Topical 03: Explain one ways a business could increase levels of productivity in its operations.

[Sir Afzal Shad]

Explain one ways a business could increase levels of productivity in its operations.[5]
Topical Past Paper Question 03

Answer
[KN] By implementing process automation using technology and software to streamline repetitive tasks, reduce manual interventions.

[AN] By automating routine processes such as data entry, order processing, inventory management, and report generation, businesses can save time, reduce errors, and free up resources to focus on more strategic activities.

[AN+] Moreover, process automation enables businesses to adapt to changing market demands and scale operations more efficiently. As the volume of transactions or workload increases, automated systems can handle higher volumes without significantly increasing labor costs or compromising quality.

[AN+] Additionally, automation can improve decision-making by providing real-time data and insights into operational performance.

[AN+] Such analytics and reporting tools can help to identify trends, analyze patterns, and make informed decisions to optimize processes and resource allocation.

--- Example for understanding, not to include in answer ---
For example, a logistics company that implements automated route optimization software can minimize delivery times, reduce fuel consumption, and improve overall fleet efficiency. This not only increases productivity but also enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty.

[Eyza Mehmood]

I personally feel like this first AN+ doesn't make much sense, if you were to switch to using more automation wouldn't it be more difficult to bounce between trends as the machinery is made for very specific tasks, e.g. a bakery uses a pretzel twister for pretzels, if the demand changes to cookies then it can't adapt

Also I'm having trouble understanding what the difference between the last two further analysis's are, both refer to introduction of machinery as making it easier to gather data to use for decision making and predictions

[Sir Afzal Shad]

I personally feel like this first AN+ doesn't make much sense, if you were to switch to using more automation wouldn't it be more difficult to bounce between trends as the machinery is made for very specific tasks, e.g. a bakery uses a pretzel twister for pretzels, if the demand changes to cookies then it can't adapt

Also I'm having trouble understanding what the difference between the last two further analysis's are, both refer to introduction of machinery as making it easier to gather data to use for decision making and predictions

There are two things, flow production and automation (with Mass Customization). When we talk about flow, the problem is lack of adaptability, but when we talk about automation (in sense of mass customization), we have more adaptability. For instance; a clothing manufacturer can change the designs, fabric and colors with few clicks on the computers and machines works accordingly. This can be further improved with robotics as well.

2nd, the last AN+ can be improvised by giving an impact of use of data in making informed decisions and lowering the risks