Management Summary
Milkwood Ltd is a vast company specializing in online gaming businesses, and it is estimated that the company is working on ten different videogames at any given time. The corporation is also notable for hosting four online games with offices in London, Sydney, and Los Angeles. The company also showcases four in-house developed games and three contracted titles. Dylan Thomas currently serves as CEO of Beneath Milkwood Pty Limited, which has a staffing capacity of 400 people. Products-wise, the company excels at writing games for the Xbox by Microsoft, personal computers, and the Nintendo GameCube. Nevertheless, a wide variety of games are available, including real-time strategy titles, first-person shooters, and action games, the latter of which are typically aimed at pre-teens. Two of the four games the corporation hosts fall under the category “BattleNet,” while the other two are classified as “persistent role-playing games.” Regarding sales, the company sells video games both online and through wholesalers. The company also offers a website where users can purchase and access updates. The company’s dedication to
Introduction
The initiative is meant to fix a problem at Milkwood Pty Ltd’s Operations Management Department, a vast company specializing in computer gaming services. The project aims to increase productivity by improving the efficiency of the Operations Management Department’s employees. The proposal will outline a comprehensive case for and against the idea, weighing its benefits and drawbacks to guarantee it is feasible. The proposal would comprise a BTOPP (Benefit, Time, Opportunity, People, and Process) analysis and a risk assessment. Advice on how to mitigate the project’s risks may then be developed based on the identified benefits, dangers, and impediments. The project’s expected benefits include improved teamwork and communication, streamlined processes, fewer mistakes and delays, and happier clients. The proposal will have a detailed breakdown of the project’s expenses (both upfront and ongoing) and benefits (both immediate and long-term). Finally, the proposal will include suggestions for improvements that may be made in the future to keep the project viable and expandable. Opportunities for professional development, regular reviews of current practices, and cutting-edge technological advancements are just a few examples. The goal is to boost the effectiveness of the Operations Management Team so that the organization can compete in the cutthroat computer game industry.
Background
Like many other companies, Milkwood Ltd faces several difficulties in IT Operations Management. It has become apparent that better utilization of the company’s human resources is required. Therefore, Operations Management has to create a competency-based matrix. The company has to set up a matrix so that its staff may collaborate more effectively. Notably, this matrix will need collaboration between the Operations Group and the Investment Review Board. It is essential to look at possibilities that would lessen the effort and cost involved in developing and implementing the project. Finding the right individuals and pieces of software is crucial for such an endeavor. It is equally important to choose the right software and personnel for data management before and after the project is completed.
Objectives and Scope
This project aims to create a competence matrix for Operations Management at Milkwood Ltd. Employees’ skills, knowledge, and experience will be assessed using this matrix, and training needs will be identified. The competency matrix may also be used to track employee progress, measure output, and facilitate resource allocation.
It is essential to inform the Investment Review Board of the benefits of a robust Operations Management team for the project. By highlighting employees’ strengths and skills, the competence matrix demonstrates how the department may save money by investing in their professional growth and development.
The company also hopes to fulfill its other goals associated with this initiative by educating the Investment Review Board on the issue of current competency matrices. As the computer game industry constantly evolves, so will the employees of the Operations Management Department who need to learn new things. The competency matrix will help the firm zero in on the precise skills they need to navigate the ever-changing business landscape successfully.
The project aims to encourage workforce development by stressing the significance of ongoing instruction and refinement. By using the competence matrix, businesses may identify where their staff members need more guidance and instruction.
Overarchingly, the project’s objective is to improve the Operations Management Department’s productivity by providing its staff with the knowledge they need to meet the ever-changing demands of the video game industry. Milkwood Pty Ltd intends to thrive in this cutthroat industry by supporting their employees’ development.
Proposal
To keep things running smoothly, develop new capabilities, and keep the ones they already have up and running, Milkwood Pty Ltd has to staff its Operations Management Department with competent people. Simply put, new hardware is integral to extending a company’s capabilities, and timely system repairs assure reliable operations. Improvements to preexisting infrastructure are what is meant by “maintenance” here. Now that that is out of the way, it is clear that this division’s expertise is required for tasks like new system implementation and maintenance, talent amalgamation, and material consumption. Milkwood Pty Limited needs Skilled Operation Management Workers to support the Human Resources team. Therefore, the company should study the Operations management department’s human resource needs and the department’s fundamentals of personnel management.
Competency Matrix
The Operations Management Department of Milkowood Pty Ltd. needs a Competence Matrix to attract and keep talented employees. We typically use phrases like “degree of skill” and “match of competencies” when discussing the ideal parts of a Competence Matrix. Here, “expert” might mean either “intermediate” or “novice,” depending on the circumstances. On the other hand, if a prospective worker is both good at programming and managing projects, the person may be a good fit. It is essential for Milkwood Pty Ltd’s Operations Management department, service level agreements, and studies of in-demand IT skills to all factor into creating a cutting-edge Competence Matrix. Not everything that needs doing in a firm falls under the scope of Operations Management. Review staff at Milkwood Pty Ltd are responsible for, among other things, developing a current staff competency matrix, matching required competencies with existing staff competencies, and formulating plans to acquire or train new personnel to meet the proposed competency matrix. The expertise of Operations Department staff will also be regularly assessed against the Expertise Matrix to guarantee that it remains at an appropriate level.
BTOPP: ‘Business, Technology, Organization, Process, and People’ Matrix of the Company
The BTOOP framework is valuable for organizations to understand their infrastructure better and create efficient processes. Milkwood Pty Ltd can effectively use its staff in the Operations Management Department by developing a Competence Matrix using the BTOPP matrix.
The BTOPP “Business” component stresses the importance of new information technologies meeting customer needs. Therefore, they should align with the company’s actual need for information. The end customers of the product will reap the benefits of a more streamlined value chain. The BTOPP business factor stresses the need to tie any proposed IT solutions to the larger business goals. The suggested Competence Matrix will be evaluated against market potential and demand, and the research plan that best achieves this alignment will be chosen by Milkwood Ltd using the BTOPP methodology. The company will be able to use its resources better and seize the present market opportunity thanks to the matrix. Milkwood Ltd has identified a market of around 10,000 persons who spend time each month participating in online video gaming activities. The company is looking for measures to maximize employee contribution in order to expand its current business opportunity of 2.5 million yearly unit sales. Milkwood Ltd’s previous year’s achievement reflects the company’s future viability. Last year, the firm earned $15 million in profit, had $100 million in debt, and had a share price of $3.50 on revenue of $7.6 million. In order to convince the Investment Review Board to adopt the BTOPP framework, the Operations Management Department should conduct an in-depth analysis of Milkwood Pty Ltd’s existing documentation. The Investment Review Board will only bless the company’s Competence Matrix if it can demonstrate how its staff will be put to good use in expanding upon existing operations.
In the BTOPP framework, “Technology” represents the second pillar. Along with the constructed hardware, it requires fully functional software and the capacity to convey data promptly to the appropriate parties. The cutting-edge technology that will unavoidably be employed in the gaming business is predicted to be a good fit for the personnel of the Operations Management Department, as outlined by the Competence Matrix. Milkwood Pty Ltd has stepped into the crowded and rapidly evolving computer gaming industry. The demographic of educated millennials who shop in this market is highly dependent on technical innovation. If there are not enough personnel to manage the IT industry’s fast changes, it is a waste of money to invest in new technologies. Products are presently available for Windows, Xbox, Linux, GameCube, and Unix PCs. The company’s current PC count is 300, comprising 150 Performance workstations and 20 dedicated specialty workstations. The Operations Management Department’s desktop and server operating systems can benefit from the suggested Competence Matrix by matching staff expertise with the appropriate technology. The new Competence Matrix will improve the server infrastructure of Milkwood Pty Ltd. The company also has forty servers that provide constant access to the internet. The most up-to-date statistics show that the company uses 120 unique network devices and 10 Mbps of Internet bandwidth. The network links the two offices and facilitates communication with the company’s international server providers. Therefore, the company must expand upon its existing technology infrastructure to make the most of its current labor force. Some of these include moving to a newer operating system version and upgrading to faster computers and web servers. Moving away from stationary PCs in favor of mobile devices is also advocated.
The BTOPP structure has a third pillar called “Organization” as well. The BTOPP methodology recommends that businesses be structured to leverage their IT resources fully. The effects on client communication, workplace design, and collaboration are far-reaching. Therefore, the company must be set up so that the Operations Management Department can function as effectively as possible. To guarantee that individuals are appropriately matched with technology allowing decentralized organizations, Milkwood Pty Limited has suggested a Competence Matrix. For instance, in order to fully reap the benefits of decentralization, the company’s current two-building headquarters needs to be expanded. Decentralizing a company’s operations improves working conditions for employees, which increases productivity, according to the literature. Having employees from many different parts of the world might help a business better combine its resources. Milkwood Pty Ltd has a considerable challenge when hiring people from different backgrounds due to the absence of widespread decentralization. The Operations Management Section recommends expanding into new areas to encourage decentralization. This requires the company to spend money on new gear and software and upgrade to more sophisticated networks.
In the BTOPP structure, the “Process” is the fourth pillar. BTOPP recommends that businesses structure their operations such that services are delivered without interruption at any point. New information technology capabilities should be considered and incorporated into this plan. The corporation will need to re-engineer these operational procedures to accommodate the industry’s shifting nature. There are critical elements of Milkwood Pty Ltd’s business operations that need to improve to ensure the company’s future sustainability, including work procedures and management practices. Therefore, the Operations Management team has developed a new Competency Matrix to increase productivity. Due to the ever-changing nature of the IT sector, businesses need to be flexible in their approach to marketing, sales, and production (Daniel, 2018). Increased The suggested Competency Matrix can improve the company’s bottom line through web and indirect sales. In order to enhance the company’s indirect sales, it is proposed that the web servers be improved to accommodate a higher volume of online transactions and additional physical sites in other countries be opened. The Operations Management Team has proposed growing the number of data centers the firm uses, modernizing its websites, extending the number of gaming portals, and releasing new versions of existing applications. The aforementioned significant adjustments will improve the quality of employees’ contributions to the company’s service offering by allowing them to take advantage of new business prospects.
BTOPP’s fifth and final “Pillar” is its constituent population. Employees in the operation management division of Milkowood Pty Ltd are held in high esteem in terms of the company’s Competency Matrix. If a company wants to get the most out of its Operations Management Department workers, it should mandate that everyone in that department utilize the same software. Therefore, offering workers ongoing training opportunities is essential so that their skills remain current when new technologies emerge. The pace at which employees are trained should match the speed at which technology develops. To expedite service supply, reduce time and resource waste, and optimize individual contribution, the organization proposes a Competency Framework to ensure that all personnel in the Operations Management Department are experts in their fields.
Extension of the Competency Matrix to the Company’s Software and Hardware Staff
Several steps must be taken before Milkwood’s Competency Matrix may be deployed company-wide. The first thing that must happen is for the organization to hire great people. The workers’ mentality and competence might be two variables in making this happen. Only by having employees willing to learn new things, conform to new guidelines, and work together as a team can the former be developed. However, the ability to learn and apply new information may be included when assessing a worker’s potential. This strategy will help the organization locate employees who can easily adjust to the shifts necessitated by the new Competency Matrix. The potential for increased employee turnover is a drawback. Therefore, all software and hardware personnel at Milkwood Pty Ltd will have access to the competence matrix through training and the distribution of user manuals. Employee retention and skill development are both boosted by this strategy. However, it should be remembered that this may raise the company’s overhead expenses and reduce its long-term viability.
Risk Evaluation
Milkwood Ltd’s Operations Management group must consider many risks while creating the company’s current Competency Matrix. These possible drawbacks are presented as arguments against the idea. However, they might be addressed with the help of mitigating techniques. The Operations Management Department may experience significant turnover if it implements a Competency Matrix in an attempt to attract and retain the most qualified candidates. However, this issue may be remedied by introducing training programs that refresh staff members’ expertise when new technologies are developed (Fallucchi et al., 2020). The firm might waste money if it rushes into developing a Competency Matrix. Because of this, the project could be carried out in a short-term viable way. Management must determine whether the report’s recommendations can be implemented under budgetary constraints.
Benefits of the Competency Matrix
Customers and Milkwood Pty Ltd stand to benefit significantly from implementing the proposed competency grid, which will have far-reaching effects on the value chain. In order to keep up with the ever-changing demands of the computer gaming industry and capitalize on new IT applications, the corporation should spend on educating its staff. Furthermore, using the competency matrix would increase the company’s present market opportunity. Since the firm is now better equipped to develop innovative, high-quality items, sales, and earnings are bound to increase. Keeping up with the competition in the industry is crucial, and the competency matrix will aid the organization in adapting its operations to the rapid development of new technology. When the competence matrix is fully deployed, it will help keep employees’ skill sets at a consistently high standard. Employee satisfaction rises, which decreases the likelihood that workers may search for work elsewhere (Van Laar et al., 2020). Therefore, the company will save money on the expense of recruiting and training new employees.
In addition to the advantages mentioned above, the competency matrix will provide Milkwood Pty Ltd with several other advantages. Consequently, the competency matrix will aid in identifying skill sets lacking and areas in need of development inside the company. After compiling this information, the company can offer customized training programs for each employee. If workers have better access to the tools they need to execute their tasks, they will be more efficient and effective. The company may use the capacity matrix to map out several career routes for employees. If the required competencies for each position are laid out, employees will know what they need to learn to develop in the organization. Workers who believe their work matters will be more motivated and content. Notably, due to the capabilities matrix, communication, and collaboration will improve across teams and divisions. If workers can communicate and understand one another, they will be better able to work together on projects and exchange knowledge and expertise. Workers’ willingness to collaborate and share their thoughts increases, thus boosting the company’s rate of innovation and creativity.
Recommendations
Milkwood Ltd’s Investment Review Board must properly evaluate the proposed project’s feasibility and related risks. This will allow management to assess whether or not the project is worthwhile and whether or not the benefits will outweigh the risks. As part of the appraisal process, we will look closely at the project’s objectives, budget, benefits, risks, and potential impacts on company operations and financial performance. The accounting department’s assistance will be crucial in ensuring that the project is completed with minimal financial damage to the business. These workers possess the knowledge necessary to improve efficiency and increase corporate revenues. They may advise the company on how to accomplish the project economically.
Also, the Competency Matrix should be evaluated regularly once implemented to guarantee that employees’ knowledge and abilities are always up-to-date with the rapidly developing IT industry. By doing these assessments, businesses can identify areas where their employees could benefit from additional education or training (Mishra, 2017). Such action will help the company remain competitive by equipping its workers with the knowledge and abilities to fulfill current and future demands. In addition, further feasibility studies need to be conducted so that the company can figure out how to put its staff to the most effective use. This kind of study will demonstrate to upper management exactly what their new hires need to thrive in their roles and develop to their fullest potential. Better results mean more money in the bank and a more secure place in the market for your business.
References
Daniel, C. O. (2018). Effects of marketing strategies on organizational performance. International journal of business marketing and management, 3(9), 1-9.
Fallucchi, F., Coladangelo, M., Giuliano, R., & William De Luca, E. (2020). Predicting employee attrition using machine learning techniques. Computers, 9(4), 86.
Mishra, P. (2017). Green human resource management: A framework for sustainable organizational development in an emerging economy. International Journal of Organizational Analysis.
Van Laar, E., Van Deursen, A. J., Van Dijk, J. A., & de Haan, J. (2020). Determinants of 21st-century skills and 21st-century digital skills for workers: A systematic literature review. Sage Open, 10(1), 2158244019900176.
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