Written Assignment Unit 6
MBA Business Administration
University of the People
BUS 5611-01 - Managing Projects and Program
Dr. Harsha Lalwani
March 9, 2022
Case Description
This case study describes how Walers deal with quality, safety, customer service, and cost.
Walkers is a crisp manufacturer based in the UK and currently, it operates globally and is the
largest snack factory. The factory is located in Bursom Road, Leicester and has close to 2000
staff. The company is now a subsidiary of PepsiCo group and operates in almost 200 countries
with 153,000 staff. The case study is focused on achieving safety, customer service, quality, and
cost and prioritizing them. The process of attaining one may hurt the other. For instance, to
improve quality the cost must be higher. Hence, finding the optimum balance and having priority
of these metrics is essential.
Specify how each is measured
Safety
Safety should be the number one concern for any company, especially a manufacturing
company. Safety can be measured by identifying and reporting accidents, determining the level
of the accidents and the cause of those accidents. Additionally, safety can be measured by the
presence or absence of harmful substances or dangerous operations. Furthermore, managers can
check if all the staff is wearing their protective gear, following all the safety rules and the safety
guidelines are being adhered to.
At Walkers managers continuously assess the level of risk workers face and make sure the
operatives are following the safety guidelines. Additionally, accidents are immediately identified
and dealt with. In case of fatality, the president of the parent company will be informed within 2
hours. All this shows the level of importance that Walkers Company has given to safety.
, Additionally, they have built a culture of safety that promotes and cultivates safe practices.
Quality
The quality of products and services is an important metric for the success of a manufacturing
company. Quality can be measured by setting a standard and checking if random samples of
products meet the quality standard. The amount of sample, the frequency of tests, the type of test
should be predefined. However, quality can be measured subjectively by assessing customer
satisfaction. If the customers are satisfied with the product then it meets the quality criteria that
have been met.
Walkers use the combination of methods mentioned above to check the quality of crisps.
Customers' satisfaction is correlated with the level of demand and if the demand decreases then
there must be a lack of quality in the Walkers product. In the factory, Walkers implement total
quality management (TQM) approach. Total quality management (TQM) is a comprehensive
method by which a manufacturer maintains high quality through a process of identifying and
eliminating errors in operation, streamlining and enhancing supply chain management,
improving customer experience, and providing timely training to employees (Barone, 2021).
Walkers have a hands-on approach to quality control and overlook the whole supply chain. They
work with the farmers to get the best potatoes. Coordinate with the suppliers and even involve a
team of farmers to check the production process. Additionally, skilled laboratory technicians
perform tests on the selected sample and even compare the crisps with competitors' crisps.
Customer Service
Customer service should also be given priority to the quality of products. If a company
manufactures quality products but fails to deliver quality customer service it will lose its
customers. At Walkers, there are three levels of customers the first is the head office, then the
main retail supermarkets, and finally the end-user. The ultimate goal is to give the best service to
the end-users.
For the head office, its demand is met by adjusting production to meet the demand level and type
of flavors. For retail supermarkets, it's measured by delivering the products within 24 hours.
Finally, for the end-users, it's cumulative of getting quality products when they require it. It can
be seen from the increase or decrease in demand.
MBA Business Administration
University of the People
BUS 5611-01 - Managing Projects and Program
Dr. Harsha Lalwani
March 9, 2022
Case Description
This case study describes how Walers deal with quality, safety, customer service, and cost.
Walkers is a crisp manufacturer based in the UK and currently, it operates globally and is the
largest snack factory. The factory is located in Bursom Road, Leicester and has close to 2000
staff. The company is now a subsidiary of PepsiCo group and operates in almost 200 countries
with 153,000 staff. The case study is focused on achieving safety, customer service, quality, and
cost and prioritizing them. The process of attaining one may hurt the other. For instance, to
improve quality the cost must be higher. Hence, finding the optimum balance and having priority
of these metrics is essential.
Specify how each is measured
Safety
Safety should be the number one concern for any company, especially a manufacturing
company. Safety can be measured by identifying and reporting accidents, determining the level
of the accidents and the cause of those accidents. Additionally, safety can be measured by the
presence or absence of harmful substances or dangerous operations. Furthermore, managers can
check if all the staff is wearing their protective gear, following all the safety rules and the safety
guidelines are being adhered to.
At Walkers managers continuously assess the level of risk workers face and make sure the
operatives are following the safety guidelines. Additionally, accidents are immediately identified
and dealt with. In case of fatality, the president of the parent company will be informed within 2
hours. All this shows the level of importance that Walkers Company has given to safety.
, Additionally, they have built a culture of safety that promotes and cultivates safe practices.
Quality
The quality of products and services is an important metric for the success of a manufacturing
company. Quality can be measured by setting a standard and checking if random samples of
products meet the quality standard. The amount of sample, the frequency of tests, the type of test
should be predefined. However, quality can be measured subjectively by assessing customer
satisfaction. If the customers are satisfied with the product then it meets the quality criteria that
have been met.
Walkers use the combination of methods mentioned above to check the quality of crisps.
Customers' satisfaction is correlated with the level of demand and if the demand decreases then
there must be a lack of quality in the Walkers product. In the factory, Walkers implement total
quality management (TQM) approach. Total quality management (TQM) is a comprehensive
method by which a manufacturer maintains high quality through a process of identifying and
eliminating errors in operation, streamlining and enhancing supply chain management,
improving customer experience, and providing timely training to employees (Barone, 2021).
Walkers have a hands-on approach to quality control and overlook the whole supply chain. They
work with the farmers to get the best potatoes. Coordinate with the suppliers and even involve a
team of farmers to check the production process. Additionally, skilled laboratory technicians
perform tests on the selected sample and even compare the crisps with competitors' crisps.
Customer Service
Customer service should also be given priority to the quality of products. If a company
manufactures quality products but fails to deliver quality customer service it will lose its
customers. At Walkers, there are three levels of customers the first is the head office, then the
main retail supermarkets, and finally the end-user. The ultimate goal is to give the best service to
the end-users.
For the head office, its demand is met by adjusting production to meet the demand level and type
of flavors. For retail supermarkets, it's measured by delivering the products within 24 hours.
Finally, for the end-users, it's cumulative of getting quality products when they require it. It can
be seen from the increase or decrease in demand.
