Cross-Functional Operations Management
Cross-functional operations management is quite essential for organizational success in the competitive business world. It allows an organization to maintain a competitive pace in the market. Further, it provides for proper coordination of various elements that play a significant role in the successful completion of a product or a service. Whether working in the production sector dealing with goods or in the service industry, operations management control is critical for the successful production, positioning, and delivery of products and services (Gitman et al. 2018). It not only allows for proper scheduling and planning but also gives the management insight into what the customers think of concerning their products /services. As opined by the authors, cross-functional operations management enables the business to have all the departments working optimally, thereby leading to efficiency and effectiveness. It also ensures the establishment of working relationships/links between different departments, thus breaking the barriers that are created when organizations adopt chimney-like approaches to administration where various departments operate as standalone territories. For instance, a secure link between marketing and production departments would help in the realization of customer satisfaction. The marketing department will gather valuable information from the customers’ end and then share it with the production department that will coin it into a product. Leybourn (2013), posits that competitive advantage that accrues to firms that embrace cross-functional and agile operations management should be perceived as a shared synergy that cuts across all the sectors: operations management, supply chain, sales and marketing, accounting, R&D, production as well as HR (Gitman et al. 2018). All the departments have critical roles that they perform towards the realization of organizational success.
But more importantly, innovativeness is more premier to the success of an organization than anything else. Companies that are innovative and use novel ideas in production, marketing, and even communication are always ahead of those firms that rely on rudimentary approaches, which are not only inefficient but also obsolete. The case of the Telsa communication strategy is an illustration of what innovation is capable of doing. The e-communication via email is faster, effective, and economical at the same time (Gitman et al. 2018). the rule that allows crossing functional communication between individuals from different departments at Telsa ensures that decision making is faster, leading to quicker fixing of any problems and/or challenges. The approach, however, can be useful in an innovative company like Telsa and not a manufacturing firm like GM since, in a manufacturing company, there are specific descriptions allocated to particular departments that other departments may lack insight about. Therefore the approach would lead to more confusion; for instance, the technicality in the engine of a vehicle could not be understood by the marketing officers who may not be having qualifications in engineering. Consequently, they may not have facts about the activities performed in the other departments.
Though open-door policy that allows sharing of the email between employees without necessarily following the bureaucratic procedures has several benefits, it also has several problems. One big problem associated with this policy is that the management may be overlooked since their subordinates can access virtually everything without involving them. Additionally, it may make data management very difficult since there is no specific method of receiving and distribution of information; thus, there will be no one in custody of organizational communication. It may also lead to duplication of duties as different people may do the same task without knowing that they are doing the same job.
References
Gitman, L. J. et al. (2018). Introduction to Business. OpenStax 369-410
Leybourn, E. (2013). Directing the Agile Organisation: A Lean Approach to Business Management. London: IT Governance Publishing.