Proposal plan final draft

Business Proposal PlanLoeffler, Micah

Business Communication

Professor Hanrahan

St. Petersburg College

Overview

• Office Pride Commercial Cleaning Services depends on the efficiency of its operations managers for their success.

• The purpose of this business proposal plan is to present a solution that operations managers at Office Pride can use to improve operations functions.

• The plan will:– evaluate opportunities for improvement,

– weigh the benefits and risks of the chosen strategic option, and

– propose a final recommendation and call to action.

The Opportunity

• Operations managers at Office Pride have a unique opportunity to see which processes need improvement and what solutions are possible.

• Implementing a business proposal plan can address risks and provide “a clearer, more realistic picture of what it will take to run the business and are more likely to be able to recover if something fails” (Thibodeaux).

• Opportunity for improvement also requires an understanding of the current situation, key success factors, alternatives, and strategic options.

Current Situation

• Currently, the inventory management and delivery system for Office Pride is not operating at maximum efficiency.

• Employees who use supplies must keep an eye on supply levels and communicate needed supplies to operations managers by phone, email, or in person.

• Operations managers must also keep track of employee communication and make sure that employees are staying on top of supplies.

• Office Pride would benefit from making the communication and delivery of needed supplies quicker and more efficient.

Key Success Factors

• Organizations rely on key factors such as customers, employees, processes, physical resources, and global impact for success (Nielsen; Total Success Center).

• Inventory management has an obvious impact on employees and the Office Pride company, but customers are also affected by successful management of inventory.

• Processes, physical resources and global impact are also an important factor, and proper utilization of physical resources is also a process that affects the companies global impact.

Analysis of Alternatives

• Analyzing alternatives is important because it allows “decision makers to understand choices and options for starting a new program or continuing an existing program” (MITRE).

• It also gives operations manages the opportunity to improve the processes and procedures that are in place.

• The alternatives that are being considered are electronic data interchange (EDI) systems and bar code systems (Girard, 2011).

• The goal is to utilize a new system that will increase efficiency and reduce costs in the long-run.

Strategic Option

• The strategic option that will be considered is a bar code scanning system, specifically the use of QR codes.

• QR codes are “Quick Response codes” that “are used to take a piece of information from a transitory media and put it in to your cell phone” (Lyne, 2009).

• We will be able to place QR codes on products that our employees use, and allow them to scan the code with their phone.

• This will allow record inventory usage as it happens and send data to a database and “always have a current inventory status” (AHG).

Benefits of Strategic Options

• Using a QR code system will make inventory management more efficient than constantly monitoring inventory.

• Employees will be able to have a database showing inventory to view when it is needed.

• QR codes can also be used for automated replenishment, which could be an option at the codes are implemented.

• QR codes are efficient and do not take up much space, and they are always readily available when used (AHG).

• We could also use QR codes for promotions that customers can view and implement it in the application process, allowing potential employees to view our website.

Risks of Strategic Option

• QR codes are only effective if they are used by employees on a regular basis, which could risk losing money from implementing this system.

• Also, QR codes are subject to hacking and malware, putting the mobile software of the company and employees at risk (Geer, 2013).

• QR codes can be compromised, and risk comes from uncertainty about the destination of a QR code (McAfee).

Final Recommendation

• The final recommendation for Office Pride would be to implement QR codes for inventory management, and wait to utilize it for customer use.

• In the beginning of use, we will monitor the inventory that is scanned manually, and eventually implement a database that will monitor inventory levels.

• Eventually, if QR codes are successful for Office Pride, we will use this system for automated replenishment, which will increase efficiency of inventory management.

Call to Action

• Office Pride should be committed to increasing the efficiency of operations while reducing costs.

• Costs should not be cut at the end of reducing quality.

• We must consider the most effective option for both our employees and customers, and the company as a whole.

References

• Thibodeaux, W. (n.d.). The advantages of a business proposal. The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from www.smallbusiness.chron.com.

• Nielsen, L. (n.d.). Key business success factors. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from smallbusiness.chron.com.

• Total Success Center. (n.d.). Key success factors. Retrieved from totalsuccesscenter.com.

• MITRE. (n.d.). Performing analyses of alternatives. Retrieved from www.mitre.org.

• Lyne, M. (2009, Oct 15). What is a QR code and why do you need one? Search Engine Land. Retrieved from searchengineland.com.

• AHG. (n.d.). Efficient inventory management with QR codes and a smartphone. Retrieved from www.ahg.com.

• Geer, D. (2013, Aug 19). The dangers of QR codes for security. CSO. Retrieved from www.cso.com.

• McAfee. (n.d.). How quick response codes can spell danger. Retrieved from www.home.mcafee.com.

• Girard, L. (2011, Nov 13). Five steps to painless inventory management. Entrepreneur. Retrieved from www.entrepreneur.com.