Free Essay on Whole Foods Market Operations Management

Whole Foods Market (WFM) is an American supermarket chain that was founded in Austin on September 20, 1980. It was formed by four local businessmen namely John Mackey, Renee Lawson Hardy, Craig Weller, and Mark Skills. Their primary objective was to supply the natural and organic food to its consumers . Every company or any other organization has its guiding principles that dictate its action and behaviors, Core values help the organization or the company to know if they are on the right track and if they are fulfilling their business goal. Whole Food Market too is guided by its core values that help in smooth running of the organization. This paper will focus on how Whole Food Market makes its decision to promote its core values.

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Process Design

Processing efficiency and cost effectiveness contribute a lot in the strategic decision area of operation management. In this respect, Whole Food Market utilizes a decentralized approach to product sourcing. Nevertheless, the company also employs corporate standards in all its business areas.

Managing quality

Whole food market utilizes the diverse program and standard in ensuring it produces products of a higher quality value. For example, the company uses a proper labeling for GMO-containing product and organic product. Goods of higher quality are a reflection of whole Foods market potency in addressing its strategic decision area of operations management. One key core value of this company is " selling quality natural and organic products available. The food that is produced by this company is natural ,meaning the food is free from flavors, artificial colors, sweeteners and hydrogenated oils. Moreover, the company sells fresh food products like fruits and vegetables ,which are clean and safe to eat. These are examples of the quality pledge the company makes to its consumers. However, it does not claim the products that it sells are all organic. Besides the company through its website has listed some of the unacceptable food ingredients a concept that bring an impression that the company does not use any of these products.

Location strategy

Whole food market has grown from small natural organic foods store to a specialized supermarket chain which is now recognized nationally and internationally. The management of whole food market has come to the term with the fact that business location is an important element to consider when one desires to start up any business. Most of the stores of Whole Food Market are located in areas with high traffic areas(foot and vehicle), excellent visibility, regions with a large number of college-educated resident and most preferably, an area which has easy access from roadways. A good choice of location helps them, assist them to achieve the core values which are serving and supporting their local customer and the entire global community.

Layout strategy

The layout of the products available in the Whole Foods Market is unique which make shopping at their stores a great experience. The company designs its stores with the need of a targeted community in mind, thus the stores do not have a standard store design, but rather have a layout that is customized to fit the need of a certain community.

Supply chain management

This is a strategic decision area of management operation that allows the blending of the supply chain with other sectors of the business.For a company to be successful, it has to ensure smooth flow of goods and services, that is, from the purchase of materials to the distribution of finished product from the company to the consumers. Today Whole Food Market is announcing a collaboration with other business companies, software organization to modernize its supply chain. In today's world food companies are selling the same kind of food. In Regard to this, the whole food CEO Walter Robb said that it is important for him to clarify the difference between the good that the company produce produce and the goods that produced by their competitors. Due to this reason, he said that it is very crucial to partner with a technology company. The use of the technology will assist the company to reach more client hundred, if not thousands. The company has helped to change the face of the food store in the USA by merging big store purchasing power of organic and natural food. This has led to a reduction of the company running costs because of the ability of the company to buy a lot of goods.

Markey describes the consumers as being " part of a cult." Whole Foods Markets understand that their emphasis on locally sourced and perishable goods differentiate their stores with other supermarkets. However, due to their short shelf life, the company forced to buy them in small quantities to avoid spoilage

To guarantee long-term business success, the whole food market aims to sustain the highest ethical standard in relation with its team members, vendors and above all its customer. In any business, the first people to market the business is the staff employed. Hence it is important for any company to maintain its cordial relation with its staff. True to the word one of the core values of whole food market is " we support Team Member Excellent and Happiness. The company understands that its success is entirely dependent upon the collective intelligence, energy of all its team members.

Works cited

Johnston, Josee. "Whole Foods Market." The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Consumption and Consumer Studies.

Market, Whole Foods. "Whole Foods Market organic trend tracker." Austin, Tex.: Whole Foods Market (2005).

Johnston, Josee. "The citizen-consumer hybrid: ideological tensions and the case of Whole Foods Market." Theory and Society 37.3 (2008): 229-270.