Task 1 Read: Chapter 2 of the Core learning material and supporting text chapters on Operations Strategy.

Task 2 Investigate: The Operations Strategy of your organisation or one you are familiar with and answer the following points.

• Does your chosen organisation have an operations strategy
• How does the operations strategy support or complement the business strategy
• How has the operations strategy developed and changed in the last 5 years (or define and justify a period of time that is significant in strategic terms to your chosen operation)
• Would you consider this operational strategy to be an attempt to move into higher value operations. Define the meaning of value in your context, some examples of how companies define value may be; providing a more comprehensive service to the customer, moving up the value chain, engaging in more creative or knowledge-based operational activities such as design or invention, etc.

Task 3 Write: Create an analysis of your findings on the points mentioned above. Here I am looking two things: 1) a demonstration of your understanding of the operation and its guiding strategy and 2) an understanding of how the operational strategy can create value for your organisation by engaging in activity that helps the company to compete more effectively in the market.