Strategic Operations Report

Table of Content

1. Introduction3

2. Discussion4

2.1. Definitions4

Operations Strategy4

Business strategy6

2.2. Connection between Operations Strategy and Business Strategy7

3. Critical Appraisal of Issues9

3.1. Information Technology End9

4. Critical Appraisal of Value Chain & Quality11

4.1 Value Chain and Quality11

4.2. Virtual Value Chains12

5. Conclusions13

References15

Strategic Operations Report

1. Introduction

Comparethemarket.com is a company that provides various services and has links with more than 50 insurance companies. The organization provides all detailed information about companies' insurance services and compares the prices or the insurance services that companies provide. Comparethemarket.com has links to many companies that are involved in construction, furniture, banks, hospitals, and many other companies that offer or produce what is required by a man. The following table (Fig.1) elaborates Comparethemarket.com's collaboration with companies that offer the following insurance services but not limited to those(www.Comparethemarket.com , 2012):

Insurance

Money

Home Services

Other

Building and content insurance

Compare money credit

Broadband

Business energy

Life insurance

cash back credit

Home phone

Business broadband

Motorcycle insurance

Mortgages

Digital TV

pet insurance

Bank accounts

Phone & broadband

Accident sickness and unemployment insurance

Saving accounts

Mobile broadband

Travel insurance

Cash ISAs

Gas

let property insurance

Personal Loans Personal loans

Electricity

Public obligation insurance

Breakdown insurance

Medical insurance

Fig 1.0: Comparethemarket.com's collaboration with companies that offer the following insurance services

2. Discussion

Here mainly we will discuss about the critical assessment of the links between operations strategy & business strategy of the company.

2.1. Definitions

Operations Strategy

Operational strategy is termed as to develop a long term plan for the operational unit that may indicate the method and usage of resources to achieve the business aim (Ahlstrom and Westbrook, 2002). Companies or firms have strategic operations to support different business strategy. As services or products are different in companies, operations to support or enhance services or products are not the same. It is possible that some companies offer the same services and/or similar products; it does not mean that companies should have the same operations strategy even though they have similar services. Every organization or company should have its unique operations strategy and no company does copy operations strategy from another company, operations strategies is what really matters in business environments.

An organization's operations function is concerned with getting things done; producing goods and/or services for customers (Johnson et al, 2005) Operations, Strategy and Operations Strategy, Chapter two. Comparethemarket.com operates for varieties of insurances providers and links clients to these providers. So, the customers simply visit Comparethemarket.com's website, view what type of insurance they want, from which company and at what price. Customers need only Internet to choose which insurance provider is suitable for their companies.

All business operations of the company use some kind of technology whether it is simple internet link or sophisticated. Therefore, all operations activities in the company are performed over mobile phone or through its website. The operations strategy of the company contains five interrelated elements. The interactions of five elements in Comparethemarket.com's operations strategy result the company being competitive in market. The following diagram (Fig.2) exhibits the structure or how Comparethemarket.com's operations strategy was designed.

Fig. 2.0: The Design Activities in Operations Management of Comparethemarket.com

The operations strategy of Comparethemarket.com touches all day-to-day activities let it ...