KFC is one of the largest fast food chains in the world and serves its famous fried chicken that contains its secret blend of spice and 11 herbs. The company serves high-quality finger-licking food and is committed to ensuring food safety remains a priority through following stringent measures that ensure the food safety standards have been achieved (Awais, 2015). This is done by KFC’s commitment to four V-dimensions of operations management in all its business activities namely variety, volume, variation, and visibility. Operation management essentially explains the operations of business in producing goods and services. The idea behind operations management is ensuring the customer requirements are met and satisfied to an optimum level thus creating an environment for good corporate performance. This paper examines how these dimensions are applied in KFC.
The volume dimension ensures that the volume of the final output of a production process has a high degree of repeatability. The fried typical chicken that KFC serves is large in volume with its original flavors and spices during preparation (Bell and Shelman, 2011, p. 2). The production process has been systematized and a production technology developed to ensure that the chicken is always large, delicious and can be produced in masses, thus reducing production costs.
The variety dimension ensures that the fried chicken production process, though complex and aimed at greatly reducing the cost of each chicken sold, incorporates a wide range of inputs that are suggested by customers so as to meet their needs. The frying process and technology for KFC are flexible so that the food chain prepares fried chickens that fit their market in different countries.
The variation dimension demands that the production process appreciates the aspect of change of demand. The production resources in the fried chicken that are used by KFC ensure that they are adjusted according to the demand of the chicken in every market it operates in. This is done through controlling the supply chain at KFC so as to provide a cushion that absorbs the unexpected demands such as during the festive season (Solutions, 2016).
The visibility dimension in KFC ensures that the production process output is experienced by customers (Slack, Chambers and Johnston, 2010, p. 34). Customers are exposed to the production activities so that they can give their views on what spices and ingredients need to be used in preparing the fried chicken KFC offers.
References
Awais, M. (2015). Kfc operations. [online] Slideshare.net. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/moeedawaisbutt/kfc-operations [Accessed 28 Jul. 2016].
Bell, D.E. and Shelman, M.L., 2011. KFC's Radical Approach to China.
Slack, N., Chambers, S. and Johnston, R., 2010. Operations management. Pearson education.
Solutions, L. (2016). Quality Assurance | KFC Malaysia. [online] Kfc.com.my. Available at: http://www.kfc.com.my/quality-assurance/ [Accessed 28 Jul. 2016].
