Operations and Project Management
Operations or project management is an area of business that involves planning and organizing of products for better management and profit realization in a company. The paper will look at operations management using the applications of quality management of the Nestle Infant Formula Company (Badiru, 1996, 97). In the event of quality management, the main elements put into consideration are the quality scheduling, quality control, quality assertion and quality enhancement. This is usually not only concerned with product or service standards but also looks at the ways towards the achievements. In the event of utilizing these different components of quality management, the Nestle Company will be in a position to achieve quality consistence. This follows the fact that the business sector in the world is undergoing transformation as a result of technological advancement. There is therefore completion among companies that produce similar products. It is only through quality management that a company can stand the test of time and stiff competition.
Considering the Nestle Infant Food Formula producing company in Switzerland, the company has been faced with a lot of challenges in the products that it markets around the universe. The company received complaints in the recent past about the kind of infant food formula it produces. Following the numerous deaths of infants worldwide and specifically in the developing countries, an international boycott was formed against the companies that deal in infant feeding formula. The deaths are attributed to them especially the Nestle Company is the widely blamed. The boycotters have claimed that due to the selling of the infant feeding formulae-powdered formulae-most of the mothers have neglected breastfeeding as an essential food for their young ones (Pagell & Halperin, 1999, 205). This has resulted in the malnutrition of the children, underweight and eventually death.
Since the case looks at the infant food crisis, Nestle finds it one of its issues for it manufactures and sells infant food formulae to supplement breastfeeding in mothers. It has a responsibility in this kind of case to look into the claims and complaints raised by the boycotter so that necessary action can be taken. This is done in the lieu to maintain its reputation on the global scene on the deaths caused by malnutrition in children. This has to be done through quality management that seeks to make changes in the quality of the products produced by the company. The formula should therefore meet clientele requirements to avoid cases of malnutrition in the children in third world countries. Nestle has a social responsibility of ensuring the regulations set up to govern the marketing of its products are implemented and the necessary adjustments made. This is an application of quality planning and management. The company is charged with the duty of reviewing its marketing strategies. It is supposed to phase out the media advertisement of infant formula. Another responsibility that this company should consider is to undertake the initiating of carrying out comprehensive health education programs. This will help in the provision of knowledge to the clients on the proper use of the infant formula to the mothers especially in re mote areas (Tum, Norton & Wright, 2006, 187).
Carrying out dialogues between the company and other health organizations will serve a good purpose in the availing of health services to breastfeeding persons. Paramount in its responsibilities is the timely support of the codes by the WHO. Its employees should as well be trained in the giving of the right information to customers that reduces on the confusion experienced in the taking of instructions. This follows the need for better leadership within the company. Monitoring programs to set by the company that follow closely whether the products are being utilized well to avoiding risking the children’s health eventually marring the name of the organization.
Putting in mind that most of the developing countries lack the intellectual personnel and therefore the power on most of emerging issues, it will be unethical to dump products in their markets without prior education. This usually puts the states at the danger of misusing such products eventually having a negative effect of the human health and probably the country’s economic status. Advertisements in the media in most cases hit such individuals in the developing world with information that is not detailed. The risk of spending unnecessarily usually arises (Hoyle, 2007, 112). Marketing to vulnerable communities is unethical since the victims mostly fail to make wise decisions on the course of actions towards the products. Education should therefore be the foremost practice on the proper utilization of the products on sale and probably the effects of not using the products in the right way should be clearly articulated.
International business ethics call for the setting of codes that should govern the carrying out of businesses on the universal phase. The adherence to these codes will propel any organization to success and avoidance of flaws with other countries as a result of cultural diversity. In addition to this, in order to protect the citizens, the countries ought to ensure that the codes of conduct in business are enforced and adhered to. Although the WHO has put in place the business codes that should be followed by Nestle and other related companies, complacence is realized at the enforcement stage. Only a section of the member countries were able to embrace and enforce the regulations that forced Nestle to used the codes without enforcement in such states.
Some of the advertisement strategies that are used compel the clients to venture into the buying and utilization of the products in the absence of enough information. Commissions and bonuses are meant to entice the customers and this is not business etiquette. Ethics in business require that substantial education on the usage is provided on the product but not appeasing the customers. Moreover, the company should avoid using pictures of infants that tent to attract the attention of the clients to make purchases out of their budget. This is quality product management without causing harm to the customers.
Importantly still, the company has to set goals on the teaching of its staffs how to inform and teach clients the importance of using powdered food as a supplement but not denying the infants their mothers’ milk through breastfeeding (Sears et al, 2008, 90). Furthermore, all the products from the Nestle Company should carry a warning statement about the importance of breast feeding on every product as a label. On the other hand, availability of brochures explaining the suitability of the infant formula and how it should be applied will serve a great deal to educate the remote population so they carry out the practice successfully. In the cases of requested supplies, a limitation should be put. Only after the fulfillment of the genuine reasons for using infant formula as a major food for the infant should the supply be given. Some mothers may only be complacent in breastfeeding of their children and deny them an essential primary meal for the first six months.
Let the promotions be done on a firm and fair basis but not inducement through finances or provision of free materials without prior knowledge. This violates business ethics. Instead, the regulations that have been set by the World Health Organization should be adhered to by all means. The importance of such steps is to avoid unnecessary blame from the competitors just to mar the name of the company. Similarly, the company can decide to avoid advertisements only concentrating on the teaching of the customers on what is the correct step to be taken. The company can also make attempts in the holding of dialogues with the concerned groups that hold different views and give to a detailed explanation on the suitability of the products as opposed to the views that they apparently hold (Aliber & Click, 1993, 131).
At the time of the case still, the company should have incorporated all the cultural diversity on the viewpoints held in the marketing arena. This will minimize on the clashes that arise in marketing. Such is utilized as a business ethical strategy. Participation of the company in the reminding of the individual states to implement laws and regulations put in place by the world health organization so that the a smooth run of marketing techniques is realized after the rules are well stipulated to the clients and the dealers. Quality management therefore does not involve product and service improvement only but as well it takes into consideration of the SWOT analysis so that competition is curbed.
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