From suppliers to factories to the packaging designers, all of the parts of operations need to work smoothly. If any part of operations fails, products are late, defective, too costly to make, or insufficient to meet demand. Successful operations require strategic planning and great attention to detail. It can be the thing that powers a business forward or the thing that holds it back. Let’s take a look at the Most Important Things that we’ll be focusing on this week. There are many different ways to make products for customers. These are called Production Methods. The right production method for a company depends on the type of product and the quantity of products being created. To ensure the quality of their products, businesses use different approaches to Production Management. These approaches ensure that businesses consistently deliver a high-quality product or service to their customers. Why Is This Important? “Operations is the heart, because it keeps the products going. If your sales department is doing their job then they are selling and they’re signing accounts and that’s great and wonderful, but if they don’t have products that are quality products that are ready or being able to keep up with that demand then you have nothing to sell.” Someone once said that an idea without a plan in place to make it for a lot of people is really just a hobby—not a business. Without a smart operations plan, a business is not able to deliver the products it sells. It only has one or two ideas without a way to create the products and actually build a business. In many ways, operations is the core of a business. It’s how a business delivers on its promise to its customers. QUICK QUESTION: Do you know the process that your company uses to turn an idea into a product? How Does This Connect to the Other Parts of Business? Without products, the sales team has nothing to sell. With nothing to sell, there is no way to generate revenue for the business and make a profit. With no money, a business cannot pay its bills. And a business that does not pay its bills does not remain a business for long. It really all starts with products. A product—whether it’s a good or a service—is how a business delivers value to its customers. In order for that idea to reach enough customers to build a business, smart operations and a sound approach to to manufacturing and production must be in place—and continually improved upon. Explore Activity HOT TOPIC DUE DATE: Week 3 PART 1 Find a recent article or video describing a new product in development. Post a link to the article or video in the discussion thread and describe the following: 1. What need is the new product trying to fill? Do you think it will meet that need? 2. What type of innovation does the new product represent? 3. What kind of process do you think will be used to make the product? Would it be possible to produce a lot of the product in a short amount of time? PART 2 Read a post by one of your peers and respond, making sure to extend the conversation by asking questions, offering rich ideas, or sharing personal connections.