University of South Wales

Master of Business Administration

Strategic Operations Management and Operational Research (PS4S26-V2-60879)

Tutor: Dr Muhammad Akram

Assessment

Student: Ibiyinka Oluwatoyin Okeowo

74112359

November 2023

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Table of Content

PART A of the Assessment- Reflective Analysis

1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………….4
2. Project Management Overview……………………………………………………………………..5
⚫ Lending Industry Project
Management………………………………………….…………………..6
3. Improving One's Project Management Abilities………………………………………………….7
4. A Strategy for Increasing Competence…………………………………………………………….9
5. What I've learned, and how it's helped my project management skills…………………….10
⚫ Peer tasks Involvement…………………………………………………………………….10

⚫ Studying VLE materials…………………………………………………………………….10

⚫ Reflective learning approach…………………………………………………………..…11

⚫ On-the-job practice………………………………………………………………………….12

6. Improvement Outcomes and Future Actions……………………………………………………12

7. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………….15
8. References……………………………………………………………………………………………..17
PART B of the Assessment – Job Description Analysis of an Operations Manager

1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………..…20
2. Operations Manager General Challenges …………………………………………………....21
3. Discussion and Analysis on Operation Manager Challenges and
recommended solutions relevant to this job ………………………………………………..23
4. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………….…..31
5. References ………………………………………………………………………………………...33
6. Appendix …………………………………………………………………………………………..36

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PART A - Reflective Analysis

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1. Introduction

During the first week of courses, we were asked to choose one skill that we wanted to work on

improving throughout the semester. I have specific project management skills that I'd like to develop

and refine in my current role because of the nature of my work. Organizing a team's activities to

accomplish a task within a given time limit and in accordance with predefined standards is known as

project management (Association for Project Management, 2020). The hardest part of project

management is finishing a project within the given constraints. While project management is an

ongoing activity, there are deadlines and financial constraints that must be met.

The role of a Credit Risk Manager is to ensure loan applications meet the requirements of the

company as set out in the credit policy guide and the requirements set out by the regulator. I work

out of the Commercial Banking Division which reviews applications made by major companies across

different sectors of the economy especially the Manufacturing Sector, with turnover in the billions.

Each application has a turnaround time of 72 hours and aspects such as the Audited Financials of

these obligors are subjected to through scrutiny using different ratios such as Gearing, Liquidity and

current ratio to ascertain their creditworthiness and ability to repay the loan when due. This process

is being done manually with attendant implications on default rates, attrition rate of clients due to

delays experienced before the loan is approved and disbursed. Clients get frustrated because of

delays emanating from documentation issues and then move to other lenders for the required

funding. The implication of the loss of clients on revenue generation, increased loan default rates

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and reputational issues has led to the automation of the entire loan life cycle, from loan origination,

underwriting to collections with a completion timeline of eight months.

In the market, it is standard procedure for human underwriters to assess loan applications using a

set of criteria predicated on thresholds for risk variables (such as credit score, debt-to-income (DTI)

ratio, and loan-to-value (LTV) ratio). These rules are created by lenders to make up for the limitations

of human intelligence in information processing (Kahneman 1973, Chui et al. 2016). Underwriters

may engage in gaming because of these simplifications, particularly in the vicinity of the key cutoffs

(Keys et al. 2010, Gryphon and Murana 2016). On the other hand, the computer uses the same

historical data as in the human underwriter instructions to fit predictive models to a continuous

variable space.

Historically, some initiatives at my organization failed to live up to expectations due to several

unexpected but controllable issues that were discovered during evaluations. The "less than optimum"

efforts have already had a negative financial and public impact on the company. As such, I cannot

adequately express the value that project management experience brings to me especially during

this period.

This essay will discuss how project management knowledge relates to my employment in the

Lending industry, the techniques I have utilized to refine the abilities I have gained from completing

this module (as well as a review of the supporting data), and how I plan to put what I have learned

to use.

2. Project Management Overview

Any discussion of project management must begin with an understanding of the nature of a project.

If anything is a short-term endeavor with a clear end objective, we refer to it as a "project" (Schwalbe,

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2015). Operations in business refer to the routine chores that keep things going in a seamless

manner. One way that projects differ from operations is that the term "temporary" only applies to

them. The following are some examples of such projects:

• A contractor is engaged by a municipality to build a new bridge.

• A middle-aged couple hired a contractor to remodel their home.

• An institution introduces new software.

Most people tend to overlook the relevance of been skilled in project management before
working on a project. Project management offers an organized structure for organizing,
carrying out, and wrapping up projects. It is an essential function for any organization hoping to
accomplish its goals in an organized and effective way.

There is no denying project management's importance to the economy and society. Projects account

for around 20% of all economic activity worldwide. This percentage can reach above 30% in certain

developing nations (Bredillet, 2010). Furthermore, projects—also known as "temporary

organizations"—are being used by organizations more and more to accomplish their strategic goals,

and this "projectification" of organizational work is evident in practically every industry today (Bakker,

2010, Sydow et al., 2004). (Morris and Jamieson, 2004).

In the following paragraphs, I will discuss the importance of project management skills in the Lending

Industry, with reference to the Loan Life Cycle Automation Project. This project is ongoing with a

timeline of 8 months, and as a Credit Risk Manager, I am a critical stakeholder.

Lending Industry Project Management

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Having worked in a Lending company for some years, I understand how important project

management skills are. In June 2021, I supervised the construction of an Archive for our hard copy

credit files, after transitioning all documents to digital copies using the EDMS (Electronic Document

Management System). The Archive would then be fitted with fireproof cabinets to house the

referenced files. The project was budgeted at N20 million and would require a six-month timeline. To

finish, the construction required coordination between multiple stakeholders and resources.

In the end, the project had a cost overrun of N10 million and took 4 months longer than anticipated.

Most of the issues would have been resolved with greater project management expertise.

Approximately 25% of the global gross domestic product is allocated towards projects. Most

corporate organizations or firms consist mostly of projects, and the success of those projects

depends on their effective management (K Schwalbe, 2015). Morale surges when projects are

completed on schedule and within budget. The budget for constructing the Archive was approved in

the 2019 budget, due to the cost overrun, we had to seek the approval of the Board for extra

budgetary expenses which impacted our budget figures for 2022 Projects. After ten years in the

lending industry, I can attest that poor project management is necessary for failing projects.

Building a physical archive for customer loan files involves several project management steps to

ensure the successful completion of the initiative. The project manager at the initiation stage would

clearly articulate the goals of building a physical archive for customer loan files which could include

improving document organization, compliance, and accessibility. After this the stakeholders such as

the regulatory compliance teams, IT, loan servicing teams, and archival staff are identified. The

Project planning stage would clearly define the scope of the project, including the types of loan files

to be archived, the volume of documents, and any specific regulatory requirements. The resource

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planning and timeline development (detailed project timeline with milestones and deadlines for each

task) would be considered as well. As the Lead, Credit Documentation and Compliance, it was my

responsibility to ensure that the Archive complies with the necessary specifications which made me

the Project Manager. Ensuring that all team members collaborate to achieve the project objectives

is my responsibility. I will talk about the project management skills I needed to work on before I

started this programme in the lines that follow.

3. Improving One's Project Management Abilities

As a credit risk manager who makes sure infrastructure and transformational projects valued at

millions of dollars are completed successfully on behalf of my organization, I've discovered that my

evaluation is dependent on these projects' results in addition to other predetermined goals. Most

Memorandums of Understanding and Service Licence Agreements have an annual term, with the

exception of maintenance and retainership agreements. Stakeholders start to lose interest in

initiatives and start to question their validity and potential outcomes when they are not moving

forward as planned or within the allotted timeframe. Since I take my work seriously, I started this

programme by determining which five (5) essential project management abilities I lacked and then

decided to acquire them.

➢ Negotiation: I negotiate the terms and circumstances of loans, such as interest rates,

payback plans, and collateral requirements, in my capacity as a credit risk manager. To

attract borrowers, I must strike a balance between offering competitive terms and making

sure that the loan conditions sufficiently offset the associated credit risks. This is another

aspect of my bargaining strategy. I also negotiate when assessing the financial health of

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 borrowers and negotiating terms that align with their ability to repay and the type and value

of collateral provided to secure loans, thereby reducing our risk exposure in case of default.

I can take on more project duties if I'm good at negotiating.

➢ Delegation: Delegation is defined by Weaver (2013) as giving authority to another individual

or organization to accomplish a goal. I worked as the Credit Documentation and Compliance

Lead for three years, and I did best when I did most things by myself. As the Lead, Credit

Analyst, and Monitoring after being transferred to a different unit, I encountered challenges

assigning tasks effectively. This tendency results in delays since other project aspects are

frequently ignored. Upon realizing the importance of delegation in terms of training, cost-

saving, and goal attainment, I became determined to enhance my performance.

➢ Effective Communication: The Archive Project had many stakeholders, thus effective

communication is necessary at every stage. It matters to my clients, supervisors, colleagues,

suppliers, authorities, and even my secretarial team how successfully I completed the job.

Certain interactions necessitate indirect communication, such as directives or reports, while

others can be managed delicately and diplomatically. It is important to know when and how

to use various types of communication so that everyone is informed. I occasionally manage

things without filing documentation while working on the job. I could run into problems if this

oversight gets worse. Despite its significance, I found I lacked the knowledge necessary to

build trusting relationships with each of my stakeholders.

➢ Organization: My tasks and efforts centered on scheduling operations to ensure a timely

and effective delivery of the completed Archive. It included creating and maintain project

documentation, ensuring the project information is well organized and accessible, managing

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 the available resources efficiently in relation to budget, personnel and materials. I also

managed risks throughout the project lifecycle.

➢ Collaboration: One essential attribute of a successful project manager is the ability to work

well with others. I have to work together with members of various teams and departments

inside my organization in order to finish my projects. I often work together with the other

managers in my organization to help me accomplish the objectives I have set for myself. I

knew that if I wanted to continue getting the outstanding outcomes I had been, I needed to

work on honing my collaborative skills because it is a very effective project management

talent that yields collateral advantages. Given that I believe I am proficient in the previously

described area, I have concluded that I do not need to possess the many more project

management skills required of a Credit Documentation and Compliance manager. Time

management, problem-solving, flexibility, and resource management are some of these

skills.

4. A Strategy for Increasing Competence

I stressed at the beginning of the course how important it is to develop five (5) core project

management skills. I'll outline the actions I took to refine these skills here. Techniques such as:

➢ Peer contribution to group work

➢ Reading project management-related content on the virtual learning environment,

➢ Boxer's (1980) concept of reflective learning,

➢ Used my course material in an effective manner.

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5. What I've learned, and how it's helped my project management skills

5.1 Peer Task Involvement

I started a WhatsApp group for my classmates and took on the role of project manager. I intended

to initiate the first task, evaluate it, and then recommend that the other two members take the lead

on the remaining tasks over the course of the ensuing weeks, demonstrating my ability to negotiate

a solution that would be advantageous to all sides. This would demonstrate that I set up a scenario

where everyone comes out ahead. According to Jugdev (2012), "taking the reins" could increase

your team's productivity and increase your chances of success in negotiations. For every project, I

assigned a separate team to handle graphic design and assessment. I've been informed that one of

my coworkers will be absent for work for one week. I've suggested switching roles for that duration.

As a result, I was able to improve my ability to interact and negotiate with others by practicing with

my peers.

5.2 Studying VLE materials on Project Management

I was able to fill in the gaps in my knowledge of project management by studying the resources

offered in the virtual classroom for this session. Education is the most common method to become

an expert in a topic; I learnt a lot about project management from the training activities and the

module's instruction, eBooks, YouTube videos, and resources. Through seeing the presentation in

the "Organizations Projects" module, I was able to gain a deeper comprehension of the many types

of project organizations and how to succeed in each. We might find it difficult to maintain open

channels of communication because of the matrix organizational structure of our company. After

completing this module, I only needed to use the Stakeholder Power/Interest Matrix to solve the

communication problem. The matrix presented in Figure 1 gave me the clarity I needed to arrange

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all the participants in my project in their appropriate sections and start addressing the communication

problems that had disturbed the project up to that point.

Figure 1: Power Interest Matrix

5.3 Reflective Learning Approach

I concur with Mezirow (2011) that comprehension and knowledge go hand in hand. I was able to

analyze the program's content and how it connects to my experience as a project manager by using

reflective learning. I was able to come up with practical ideas by keeping an overall perspective. for

me to contrast the course material with real projects and project managers' methods. I had to go

over my past work because of my degree and experience gaps. I thought back to the Project

Manager unit, wherein we discussed the traits of an effective PM, including knowing SOPs and being

able to delegate tasks. After that, I realised that I wasn't using Gantt charts, which prevented me

from keeping track of projects or assigning resources effectively.

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A Gantt chart is useful for scheduling overlapping work, managing time and resources, identifying

critical operations, keeping an eye on difficulty areas, and minimizing resource overload, according

to Project-Management.com (2018). I realized that a Gantt chart could be useful for scheduling and

assigning tasks, so I started using one. I estimated the amount of time and money required for each

task using a Gantt chart. Immediately, tasks like organization, communication, and delegating

become simpler. To schedule jobs into smaller ones and provide an updated completion rate at each

workstream level, I also used click-up. All I must do to stay up to date on project developments,

including finished, ongoing, and potentially dangerous jobs, is to regularly review the updates. My

ability to organize and interact with clients and colleagues was enhanced by the lean and agile

training classes.

5.4 On-the- job Practice

The only way I was able to fully internalize the lessons I had acquired was by applying what I had

learned to my regular work. It has been a big benefit to be able to use my newly acquired knowledge

in this age of remote work.I made a concerted effort to use project management techniques in my

work, such as the delegation feature, which allowed me to allocate personnel to tasks that I was

unable to oversee remotely. If I didn't apply what I was learning in the classroom, I would be

squandering my time and energy. A lot of helpful enhancements came from my study and

subsequent applications, which I will discuss in the next part.

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6. Improvement Outcomes and Future Actions

I set out to master five (5) preset competences that are essential to the profession of project

management using a range of study methodologies. My work is starting to show off the advantages

of my improved skills. My next course of action is to enroll in the Agile Project Management

Certification to enhance my project management abilities. Beyond taking on projects as part of my

job at work, I would like to pursue a career in project management.

➢ Communication and Negotiation Skill Results

I created the Power-Interest matrix shown in Figure 2 to improve my negotiation and communication

abilities. My ability to remain objective has been aided by considering the influence and interests of

the many stakeholders. It is by no means a strict rule, but it does offer useful advice on how to get

the most out of a resource like this. Using my adopted matrix as a framework for communication with

all pertinent stakeholders, I have enhanced my ability to negotiate and reduced the probability that

my requests will be turned down. Since I followed the guidelines and communicated with the Central

Bank of Nigeria, the regulatory body overseeing this kind of initiative,

Once our systems went online, it was simpler to configure them without breaking any regulations.

Since the project team members are a key node in my matrix, I keep them informed about all of our

work by holding biweekly scrum catch-up meetings where we share updates on scope changes that

may affect their project. For example, before loans were disbursed, I had to modify a code generation

that was already set up since it was found that it could affect customers' access to loans in the event

that the regulator's platform has a hiccup. The creation of the code had to wait till after the loan was

disbursed. The task's timing was impacted by the revision, and key stakeholders needed to be

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notified right away. To accommodate additional participants, I also had to bargain with my IT team

to raise the planned sample size for the User Assessment Test. This would enable the credit scoring

models for various product kinds to be validated using additional data. Thanks to improved

cooperation and communication with the pertinent stakeholders, all these modifications and

Figure 2: Personalized Power-Interest Matrix

negotiations went down without a hitch.

➢ Organization, Collaboration and Delegation Skills improvement Result

For a project manager managing a delicate project like the Automation of the Loan Life Cycle, being

organized cannot be overemphasized. Project documentation must be developed and updated

continuously, and all project-related data must be arranged and easily available. Additionally,

resources must be managed effectively, particularly regarding staff, finances, and all materials. For

my current project, I've begun utilizing Click-Up and Gantt Chart, and I intend to continue doing so.

To lessen the possibility of unpleasant surprises, I've also started using a need checklist, which I

provide to my technical leaders to finish before we begin a project. A sneak peek at the click-up page

I created for the automation project is shown in Figure 3 while the Gantt Chart is shown in Figure 4..

By using this click-up, I was able to allocate resources to particular tasks, provide authority, and

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promote improved teamwork by precisely tracking dependencies and reporting progress. I plan to

use this tool to practically outsource some of the outlined obligations to my assistant (Chief Operating

Officer) to better focus on the project's critical success criteria.

Figure 3: Click-up Tool for Loan Life Cycle Automation Project

Figure 4: Gantt Chart for Loan Life Cycle Automation Project

7.Conclusion

As an operation professional, I am aware that projects and operations are very different from one

another. It is not always possible to transfer the skills required for success in a project context to a

day-to-day operations setting. I gained the fundamental knowledge I required from this training to

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greatly improve my project management skills. My organization, negotiation, delegation,

communication, and teamwork skills have significantly improved as a result of reflective practice,

reading the course materials online, working with peers in group projects, and applying the module's

lessons to my everyday work.

These abilities are essential for overseeing projects through to completion and accomplishing the

most crucial results. Along with honing the previously mentioned skills, I've also developed a deeper

comprehension of other crucial facets of project management, like the importance of essential

success variables (Slack et al., 2004). I'm happy that this session gave me the chance to improve

some of my projects' shortcomings and teach me new skills. According to my self-evaluation, I've

been moving forward professionally, which has enabled me to carry out initiatives with ease.

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References

Association for Project Management (2020) What is Project Management? Available at:

https://www.apm.org.uk/resources/what-is-project-

management/#:~:text=Definition,a%20finite%20timescale%20and%20budget. (Accessed: 08

November 2023).

Boxer, P.J. (1980) ‘Supporting Reflective Learning: Towards a Reflexive Theory of Form’, Journal

of Human Relations, 33(1), pp. 1-22. Sage Journals [Online]. Available at:

https://doi.org/10.1177%2F001872678003300101 (Accessed: 10 November 2023).

S El-Sabaa, (2001)‘The skills and career path of an effective project manager’, International

Journal of Project Management, Volume 19, Issue 1,2001,Pages 1-7,ISSN 0263-7863,

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0263-7863(99)00034-4 (Accessed 25 November 2023)

Godfred Yaw Koi-Akrofi, Joyce Koi-Akrofi, Henry Akwetey Matey,(2019)’ Understanding the

Characteristics, Benefits and Challenges of Agile IT Project Management, A literature Perspective,’

International Journal of Software Engineering & Applications (IJSEA), 2019, 10 (5), pp.25-44.

ff10.5121/ijsea.2019.10502ff. ffhal-02869395f (Accessed 24th November, 2023)

Jugdev, K. (2012). ‘Learning from lessons learned: Project management research program’,

American Journal of Economics and Business Administration, 4(1), pp. 13-22. Available at:

http://thescipub.com/html/10.3844/ajebasp.2012.13.22 (Accessed: 10 November 2023).

Mendelow, A. (1991) Proceedings of the second international conference on information systems,

Cambridge, MA.

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Mezirow, J. (2011). How Critical Reflection triggers Transformative Learning: A Guide to

Transformative and Emancipatory Learning. P. 1-12. Available at:

https://www.ln.edu.hk/osl/conference2011/output/breakout/4.4%5Bref%5DHowCriticalReflectiontrig

gersTransformativeLearning-Mezirow.pdf (Accessed: 10 November 2023).

Project Management Institute (2021) What is Project Management? Available at:

https://www.pmi.org/about/learn-about-pmi/what-is-project-management (Accessed: 08 November

2023).

Project Management Institute, “Pulse of the Profession” (2016). The High Cost of Low

Performance. Available at: https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/learning/thought-

leadership/pulse/pulse-of-the-profession-2016.pdf (Accessed: 09 November 2023).

Scwhalbe, K. (2015) An Introduction to Project Management. 5th edn. Minneapolis: Schwalbe

Publishing.

Slack, N., Chambers, S. and Johnston, R. (2004) Operations Management, 4th Edition, Pearson

Education.

Weaver, P. (2013) Project Management and the art of delegation. Available at:

https://projectmanager.com.au/project-management-

delegation/#:~:text=Delegation%20is%20when%20you%20assign,item%2C%20issue%20or%20ris

k%3B%20or (Accessed: 10 November 2023).

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Part B - Research into the Role of the Operations

Manager at CAPRISA in Durban, South Africa

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1.Introduction

According to Sanders and Wood (2014), operations management is the process of organising,

coordinating, and controlling a business's resources to produce its goods and services. Regardless

of size, it is the "meat and potatoes" of any business. In actuality, the company's several divisions

assist the business. All types of businesses, whether big or small, for-profit or nonprofit, producing

things or offering services, or both, have an operations management department. Optimizing

production efficiency is the responsibility of operations managers for a company's service or product.

This covers tasks including creating new goods, assigning and managing resources, planning,

maintaining inventory, building new structures, and creating new procedures and quality control

methods. The success of many businesses hinges on how successfully they manage this aspect of

their business, and the consequences of getting it wrong can be severe. These managers oversee

the organization and effectiveness of the company as a whole. According to Wolniak (2019), an

operations manager's duties include creating programme budgets, organizing initiatives, managing

logistics and inventories, conducting interviews with potential hires, and supervising employees. The

following responsibilities come within Stevenson's (2002) five-head taxonomy of management:

organizing, staffing, leading, controlling, and planning.

These days, operations managers may lessen the impact of operational difficulties with a variety of

technologies at their disposal, including software, databases, and human experience. Modern

technology, big data analytics, quality management (QM) systems, lean and agile (L&A) systems,

just-in-time (JIT) production, and quality management (JIT) systems have all given operations

managers a strategic competitive advantage in the twenty-first century.

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This article provides an in-depth strategic examination of the challenges that would-be operations

managers (OMs) may face, based on the job description supplied in Appendix B. This report

analyses Caprisa, an award-winning global research institution situated in Durban, South Africa.

This company will encounter complicated problems and be required to think creatively in order to

find solutions because it can handle both large-scale initiatives and daily operations. Discussions

and evaluations of potential fixes for issues that might come up for any applicant for the operation

manager post will also be included in the report.

2.Operations Manager general challenges

Operations managers face several challenges in their quest to improve their efficiency in their

positions because of the significance of their work to the overall performance of the organization.

Figure 1 below shows the five primary issues that OMs must handle in a graphical fashion.

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 Figure 1 (Source: University of South Wales VLE, 2021)

Globalization

A globalized society where people, businesses, and governments from all over the world are

constantly in contact with one another has been brought about by recent advancements in

communication and transportation as well as the removal of trade barriers (Irani and Noruzi, 2011).

Companies would need to come up with plans to retain or increase their market share in the face of

growing competition from overseas companies. It is essentially the responsibility of the OM to make

sure that a company's goods and services can effectively compete in the market.

Knowledge Management

The definition of "knowledge management" as given by Wijnhoven (2003) is "the integration of

operations aimed to develop, harvest, and share information and expertise." To obtain a strategic

advantage, businesses must find and hire top-tier people who hold information that can be mined,

managed, and kept. The company's operations management efforts will ultimately be supported by

the OM's use of knowledge management methodologies, which will enable it to leverage the

available knowledge effectively and gain a competitive edge.

Technology

Technology is a necessary tool in today's operations management. Keeping up with the latest

advancements in a wide range of technology, including ERP and CRM software, IT infrastructure,

big data analysis, advanced production gear, and customization software, is the responsibility of the

operations manager (OM) (Robert, 2017).

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Sustainability

Every organizational environment is impacted by organisational attitudes. One way to assess if an

organization's current practices can continue without depleting future resources is through "business

operational sustainability" (Miranda, 2007). Long-term operational viability is provided by OMs.

According to Jeremy (2018), business sustainability has an impact on OMs' jobs, communities, the

environment, and the firm. Sustainability on all fronts—social, economic, and environmental—is

included in this idea.

3.Discussion and Analysis on Operation Manager Challenges and Recommendations

relevant to this job.

3.1 Knowledge Management Challenges

Creating guidelines and processes to support the development, distribution, and utilisation of

knowledge across many teams and locations is a key component of managing knowledge in a global

research organisation, particularly in the position of an operations manager.Reducing staff turnover

should be an OM's top objective because it poses a serious risk to businesses, claim Mamun and

Hasan (2017).The OM will be short-staffed and unable to carry out his responsibilities, which include

providing resources to the projects that clients desire, if these employees abruptly quit or are let go.

Recommendations.

There are several challenges associated with knowledge management, and in order to address

them, the OM will need to adopt a strategic approach. He must see how crucial it is to appoint,

develop, and retain qualified personnel. To recruit competent candidates, the OM and HR must work

together closely. Newly graduated college students might be hired by the company and trained on

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the job. Studies have shown that workers who are hired directly out of college are more devoted

(Michal et al., 2001). It is imperative that the OM actively participates in the interview process and

then works to develop a plan for training the team to expand. Skilled Research staff members are

essential to Caprisa's performance, thus the OM needs to ensure that their pay is commensurate.

The knowledge of the organization must be accurately recorded, preserved, and reported on through

work reports, project lessons learned, and after-action reviews. This is the responsibility of the

Organisation Management Manager (OM). For this strategy to be successful, the OM must be able

to put in place tools that will make information exchange, collaboration, and archiving easier. For all

Team members to have easy access to written standard operating procedures, the OM should create

and manage a repository of SOPs. The OM should then put in place training initiatives, such as

webinars and workshops, to improve the Team Members' abilities and expertise.

After that, it becomes the responsibility of the OM to guarantee that the recently acquired talents are

kept within the company. OMs should also form communities of practice around particular research

topics or approaches, use data analytics, and develop knowledge transfer programmes. According

to Wenger's 1999 proposal, research companies such as Caprisa stand to gain from information

sharing and management when they support and encourage communities of practice. Even if you

take all the advice to heart, staff can nonetheless depart for many reasons. According to Liu and

Wang (2006), there are a variety of complex reasons why employees leave their jobs, some of which

may have nothing to do with the OM's plan. As a result, the operations team's succession plan needs

to be established by the OM. The job offering specifies that the operations manager (OM) oversees

site infrastructure, Operations and maintenance. Consequently, to effectively solve knowledge

management challenges and avoid surprises, the OM must create a succession plan.This plan will

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also encourage the technical personnel, assure the success of projects, and lessen the likelihood of

disruptions to the business (Magner et al., 1996).

3.2. Project Management Challenges

As to the job description, the primary duty of the OM position would be to ensure that the company's

projects are delivered on time. The structure of the organization or the unique characteristics of the

projects itself may make it more difficult for the OM to complete the projects. Lock addresses three

organizational frameworks for commercial projects in particular (2007). This is where the project,

matrix, and functional structures belong. Every one of them presents a unique challenge. According

to the job summary, the company functions in accordance with the functional organization's

description. The operations manager/project manager would supervise project managers' activities

and act as a liaison between departments. Here, instead of having total control over their individual

projects, many project managers would be under the OM's authority. The OM cannot be in two places

at once, therefore there can be a delay in distribution. If the OM is assigned additional duties, there's

a chance that they will get overburdened.

Recommendations

To effectively mitigate project management challenges arising from the company's functional

organisational structure, the OM should assign control over the several operations department

projects to capable operations engineers or supervisors who report to him. The OM ought to grant

these project managers some degree of decision-making authority if they are capable of doing so.

In this way, the OM can monitor everything and projects won't be dragged down by bureaucratic red

tape (Lock, 2007). Since he is ultimately in charge of these decisions, the OM should continue to be

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involved in significant ones like scope modifications, budgetary approvals, and authority limitations.

The successful establishment of a projectized mini-department within the functional organization

would have been the project manager's goal.

3.3 Communications Challenges

Maintaining open lines of communication with his team, clients, GM, contractors, cross-functional

teams, and government agencies is the responsibility of Caprisa's OM. Effective communication is,

in fact, mentioned as one of the position's physical requirements. According to Jeremy (2018), an

OM's inadequate communication abilities can be held responsible for a company's downfall because

they lead to project failure, personnel attrition, disgruntled clients, and ultimately, the company's

demise.

Recommendations

For the OM to effectively manage communications with all pertinent stakeholders, they should

cognitively understand Mendelow's (1991) power-interest matrix. He must first have an

understanding of the many stakeholders with whom he works in order to categorise them based on

their level of interest and impact. Take a look at Figure 1 to see how the OM can categorise the

different stakeholders that it has to handle.

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To effectively communicate, the OM must navigate the power-interest matrix and make use of his

tools. Unless instructed otherwise, the OM may communicate with general and senior management

through emails and monthly reports. The majority of direct reports work in the field or on specialised

projects, so the OM can stay in touch with them via phone conversations, emails, WhatsApp, periodic

reporting, or in-person meetings. The OM must employ two-way channels in order to get feedback

on his communications. The field teams must be able to contact the OM via phone, text message

(SMS or WhatsApp), email, or any channel that has been agreed upon, and vice versa. Field

employees might maintain a smooth public image for the OM and encourage clear and honest

communication by using work phones with data and call cards.Considering the significance of the

task, the OM needs to strike a balance between formal and informal communication styles. The

company environment and document management policies should be considered. Good

communication may raise employee engagement, which in turn improves customer satisfaction,

quality control, and productivity (2003).

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3.4 Sustainability and Globalization

Sustainability, as previously defined, is the process through which an organisation determines

whether or not its current methods can be sustained without jeopardising its ability to meet future

demands on its resources (Miranda, 2007). The OM is expected to help implement environmentally

friendly research practices, such as reducing waste, minimizing energy consumption and adopting

sustainable laboratory and fieldwork measures.

Additionally, the OM will make sure that research projects follow ethical guidelines, particularly when

it comes to touchy matters like data privacy, animal testing, and human subjects. When working with

governments, non-profits, and industry partners to produce solutions based on research findings,

the OM should play a key role. It is expected that the OM will deal with sustainability issues pertaining

to their dealings with government organizations and the CSR requirements mentioned in the job

description. In order to take use of varied viewpoints and resources, the OM must be able to promote

cooperation with research institutions, scientists, and specialists worldwide. A company's long-term

survival is in jeopardy if sufficient systems are not set up to meet all these requirements.

Recommendations

The OM's control over a company's ability to provide high-quality services helps reduce the dangers

associated with growing competition from other research institutions. The OM has the ability to

establish a quality management system if Caprisa does not currently have one. The organization's

strategic operations must be thoroughly evaluated by the OM to identify ineffective procedures and

implement practical substitutes. Understanding and utilizing Agile systems can improve customer

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happiness and loyalty. Caprisa will become more efficient and gain a competitive advantage as well

as increased sustainability if it heeds the suggestions of Womack and Jones (1996). By adopting

cutting-edge technologies, such enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, the OM can better

serve its clients' demands. Businesses frequently use enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems,

which are complex software packages that coordinate and monitor a variety of internal processes,

to deliver the goods and services that consumers expect. The ERP will make the OM's problems

with coordination and reporting obsolete. An efficient ERP makes it easier for the OM to handle

operational problems. The ERP creates downloadable reports on a variety of subjects, including

project status, financial, maintenance, and supplier and inventory information, as well as staff

performance evaluation and tracking.

The company's sustainability issues might not be fully resolved by using lean, quality management,

and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, among other best practises in operational

management. Sanders and Wood (2014) claim that competitors might easily imitate a company's

successful operations management techniques in the information era. By coming up with creative

ways to satisfy the demands of Caprisa's customer base, the OM helps the company stay ahead of

the curve. In order to anticipate and satisfy the needs of your clients, you need to have a thorough

grasp of them. The OM might discover more about its consumers by using customer relationship

management (CRM). The phrase "customer relationship management" (CRM) refers to a suite of

software applications that assist an organization in gathering and responding to client information

and preferences to deliver personalized, relevant, and timely service. To better serve consumers, it

can relate to already-in-use business resource planning systems.

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The OM will be better qualified to make coordinated choices across departments after acquiring

experience in many aspects of Caprisa's cross-departmental activities. Dennis and Kambil (2003)

contend that when workers function in "functional silos," they lose sight of the larger picture and are

more prone to make bad decisions. Interdisciplinary teams should be able to be assembled by the

OM to assist in decision-making and address any issues that may emerge.

4 Conclusions

Today's companies require operation managers. Key responsibilities of an operations manager

include staffing, organizing, directing, regulating, and planning. Every operations manager has

difficulties. The research and discussion suggest that Caprisa's operations manager should

anticipate issues with communication, project management, sustainability, and knowledge

management. If the operations manager uses knowledge management techniques, improves the

organization's project management skills, puts in place efficient communication strategies, applies

best operations management practices, and uses long-term technical solutions, the difficulties can

be solved.

The obstacles faced by businesses change over time. The world is changing quickly today, and

operations managers need to be proactive and flexible. He or she should also lead by example and

possess an entrepreneurial attitude in order to establish a sustainable corporate culture.

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Research on Two Hotels in Uttarakhand’, IOSR Journal of Business and Management. 3(2).

pp. 40-49. IOSR [Online]. Available at: http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jbm/papers/vol3-

issue2/E0324049.pdf (Accessed: 12 November 2023).

Boer, H. (2003) ‘Guest editorial: New challenges in operations management’, International

Journal of Operations & Production Management, 23(10). pp. 1108-1113. Emerald [Online].

Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/01443570310496580 (Accessed: 12 November 2023).

Dennis, M. J. and Kambil, A. (2003). ‘Service Management: Building Profits after the Sale’,

Supply Chain Management Review. 1. pp. 42-48.

Irani, F.N. and Noruzi, M.R. (2011). ‘Globalization and Challenges; What are the

globalization’s contemporary issues?’, International Journal of Humanities and Social

Science. 1(6). Pp. 1-3. Available at:

http://www.ijhssnet.com/journals/Vol._1_No._6;_June_2011/24.pdf (Accessed: 11 November

2023).

Jeremy, B. (2018). Challenges that face operations managers. Available at:

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/challenges-face-operation-managers-61711.html

(Accessed: 11 November 2023).

Lock, D. (2007). Project Management, 9th edn. Burlington: Gower.

Liu, Y.A. and Wang, F. (2006). ‘A study on the Influence Factors on Voluntary Turnover

Intention’, Enterprise Economy, 6. pp. 42-44.

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Magner, N., Welker, R. and Johnson, G. (1996). ‘The interactive effects of participation and

outcome favorability in performance appraisal on turnover intentions and evaluation of

supervisors’, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 69. pp. 135-143.

Mamun, C.A., and Hasan, M.N. (2017). ‘Factors affecting employee turnover and sound

retention strategies in business organizations: a conceptual view’, Problems and Perspectives

in Management. 15(1). pp. 63-71. [Online]. Available at:

https://businessperspectives.org/images/pdf/applications/publishing/templates/article/assets/

8193/PPM_2017_01_Mamun.pdf (Accessed: 11 November 2023).

Michal, E.M.B., Nissly, J.A. and Levin, A. (2001). ‘Antecedents to Retention and Turnover

among Child Welfare, Social Work and Other Human Service Employees: What can we learn

from past research? A Review and Meta-analysis’, The Social Service Review, 75(4). pp. 625-

661.

Miranda, J.P. (2007) Handbook of operations research in natural resources. New York:

Springer.

Robert, F.J. (2017). Operations management for competitive advantage. Boston: McGraw-

Hill.

Sanders, N.R., and Wood, J.D. (2014). Fundamentals of Sustainable Business. New York:

John Wiley & Sons.

Stevenson, W.J. (2002). Operation Management. London: McGraw-Hill.

Wenger, E. (1999) Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning and Identity. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press.

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Wijnhoven, F. (2003). ‘Operational knowledge management: Identification of knowledge

objects, operation methods, and goals and means for the support function’, Journal of the

Operational Research Society. 54(2). pp. 194-203. [Online]. Available at:

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rs.2601393 (Accessed: November 2023).

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November 2023).

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Corporation. New York: Simon & Schuster.

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Appendix B

CAPRISA Job Advert Post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/caprisa_site-operations-manager-

advert-activity-7039467871428620288-vKXM?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

CAPRISA is an award-winning global research organization located on the campus of the

Nelson Mandela School of Medicine in Durban, South Africa and undertakes research in HIV,
TB and Covid at four clinical research sites in KwaZulu-Natal.

CAPRISA’s goal is to undertake globally relevant and locally responsive research that
contributes to understanding HIV Vaccines and Pathogenesis, Prevention and Epidemiology,
the links between Tuberculosis and AIDS treatment and Covid-19. CAPRISA is a UNAIDS
Collaborating Centre for HIV Research and Policy and is recognized as a DSI-NRF Centre of
Excellence in HIV Prevention and hosts the SAMRC HIV-TB Pathogenesis and Treatment
Research Unit.

The successful incumbent will join the CAPRISA team based at the eThekwini Clinical
Research Site in Durban.

Qualifications and experience:

• Grade 12

• Degree or Diploma in Administration or Business Administration

• At least 5 years operations, facilities management and administrative experience

• Experience in a leadership role

• High level of computer literacy with proficiency in MS office Suite (Powerpoint, Excel, Word and

Outlook)

• Knowledge of SAP

Essential functions:

• Oversee and manage operational aspects of the site

• Manage site Infrastructure, Operations and Maintenance

35
• Oversee Occupational Health and Safety at the site

• Manage Administrative team and Cleaners

• Responsible for Security and Gardening

• Manage vehicle fleet and Drivers

• Provide assistance with the finance and administration functions of the site

• Manage events and site visits

Personal qualities and competencies:

• Attention to detail with strong analytical ability

• Ability to organize and manage multiple priorities

• Ability to work independently, without direct supervision and fit in well within a multidisciplinary team

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Period: 2-year fixed term contract Closing Date: 16 March 2023 Reference: CAP 230308-2

To submit your application, visit our careers page: https://caprisa.erecruit.co

Applicants are advised that CAPRISA has implemented a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy

and all appointees will need to be vaccinated at commencement of employment.

CAPRISA is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to Employment Equity

36