Communication, Efficiency, and Productivity

Sometimes activities are done a certain way, just because they have always been done that way. The initial reason that they might have been done that way could be no longer valid, and it is time to re-evaluate and consider change and improvement. Change can be hard and the culture of the firm needs to support efficiency, continuous improvement, and change. Technological advancements are an example of making processess and products better. Henry Fords assembly line was a stepping stone for the pivotal lean supply chain strategies invented by Toyota. Sam Waltons focus on low prices set the stage for the bulk purchasing practices many retailers employ today. And of course, it was Amazons logistics expertise that helped it begin todays consumer-driven retail apocalypse. In this discussion, you will have the opportunity to assess how such innovations advance the field of operations management and the impact they have on jobs, consumers, and the economy.

For this discussion, first read New Goals for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing and Learning to Lead at Toyota.pdf.

It is important to be able to communicate to facilitate change.Communication is very important to complete the group projects in this course and communication serves two essential functions in every organisation. It disseminates the information needed by employees to get things done and builds relationships of trust and commitment. Workplace communication is vital to an organisation's ability to be productive and operate smoothly. Maes et al. (1997) conducted a study interviewing managers about what they look for when hiring graduates and and found that oral communication is the most important competency for college graduates entering the workforce, and that the oral skills most important for entry level graduate are: following instructions, listening, conversing, and giving feedback.

For this discussion, also read Communication in the Workplace.

Then address the following in your initial post:

Consider your place of employment or a previous place of employment and discuss any efficiencies that you might have witnessed.

A culture that embraces failure promotes ongoing feedback, open communication channels and good listening skills. This way, employees feel able to approach their supervisors or managers before a minor mistake leads to a major disaster. Discuss the culture at your place of employment and how this helped or hindered the ability to implement change.

Can you recommend an operations innovation that has advanced the field of operations management and how it might help change and improve efficiency and productivity?

Describe a situation in your personal or professional life in which you feel that you were able to or you witnessed others resolve an issue using communication. You can discuss your place of employment, a previous place of employmet, a group experience you had in a different course, etc. How did you use communication to resolve the issue and how do you feel communication helped the situation?