Operational Processes

You just started a new position at Mountain Top View Inc. as a manager overseeing all three store locations. John Applewood is one of the owners, and he would like to work with you to develop strategic business goals and improve operational processes. One of the first tasks John asks you to do is to provide recommendations for supporting the company’s business goals. He has asked that you provide the recommendations in the form of a scorecard and to include notes about business goals and initiatives in a follow-up email.

Mountain Top View Inc. Company Overview

A few years ago, based on their love of the outdoors, John and Ann Applewood started a small outdoor equipment business called Mountain Top View Inc. The company has expanded so rapidly over the past few years that it is now a publicly traded corporation. There are three stores located across the northeastern United States. Additionally, it has a wide international customer base and sell its products online.

Mountain Top View Inc. Mission Statement

Mountain Top View Inc. provides unparalleled service and quality products that ignite people’s passion and appreciation for nature, the world, and their community.

Mountain Top View Inc. Vision

Our vision is to lead the outdoor equipment industry in inspiring and equipping people from all walks of life to enjoy the great outdoors through unparalleled service and a diverse array of quality products.

Business Goals

John has proposed the following business goals for the upcoming year, and he would like your input with regard to possible improvements in operational processes to support these goals.

• Increase sales by 5% across store locations and online sales
• Retain existing customers by implementing a rewards program
• Support vendor relationships in order to improve supply base
• Decrease employee turnover rate

Directions

Develop an operational processes scorecard that addresses operational processes related to financial, internal, customer, and learning and growth perspectives, and suggest appropriate operational processes to support the company’s business goals.

• Operational Processes Scorecard: John and Ann would like you to add the business goals to the balanced scorecard. They recognize that the goals are in draft form, so they have asked that you make changes as you see fit, adjusting the goals accordingly.
  • Add the business goals to the scorecard in the Business Goals section and make revisions to business goals to ensure specificity and efficiency.
    • As you revise the goals, consider their ability to measure effectiveness and add context about an operational process that would support the goal.
  • Describe a metric or performance measurement that would effectively evaluate the operational process or processes associated with each business goal. Address the following in your responses:
    • What is a logical measure of success for the business goals identified?
    • How does the metric or performance measurement address the root question of the organizational goal or need?

• Email to the Owners: John has proposed business goals for the upcoming year, and he would like your input with regard to possible improvements and suggestions based on what is included on the balanced scorecard. In your email, discuss the relationship between the business goals and the operational processes that would support the goals.
  • Provide a brief (one- to two-sentence) explanation to justify the use of the metric or performance measurement used in each perspective of the balanced scorecard (financial, internal, customer, learning and growth). Address the following in your response:
    • How will the metric support the company in meeting the business goal?
    • What specific operational processes does the metric measure?
  • Provide strategies for development of future goals, providing insight into the development and operational processes and expectations that the goals should address. Address the following in your response:
    • What is a good starting point in developing goals? How does this connect to the next steps?
    • How might the mission or vision statement support the development of business goals?
    • Are there any environmental and social responsibility aspects management should consider in the development of future goals?
    • How do these strategies align with the organization’s operational processes and support management in determining appropriate focus areas?
  • Describe common mistakes that are made when designing and reporting metrics to measure operational processes. Address the following in your response:
    • Specifically in the process of designing metrics, what common mistakes can inhibit the metric’s effectiveness?
    • When measuring operational processes, what are common mistakes in determining what to measure, how to measure it, and how to frame the information?

What to Submit

Every project has a deliverable or deliverables, which are the files that must be submitted before your project can be assessed. For this project, you must submit the following:

1. Operational Processes Scorecard
   Highlight specific operational processes and metrics and elaborate on how these will be attained.
2. Email to the Owners
   John and Ann have asked that you include notes about the business goals and future initiatives in order to elaborate on specific elements included in the scorecard, such as revised business goals and the use of recommended metrics. The email should be a half page or 1 page in length and should be submitted as a Word document.