Essay: Facility Layout & Business Strategy's Importance For Small-Scale Business Partnership.

Introduction

For the business partnership which is based on a small scale, the company needs to have an appropriate and clear business strategy where they will have the responsibility of their online business accounts, marketing platforms of social media, and appropriate up to date calendar of all the related happenings and events and also to keep a proper track of the communication between the clients and their self. As per the case study, Charles and Christina need to have appropriate customer relationship management software and enterprise resource management software for their small business partnership. This is so because customer relationship and enterprise resource management will give the organization a proper direction to attract the customer and to have a smooth ongoing process of their business of being a musician and a teacher. Due to the pandemic of covid-19, there has been an adverse effect on their small business partnerships. As teachers and musicians are the professionals who are worst affected by the pandemic of Covid-19. For their organization to be an effective and efficient teacher and musician, it is crucial and necessary that special and appropriate attention must be provided to the process of facility layout.

Body

For the partnership based on the small scale organization and for their efficient and effective manufacturing unit, a special kind of attention must be given to the procedure of facility layout. As per the case study discussed above, Charles and Christina who are the partners in the industry of musicians and teachers, it has been noticed that technology is only a crucial factor that will have a great impact on their business of being a musician and teachers. And on the other hand, to have a positive and effective ongoing process for their organization, facility layout is one of the important factors that have a great role, and their business should be given a special preference and attention too (Al-Zubaidi, et al., 2021). Facility layout is the procedure of arranging various kinds of aspects in the process of manufacturing to be in a proper manner. This facility layout should be done as arranging all the aspects of manufacturing will result in achieving the desired results and outcomes of the production process (Pérez-Gosende, et al., 2021). Facility layout will consider all the available spaces, the safety of the users, final goods and services, and the convenience of all the functions (Kikolski, 2018). An effective and efficient facility layout in the small-scale business partnership of Charles and Christina will make sure that they are having a study and smooth ongoing flow of production pieces of equipment, materials, and manpower at a very minimum cost price. Facility layout will also look that the physical allotments in their organization, are going to properly concern the economic activities. This is why one of the major objectives in the planning of facility layout will help the partners design an efficient and effective workflow to showcase their talents and types of equipment to be more productive. One of the major successes of their manufacturing unit will depend on the location of the unit and an appropriate layout of all the available facilities that have been provided in their teaching process (Suhardi, et al., 2019). Location plays a major role in marketing your talent among the customers. The efficiency and effectiveness of the manufacturing process will depend on how nicely all the different kinds of machines, amenities, and production facilities are located in the plant. A properly constructed plant will make sure to have a rapid and smooth flow of teaching from the raw teaching stage to the final product stage. The partners should also arrange all the facilities of the teaching process, not only in the particular department of the organization but also outside the department so that the smooth movement of the teaching can be easily achieved. The adequacy of the facility layout will directly have an impact on the efficiency of the functions and operations.

Flowchart

 Flowchart

As per Moore, facility layout is the procedure to plan a most favorable kind of arrangement of the facilities which will include operating equipment, material handling apparatus, personnel, storage area, and all the other available supporting services.

As per James Lundy, facility layout is the idea or the procedure of all the steps which will include the allotment of the resources within a single unit in an appropriate area. It is also the positioning of all the available pieces of equipment in the organization for reducing the operational cost.

As per E.L. Brech, facility layout is the accumulation of the different products and services of the company along with several other sections for normal utilization.

As per Prof. Haney, facility layout is the technique of locating all the available machines and pieces of equipment within the company so that the highest possible output can be achieved by generating more revenue.

 It has also been noticed by the partners that they need an appropriate business strategy for their small business of musicians and teachers. This business strategy will have the responsibility to handle the accounts of online businesses and will also look at social media marketing. The facility layout will also make sure that the proper and smooth flow of the types of equipment is there. It will also provide help in exploring methods so that the waste can be eliminated (Klausnitzer, 2019). It will also ensure that the safety of the individuals and machines is there in the organization. The facility layout will also suggest improvements that can be implemented in the process of production and working methods of the partners. Facility layout will also allow the flexibility of the process especially when the goods and services are expected to change very frequently (Wang, et al., 2018). A proper business strategy will give their small-scale business a proper up-to-date calendar of all the events and happenings. It will also help them to keep proper track of the related communication between the clients and their self. The partners discussed and agreed that their business needs to have the software for customer relationship management and enterprise Resource Management.

The software of customer relationship management is the apparatus that is formulated to provide help to the organization for their customers to have a seamless and unique experience. CRM software will also help the partners to make better kinds of relationships by giving clear and whole sketches of all the interactions with the customers by keeping a proper track of the sales. This will also help in giving priority to the opportunities and also do facilitate collaboration among various team members of musicians. the strategy of CRM software includes together the data of customers and analysis of the history of customer communications to give a better kind of services. This will also help in making better relationships with the clients and musicians which will ultimately result in generating more revenue and sales (EC, 2018). When Charles and Christina, will have a strong CRM strategy for their small-scale business, it will be allowed them to make personal connections with the clients. By this, the partners will easily recognize the requirements of customers and will then give them personalized service. When the partners will have the software for customer relationship management, it will help in managing all the interactions and relationships with the clients and potential customers. The major goal and objective of this software are to enhance the business relationships as per the latest trends (Gil-Gomez, et al., 2020). It will also help the partners to stay connected with their customers to reach the maximum level of learners and enhance the profitability of their small-scale business. it will also help with sales management, contact management, productivity, and many more services. It will also help the partners in focusing the relationships of their organization with individual people. It will also include determining more and more new customers, exploring their business, provide extra services to the customers. The CRM software system will provide the partners a clear overview of the customers' annual and also have a customized and simple dashboard that will give the detail of the previous history of customers (Perera, et al., 2018). The partners will also have clear visibility of every opportunity that will reflect a clear way from inquiry to sales. The CRM platform will also let the partners manage the inquiry of the channels.

The partners also identified that they need this software of Enterprise Resource Management which will provide help in managing and integrating the necessary factors of their businesses. These software applications are necessary for their organization as they will provide help in implementing proper resource planning. This software will also help in integrating the planning, marketing, purchasing the inventory, human resources etcetera (Kovács, 2020). It will integrate all the procedures and processes that are required to run its small-scale business. There have been a few benefits to implementing the software of Enterprise Resource Management that include the free and smooth ongoing flow of communication within the business sections, real-time reporting of data, and having an accurate source of information. These applications will also provide help to the partners to communicate and share the information more effectively and easily with the other musicians and organizations (Zhang, et al., 2021). It will also connect different types of technologies that are utilized by every section of a business. Hence, the application of Enterprise Resource Management will reduce the incompatible technology and costly duplicate. this process will also integrate the payable accounts and the customer data basis into a single system. this application will also help in enhancing the report of real-time data from one source system. Various musicians and teachers will be more capable to share and collaborate their knowledge which will result in a well-organized workforce that will ultimately improve customer satisfaction and productivity (Fenech, et al., 2019). This software will manage the financial services, operations, reporting, supply chain management, manufacturing process, commerce, and the activities of human resources. Modern ERP solutions will help in building resiliency and continuity in their business by insights that will help the partners to innovate at a rapid rate. When the partners will have the solutions which will integrate the artificial intelligence, it will give access to the insights which will improve the decision making and will also provide several methods to improve the functional performance to move forward. When the data and processes of the partners will be connected, it will bring more flexibility and visibility to help them to take the actions vastly and give extra value to the business. The latest ERP system will help the partners increase their profitability by driving compliance (Ahumada, 2018). It will also offer the insights that are driven by artificial intelligence and the dashboards that will provide an overview of the finances to have real-time information anywhere and anytime (Macke, 2019). It will also enhance and improve the business communication to fulfill the demands of customers and maximize the resources by accessing real-time information.

Open-source software is this software that has the source code that can be easily modified, inspected, and enhanced by anyone. The source code is the section of the software that is not seen by most computer users. Computer programmers who have the right to the source code of the program may enhance that particular program by adding more and more features to it (Rashid, et al., 2019). Some examples of Open Source Software include the GNU image manipulation program and the LibreOffice. Charles and Christina can easily save their money by using this software. OSS comes by having a distribution license which will involve the terms that will determine how the developers may modify, utilize, study, and distribute this software.

Conclusion

As per the briefing discussion and literature of the case study that has been thoroughly explored above, it can be concluded that an appropriate business strategy is required in a small-scale business. The software of customer relationship management will offer to have a seamless and unique experience for the customers and will also build better relationships. The software of Enterprise Resource Management will manage the supply chain, manufacturing, and financial statements of the company. Open Source Software is the kind of code that is designed to be accessed by anyone and will also help in saving money. Information technology plays a greater and necessary role in the small scale business partnership. The flowchart of the process design and facility layout can be understood from below attached figure.

In order to achieve the output of the business, the management team or the staff members needs to complete a group of all the tasks which will pass from a single person or particular department to the next person or department. There have been various little things that need to be completed during the business. The techniques of the business process model will allow the partners to consider and capture all such steps in a professional form that will allow the partners to visualize how the function of workflow is going on in their business (Entringer, et al., 2019). By using the techniques of the business process model, the partners can easily spot the tasks that are unnecessary and can easily reduce such tasks. The process of efficiency can also be improved by considering those areas where all the work has been performed because of the arguments during the process. By implementing a proper business process model, the partners can also make sure that the efficient procedures are repeated in the same manner each and every time. Business process modeling notation comprises a group of standard objects or signs so that the work shows and the tasks of the business can be appropriately represented among the customers. The partners, as per the case study, need to develop their own particular set of standard objects or symbols. When the standardized set of symbols is utilized by the partners, it will help them to collaborate with the outside analysts easier (Wi?niewski, et al., 2018). As a consultant, the BPMN technique is considered like the ‘Rolls Royce’. This is so because most of the business process modeling techniques were organized for many other objectives and were then acquired. It is the highest point of the procedure in which most businesses prefer this as one of the best techniques for business process modeling. There have been four different categories that fall in the symbols of BPMN which are Flow objects, Connecting objects, Swim Lanes, and Artifacts. One of the biggest advantages of having the business process modeling notation includes its standards by having a well-determined syntax (Kasemsap, 2020). There have been numerous business analysts who are quite familiar with this technique. It to further makes the process of collaboration to be easier. Moreover, most of the modeling apparatus that supports BPMN make it to be easier to edit and share by making use of different kinds of software. All these things make the BPMN technique to be one of the most popular business process modeling techniques.

Even when the Unified Modelling Languages Diagrams and the Business Process Modelling Notation have been new to anyone, one should have an idea that what exactly a particular flow chart will looks like. Moreover, business process modeling notation is quite different from that of a regular flow chart. Business process modeling notation is originally a development part of the flowchart. One of the major drawbacks or limitations of old-fashioned flowcharts includes that the flowcharts are dependent on sequential flows (ER, 2020). The limitation includes that the flowcharts did not provide any support to the parallel activities that are helpful in forming the part of a complete process. This is so because the person cannot capture or hold much of the information by having this kind of representation of a flowchart. This technique of business process modeling is the best used in the case of very predictable and simple processes which do not need much elaboration (Jin, et al., 2018). A basic kind of flowchart is utilized to encapsulate the complete process prior to the business process modeling notation being developed. It is clear that the business process modeling notation is an innovation that makes the flowchart technique to be more useful and informative for the users. As a consultant, it has also been found that understanding the technique of business process modeling notation is quite not easy for beginners (Ritchi, et al., 2020). This is why the beginners' preface makes use of a series of interconnected flowcharts because they reason that does not need much of the learning curves. The technique of flowchart is quite helpful when the individual is mapping a straightforward kind of business process. Its simplicity makes it to be an effective and powerful tool (Leno, et al., 2018). As it has limited standard symbols, it may be easily understood by most users. It does not provide support for a breakdown of the activities and makes use of a sequential flow of activities.

Strengths: The partners are well familiar with each other. They are talented enough and their fields of being a musician and teaching. They are eager to conduct as many events and performances to make additional income apart from the regular income. The partners are having the experience with both the classical musicians and music teachers.

Weaknesses: The partners are having the business on a small scale and do not have any technical experience. Covid-19 made the industry of music and events worst affected. All the arrangements of their events and parties are conducted with the help of the telephone only. The current clients' partners make the payment of the events and lessons in the form of cash. Moreover, they also do not have any technical experience regarding the software that is helpful for their small-scale business partnership.

Opportunities: As a startup business, they have the opportunity to be the center of attraction for their customers or regular clients. They can explore their talents by conducting more and more parties and events at the location. They can easily attract the local musicians to collaborate with them which may result in additional income.

Threats: One of the major threats includes that the partners are new in the market which can impact their image. There can be numerous experienced and talented musicians at their location that may be competitive for them.

The small-scale business partnership includes the partners who have the experience of being classical musicians and music teachers who play at the local parties and events. The partners want more and more private work both in the form of musicians and teachers. The partners want to publicize their talents through the website dealing arrangements. The partners are conducting the arrangements with the help of the telephone and their current clients make payments by cash for the events or lessons. The partners want to be more professional by giving the bookings, information, and payment methods via online mode. Partners require a business strategy for their social medium marketing, and up to date calendar of all the events, and online business accounts, and to keep an appropriate track of the interaction between the clients and their own self. Their future business needs to be connected with technology. The partners need professional digital advice about investing funds in the business software. The partners do not have any technical experience and this is why need information that can be easily understood by them.

Adding the software of Customer Relationship Management and Enterprise Resource Management Will make their business gains the attraction of customers and manage the resources very effectively and efficiently. The software of open source will help the partners to save money. The payments and bookings can be done via online mode. Information Technology will help the partners a lot to enhance and upgrade their future small-scale business partnerships.

SAP (System analyse Programment wicklung)

SAP is recognised as one of the leading producers in the software across the world to manage various processes of business and to develop relevant solutions that will help in facility in the efficient data processing and flow of information across the companies. SAP software can be utilised by Charles and Cristiano for their business. Bhai consolidating the data management, this software will give numerous business operations by having a particular opinion of the overall truth. This will also provide help to the business of Charles and Christina to have an easier access of all the different departments to real time insights across the business. This will result in improving the overall efficiency of the operations, accelerating the work flows of business, increase the overall productivity, improve the customer experiences that will ultimately result in increasing the overall benefits to the business. It is better for there small scale business to run their business beneficially, accept the continuous monitoring and to increase the sustainability. It will also share the related data and information to make a better working atmosphere for all the workers of the business of Charles and Christina.

Oracle create the software known as database management systemwould be helpful for Charles and Christina to handle and create the databases of theirbusiness. The full form of RDBMS is the relational database management system. The Oracle database which is also known as Oracle RDBMS is defined as the gathering of all the related data and information which will be organised with the relationships that is handled within two different types. The basic and core objective of the database is to reserve and stockpile the associated information. As per the rapid increase in competition within the business, Charles and Christina should accelerate the leadership based on line of businessto step towards the innovation and also to enable DevOps teams to use the infrastructure resources when required with the goal to reduce the overall cost price of business transaction. It will be relatively easier for Charles and Christina to learn operating the Oracle Software when they will have good command on operating the SQL and Linux software. It will also help the partners to reduce the management work load and also to simplify the relative database atmospheres.

Linux is also an operating System just same as Mac OS, Windows etc. that that can be implemented by the partners Charles and Cristiano for their business. Also it is one of the most famous platform around the world which is powered by LINUX operating system. Operating system is the kind of software that will help the partners to manage each and every hardware resources that is related with their laptop or computer system. In simple terms, the operating system will handle the communication process between the hardware and software of departments. The software will not function until and unless the operating system will be there. It is a salt of Open software operating system that will directly handle the resource and hardware of the system same as storage, CPU and the memory. Rhythmboxwill be a good option for the partners as it is free and open source music arranger and audio player software for all the digital audio files. It is a kind of Gnome music player which will perform better under GNOME system.

VNC formally called as Virtual Network Computing is a kind of graphical desktop sharing arrangement that make use of remote same buffer protocol so that another computer system can be remotely controlled. VNC will send the input of mouse and keyboard from one computer system to another computer system passing on the updates of graphical screen from a network. In simple terms, the mouse, keyboard and screen of a computer can be utilised from a few distance via a remote end user with the help of a secondary device. Remote desktop software will be helpful for the partners Charles and Christina it will be your easier method to access all the related resources and events on a remote computer system. This software will also allow the partners to share the screen for free by making the overall experience consistent.

SAP Commercial Off The Shelf Software will be the best recommended software for the partners. It makes yours that the correct a particles and Technology have been accepted that will be helpful for the partners to prepare for the upcoming time. It also enhances the cost efficiency and reduces the expenses of operation and administration by making use of real time and accurate information. It will help in having synchronised reports and to automate the processes, will also eliminate the duplication and enhance the transparency of the business. It also allows to have effortless scale in improves the data security by enabling the forecasting and to have better analysis.

Linux open source software will be helpful for the partners as it's source code will be easily available. Its security features will be helpful and it is also free to utilise without investing any additional expenses by the partners. Another benefits of Linux open source operating system includes that it is lightweight, this is space and memory footprint are also very low, comparatively more stable than other OS, give high performance, very flexible, software updates may be easily installed, graphical user interface, large support of community, concern regarding the privacy of uses, strong support for networking, compatibility, andmulti tasking. As the partners are beginners, it will be highly documented.

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