Different Types of Operational Strategies
The operational strategy of a business is the series of long-term choices it makes to meet its objective. It contains certain actions management plans to take to achieve a particular aspect of a business’s operations. With the help of operational strategies, the business’s different departments can work together to achieve their goals.
Types of Operations Strategies
Several operational strategies are utilized by businesses to meet the numerous demands of their target audience. Here are some common operational strategies that a company can utilize to boost performance, capabilities, and competitive advantage:
1. Core competency strategies
The major strengths of a company’s business design are the focus of core competency operations strategies. Core competency operations strategies leverage existing strengths to make the best use of profits by determining the best core business processes within a company.
It can also reduce manufacturing costs, boost income generation, foster positive relationships with investors and other stakeholders, and make the organization an exciting place to work for bright people.
2. Corporate strategies
This operations strategy sustains a corporate strategy and promotes a business’s mission statement. Businesses that use this operations strategy develop production efforts, key performance indicators (KPIs), and decision-making procedures directed by an overall strategic plan created by business leaders and stakeholders.
3. Competitive strategies
Organizations using this strategy develop their operational procedures to establish their product or services apart from rivals. Businesses can alter their operations strategy to obtain a competitive advantage by recognizing competitive priorities within a particular economy, whether a higher-quality product or a reduced waiting time throughout production.
A business strategy can help your organization achieve its goals by creating company-wide policies and standards that designate resources for every division.
4. Product and services strategies
This operations strategy focuses on quality control of existing products and services and producing new ones. Companies that use this model often base their operations strategies on product managers’ research and ideas. One strategy organizations can utilize in this field is to develop services or products customized to the needs of a specific market.
5. Customer-driven strategies
Organizations that utilize customer-driven strategies base their operations choices on the client experience. Together, the sales and marketing strategies and this operations strategy will manage and meet client expectations.
This information can help your company rapidly adapt to market modifications, determine dangers, take steps to reduce them, and leverage strengths to improve its competencies and market benefit.
6. Cost-driven strategies
Cost-driven strategies can help a company apply a price-based operational strategy. This frequently occurs in markets where a client’s final decision to purchase an item is based on the cost of that item compared to similar products. To effectively apply this strategy, a company might make its manufacturing process more cost-efficient to offer its products at a lower rate than competitors.
7. Outsourcing strategies
To produce their products and get them to customers, several industries rely on the expertise and infrastructure of other organizations throughout the supply chain. A business that outsources or offshores some operations needs a detailed outsourcing strategy to manage vendor, quality control, and logistics problems.
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8. Flexibility strategies
Some organizations employ an operational strategy that enables them to compete based on their product, service, or volume flexibility. For example, an organization might easily highlight its capability to modify its products in response to customer preferences. Another example of flexibility is the capability to hold a small or large inventory in response to predicted needs.