R1704D2623249

University of South Wales

Faculty of Business and Society

Strategic Operations Management and Operational

Research

(PS4S26 – V2-24461)

Student Name - Osagie, Obazee

Student ID - R1704D2623249

Tutors Name – Ilias, Vlachos

Submission Date – 25th April 2021

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

(PART A)
Reflective Analysis on Negotiation: A skill required for reaching an undisputed
agreement.

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

1.0 Introduction
Negotiation holds the key to a cordial relationship at workplace and even home,
it’s used in resolving conflict as well as creating value in contracts.
Basically, on this write up, the skill ‘Negotiation’ will be discussed extensively with
theoretical justifications. There will be details on what spurred my interest on this skill,
major criteria needed in negotiation, useful tips needed in negotiation as well as basic
types of negotiations will be discussed. This will be followed conclusively by my
experience with regards to negotiation as a skill, details on what was done to improve
my negotiation skill as a tool for being strategic in operations management as well as
details on how effective every step I took proved effective.

2.0 Negotiation Skill

According to L. L. Thompson (2006), ‘negotiation is the most important skill
anyone in the business world can have today, because people must continually make
bargains in business and on assigned responsibilities. By negotiation, we are referring
to a process whereby two or more parties are engaged in discussions with an aim to
either resolve a dispute or come through a decision-making process to a consensus
conclusion or compromise on a new or an existing process (Investopedia 2020). Sawyer
and Guetzkow (1965) characterized negotiation as “a process through which two or
more parties, individuals, groups, or larger social units interact in developing potential
agreements to provide guidance and regulation to their future behavior” (p. 466). It is
even incomparably more popular today than it was decades ago. Before engaging in
the act of negotiation, both parties must agree to shift grounds as favorable options
unfolds.

At my workplace, several negotiations in various degree are held daily with the aim of
resolving emerging conflict or with the intension of repositioning the flow of operations
activities. This usually leads to peaceful resolution leaving both parties smiling again.
There have however being some instances where meetings with parties like the union
and management had a dead end; this outcome led to an industrial action which
seriously affected the financial report for that year. Also, in Nigeria of resent, so many

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

Governmental ministries are on labor recession due to a dead-end negotiation with the
Nigerian government with regards to employee’s welfare package.

Decisions and actions are result of negotiation and it’s a crucial determining factor on
the long-term productivity of an organization. Negotiation occurs daily at a standard
work environment; either in boardrooms or other allocated centers, even in the
bedrooms between couples. This shows that the act of negotiation could be both formal
and informal; hence it is engaged continually in almost all our daily activities. It must
however be clearly stated that the act of negotiation should not be confrontational or
lead to a mere argument, rather it is intended for parties involved to amicable reach a
consensus conclusion.

3.0 My Interest in Negotiation Skill

As an operations planner, I always meet with key stake holders in the operations
department; where I must further give reasons of the need for there to be priority of
some planned/scheduled jobs over others. The operations team by default wants to
keep doing things the way it has always been done and will always react defensive if
there is a change in plan. Hence, I must be a bit diplomatic and watchful before giving
them the full details of the rescheduled operations job and this must come with cogent
reasons that must be proved to be obviously beneficial on the bigger picture. During
these meetings, management want to be sure if presented plan have been used in
another terminal before and they also want to know the proposed outcome in terms of
expected increase in productivity. Hence, I have to ensure they all see reason with the
plan being presented from the planning department and also make them realized that
presented plan will only be a success if both parties put equal level of commitment to
see it work. With this, even if it would have being a failed project, because they now see
themselves as stakeholders on the new process; they will put in their best to see it work
and even call or further negotiation in form of either a schedule or an unscheduled
meeting to further discuss challenges encountered and factor a better way.

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

4.0 Major Criteria’s needed in Negotiations

Below itemized factors and elements play essential roles for an effective negotiation.

4.1 Attitude

The negotiating process should not be fierce nor argumentative. A recess should be
taken whenever any of these two scenarios comes up as aggression won’t lead to a
consensus or good conclusion.

4.2 Behavior

During negotiation, everyone should have respect for each other’s opinion to the point
of listening attentively to what others have to say. It is not a debate neither is it a
competition forum, but everyone should be working towards a common goal as a team.
The voice tone and body language should also be an indicator; showing if the
negotiation process should continue or be halted for a recess.

4.3 Concession

Don’t become emotional to concede to just any idea, no one needs you to compromise
your stand just to make the process look smooth. The process is about everyone
communicating their ideas effectively and parties involved taking a good look at all ideas
and taking the best of them all that will be beneficial to all.

4.4 Parties Involved

Before negotiating with anybody, get enough background information about them. Such
information includes their strength, weakness, their main interest on the negotiation as
well as transaction information with their previous client.

4.5 Leverage

Before engaging in a bargain, know your financial boundary and negotiate your limit
based on your prepared detailed plan.

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

4.6 Relationship

The relationship and roles played among the negotiating parties as well as their
intermediaries must be clearly defined.

4.7 Alternative Option

It is important to always seek an alternative or substitute plan before going into a

negotiation. This is necessary in case the negotiation doesn’t work out well.

4.8 Legitimate Claims

It is important to substantiate the claims of each parties in other to confirm if they are
legitimate or valid. It is also paramount to get a signed document from parties involved
that they will abide by the outcome of the negotiation.

4.9 Level of Commitment

It should come with a high level of commitment from parties involve.

4.10 Idea Generation

The art of negotiation usually requires the generation of multiple ideas of which the best
will be adopted in decision making.

4.11 Structured Argument

Negotiation effectiveness is not only beneficial, but it overcomes the missed

opportunities arising from poor negotiation skill. One consequence of weak skill
development is the failure to recognize that a situation calls for bargaining (Lewicki et
al., 1999)

4.12 Persuasive Ability

Persuasion is needed in negotiation as it helps other negotiating parties see from your
point of view and feel there is a more candid reason to support your idea.

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

4.13 Good Communication Skills

In negotiation, both non-verbal communication and verbal communication play vital

roles. Also, just as good idea communication is needed, so also good listening is
needed in other to be able to give valuable/ useful feedback.

5.0 Useful Tips in Negotiation

In other to develop a reasonable negotiation strategy, it is necessary to rely on strategic
management principles and techniques (Peleckis, K., 2015). Below are some helpful
tips needed for a successful negotiation.

5.1 Make your Position known

Be sure of the bargain you want to present before other parties involved in the
negotiation because just like every other parties involved, the moment a decision is
reached, it binds all involved.

5.2 Be Considerate in Your Bargain

Negotiation is associated with collective bargaining (Brown D. J. M. 1966). It doesn’t
work with people who don’t shift grounds but want others to shift grounds. In
negotiation, don’t be too adamant on your ideas, you must also listen to other parties
involved as they might just be offering you something better than you want.

5.3 Don’t Be Emotional

It is advisable to keep putting your emotions in check as you must be objective in your
decision making. Seek for the facts, not the stories nor emotional games that might be
played by members of the negotiating parties. Put behind your mind that you are not
there alone neither are you speaking for yourself; rather you are representing a
group/organization and simply have it in mind that any decision you take binds for an
agreed duration. In brief, understand your priorities and remain focused.

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

5.4 Know When to Back out

There is no universal law that every negotiation must be concluded at the spot or in one
sitting neither in one day. It can be rescheduled to another date as agreed by both
parties. This is necessary especially when the process is becoming uncomfortable and
taking too much of productive time.

5.5 When Negotiation Fails

Even the best negotiators have difficulty at some point or another to make things work.
After all, the process requires some give and take. Perhaps one party just won't budge
and doesn't want to give in at all. There could be other issues that stall the negotiation
process, including a lack of communication, some sense of fear, or even a lack of trust
between parties. These obstacles can lead to frustration and, in some cases, anger.
The negotiations may turn sour and ultimately lead parties to argue with one another.

6.0 Types of Negotiation

There are two distinctive types of negotiation and they are the Distributive and
Integrative negotiations. It should be however noted that both types are essential to
negotiating successfully in business.

6.1 Distributive negotiation

It involves dealings with someone unknown and it’s usually a casual and one-time
occurrence only. It does not put self-respect into consideration. It has a risk of unethical
behavior and hard bargaining. It comes with a limited and variable proportion to go
around. An example is ‘who want the least ice cream price’. It also involves starting
talks with no previous relationship and without any intention of building a long-term
relationship. An example of this is the relationship involve in the purchase of items like a
bicycle. Below are some of the basics of a distributive negotiation:
 Secretive: This kind of bargain intentionally hides information from the other
party with the intention of not wanting the other party knows its intention or level
of desperation regarding the negotiation.

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

 Being Cunny: It extracts as much information as possible from the other party
and leverage a better deal with any other uncovered information.
 Inform the other party of your options: These options might include other
sellers who can offer same product at a more competitive price without any form
of negative consequence to your organization.
 Make an offer first: Making the first offer usually puts you in control as every
other negotiation will anchor on your initial proposal.
 Be Realistic: You must show a practical awareness on every side of the bargain.
In other ward, you must not be self-centered/greedy as this may lead to an
argument; which will further hamper any agreement.

6.2 Integrative negotiation

Integrative means joining several parts into a whole. It involves a combination of force
or the collection of various parts to make a whole for the purpose of achieving
something greater. This could be described as an upgrade in relationship from the
distributive negotiation and it comes with a higher level of trust and cordial relationship.
Here, though one party wins more, both sides of the negotiating parties always wins a
part of the bargain, hence it is often described as a win-win scenario.
Below are some of the basics of an integrative negotiation.

 Several Issues – It usually has too many presented issues as all parties involved
want something of value to replace the lesser value item they are trading off.
 Willingness to Share – Here, parties involve are willing to share information and
are ready to understand each other’s plight/interest in a bid to factor something
beneficial for all.
 Problem Solving – It is not enough to have a favorable outcome for
yourself/party only, integrated negotiation requires you to also proffer possible
solutions to other parties as everyone is expected to leave satisfied.
 Bonding – A relationship which is stronger and future based is formed and this is
beneficial to parties involved in so many ways.

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

6.3 Team Negotiation

This includes members of a team negotiating to arrive at the best decision favorable for
the group. It could be a group assignment, contract or even a union meeting, before
meeting with an organization’s management.

6.4 Multiparty Negotiation

It involves multiple parties and it’s often encountered in international negotiations; hence
it requires a more complex negotiating strategy. It however comes with better
opportunities like tradeoffs and value creation.

7.0 Conclusion
I have come to realize that every desire skill can be learned and improved on. Since I
picked interest in developing my negotiating ability, I have so far been able to shape
crucial deals by being able gain control of negotiations even in an uncertain
environment of an apparently uncontrollable argument amidst threats, insults and lies. I
also have been able to create value for the organization I worked for by simply engaging
the good tools of negotiation. Specifically, I have learned to improve on my working
relationship with my team members by simply realizing that negotiation can resolve any
dispute if only the right words and attitude are displayed. Recently, at my place of
residence, due to the multiple building in my compound, we had five bills registered on
my landlords name of which we had to service monthly despite the fact that most of the
occupants have their apartment locked and have since travelled out of the country but
kept servicing their rents only. The burden of just three occupants servicing the
estimated electrical bills became so overwhelming so I had to visit the marketing
manager and later the district manager. After series of negotiation on few occasions,
they finally agreed to deactivate two bills pending when they could prove the other
occupants are fully back to their apartment. There was also a situation at work where all
team members wanted to be singled out as sky players. As such there was so much
betrayers and strife leading to an unhealthy competition between a team that were
supposed to work for a unified purpose. Due to the unhealthiness of this competition

10

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

and the anger everyone had for the other party, I had to commence this negotiation with
individual members of the team and as soon as I was able to drive my idea through the
mind of each members, I soon call the entire team to a resort location where we
rebounded as a team. This made our department more productive and appreciative by
management.

11

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

8.0 Reference

 Brown D. J. M. (1966). Strategy and collective bargaining negotiation. (Online).

Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/24862415.pdf?
casa_token=O9SF4phvhdUAAAAA:rA_eUXYCH0qqNZfkaY9aBqk_AE1SbWEY
wEpa8pc7ejyDNS7dKWydiw_XNjGny6zRYpKXc_VFuCIxNZY4L0nSYLI14BEa1J
OEW_mkUVCY35zhkkg-dAYrIg
(Accessed 17th April 2021).

 Carles, S., Noyda, M. and Nick, R. J. (19980. Determining Successful

Negotiation Strategies: An Evolutionary Approach. (Online). Available at:
https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/252163/1/noyda.pdf Accessed 30 th March 2021).

 Investopedia (2020). (Online). Available at:

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/n/negotiation.asp (Accessed 28th March
2021).

 Jack, S., Harold, G. (1965). Bargaining and negotiations in international relations.

(Online). (Accessed 20th March 2021).

 Leigh, L. T. (2006). Negotiation Theory and Research.

(Online). Available at: https://books.google.fr/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=oxOLBQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=negotiation+theory&ots=D
EU5-jNt_X&sig=enjhYq5-
4aACWyWaWYypULS9axI&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=negotiation
%20theory&f=false
(Accessed 24th March 2021).

 Peleckis, K., (2015). The use of game theory for making rational decisions in
business negotiation: a conceptual model. Vol.3, No.4. (Online). Available at:
https://eber.uek.krakow.pl/index.php/eber/article/view/110/pdf

12

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

(Accessed 15th April 2021).

 Russell Korobkin (2014). Negotiation: Theory and Strategy. 3 rd Edition. (Online).

Available at:
https://books.google.fr/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=7b7fDgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT18&dq=negotiation+theory&ots=C
uHSUKMlBW&sig=-
txaMbMEYfkj7SduHZJ4Fou2ZXA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=negotiation
%20theory&f=false (Accessed 29th March 2021).

 Strategic management schools and business negotiation strategy of company

operations 2015 | Vol. 7, no. 2 | 26—34

13

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

(Part B)
Examination of The Job Description of an Operations Manager’s Position, the
Challenges as well as Solutions.

14

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

1.0 Introduction
We are going to be exploring the crucial role of an operations manager,
challenges that are always being encountered on the job as well as proffering solutions
to itemized challenges.
We shall start by defining who an operations manager is as well as its strategic roles.

2.0 An Operations Manager

It is pertinent to have a clear understanding of who an operations manager is
before we start making analysis of its role. According to Williams (1981), it was
explained to be one who utilizes an organization process and resources to an optimal
level for the maximization of profit making. Here resources include human/employees,
information and technology, manufacturing raw materials and equipment among other
materials needed for a robust productivity. Also, according to Rider University (2021),
‘an operations manager is not only assigned with the task of initiating and managing
operational budget or project management, but is also assigned with the task of
ensuring strategy mapping for improvement in productivity in operations, training and
retraining of staff, ensuring a laid down process that ensures every human and non-
human resources are utilized to optimal level.
At the beginning of every year, every organization is expected to set a target alongside
steps to meet up with such targets. It is then the duty of an operations manager to
ensure that the organizations set targets are meant with a standardized, improved and
well documented process. This assigned task has a determining effect on the growth of
any organization, therefore an operations manager is considered at the senior
management level of every organization.

3.0 The Strategic Role of an Operations Manager

Strategy is how you get to position yourself at an advantage to reach your goals
faster. An operations manager must ensure strategy is formulated jointly by the multi-
functional team as it’s easier to sustain because those using it protects it as they see
their inputted ideas in it. Every business must be strategic enough to know that it must
15

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

compete on something different from what its competitors are competing on. Also, every
business must understand the concept of ‘customer segmentation’ as this helps it to
know the customer to prioritize over the other. There must be a constant PDCA (Plan-
Do-Check-Act) routine.
When we say strategic, we are referring to both the short and long term plans,
analysis of production or service cost (company labor, vendors, raw materials,
maintenance and cost of operating company and hired equipment, overhead cost,
inventory and storage management, as well as quality assurance), profit maximization
process and techniques, monitoring and sensitive assessment that ensures the
standard of an organizations product and services are upheld. It also entails how a firm
gains competitive advantage (Barney and Hesterly, 2008).
An operations manager’s role which could also be referred to as the duties of an
operations management include the following.

3.1 Business Strategy Implementation

This involves the translation of an organization’s strategy (action plans and
objectives) as concluded at the organizations strategic business units (SBUs) into reality
with the aim of achieving set objectives.

3.2 Sustenance of Business Strategy

This involves the application of the right intellectual capital, operational
efficiencies, prospecting the right client, sound decision making ability,
excellent/unbiased leadership skill, and ability to take a big leap as well as a delivery of
a quality product and service to both internal (staff) and external (clients) customers to
ensure an organizations target is continually meant. He/she must constantly be in
communication with the senior management team updating them on every adjustment
made on company priorities and projects.

3.3 Pilot Business Strategy

It is the duty of the operations manager to uphold the set business strategy as
this is what clearly differentiate it from other organization and this can be achieved by

16

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

the identification of opportunities for expansion in other to take an advantage of

changes in the market. It’s his/her duty to ensure input result in an output of greater
value.

3.4 Adding Value in the Transformational Process

In the execution of the daily planned activities, an operations manager is
expected to detect areas needing improvement and develop or improve on an existing
process to bring about an increase in efficiency (an output of a greater value when
compared with the input).

3.5 Utilization of the organizations Resources

For the purpose of profit maximization, the entire resources (equipment, capital,
people and materials) at the disposal of an operations manager must be fully
harnessed. However, productivity must never be confused with efficiency as one can
have a high productivity and not be efficient. The operations manager must be very
efficient in its operations by curbing waste at every point.

3.6 Cost Reduction and Waste Elimination

Every organization wants to reduce cost as well as eliminate waste and will
appreciate an operations manager who uses lesser resources to achieve greater output
which correlate higher profit to management and better profit sharing for staff.

3.7 Employee Motivation

An operations manager must be able to motivate its employees to get them
performing at an optimal level through the initiation of favorable incentives and a
conducive working environment. Also is the ability to foster exchange of ideas among
team members and promote cross functional learning opportunities.

4.0 Spelt out Activities of an operations manager

For the purpose of clarity, some of the core activities of an operations manager
are:

17

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

 Contribution to the direction and plan of the business

 Encourage a positive and conducive work environment and culture for
employees.
 Minimization of production cost
 Monitoring of employees’ activities and provision of relevant guidance where
needed.
 Ensures quality control standards are meant to ensure organizations standards
are upheld.
 Utilization of resources
 Coordinate staff training, scheduled and onboarding
 Job designing,
 Process formulation
 Performance measurement
 Assessment of production planning process
 Layout arrangement

5.0 Operational Challenges Faced by an Operations Manager with Solutions

(Taking APM Terminals, Apapa as a case study).
APM Terminals is a container handling establishment that services ships both in
discharging import units and in loading back export units. Below are some of the major
operational challenges continuously faced by an operations manager at APM Terminals:

5.1 High Operating Cost and Excessive Wastage

There are many instances where cranes run on idle mood without it handling any
job causing wastage of fuel.

Solution
The operations manager must continuously analyze every step/stage in
operations activities and find ways of reducing cost by eliminating processes that
cause waste. He/she must also continuously assess and analyze the budget and

18

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

operating process of each department to find ways of eliminating waste. Any

crane that will not be fully utilized should not be deployed into operations.

5.2 Frequent Operations disruption by the Staff Union

At APM terminals, there are always disturbing union activities bringing all
operations to a halt like it happened recently on the 15 th of April 2021. The
challenging thing is that over 80% of its staff are active members of the union as
such would not hesitate to consult with the union executives in any case where
they feel they are not getting a fair judgment or are being cheated in any way.
The other challenging thing there is that most of the union executives have a little
level of enlightenment as such re-bargaining with them is always an issue with
management as they find it difficult to comprehend and there by keeping work on
hold for longer duration.

Solution
Management must ensure to have a memorandum of understanding pertaining
issues that resulted in strike action by the union in past years and abide by the
terms of agreement as this can always be referred to since it was duly signed by
both parties. Another thing management should look towards doing is to start
sensitizing the union executives of its plan long before the schedule time to have
it executed and have their full consent on it in a formal document. With this the
staff; who has the mindset that “the union is the last hope of a distress staff” will
feel carried along in every managerial plan hence won’t feel cheated.

5.3 Compliance with Existing Marine Associated Laws in Nigeria

There are frequent changes/updates on the marine laws of which any terminal
that contravenes it will pay dearly for it. Ignorance is never an excuse.

Solution
Write to the marine regulatory body to constantly send publications of changes or
amendments on constitutions to APM terminals. Make it a formal agreement with

19

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

them that if they don’t send the terminal a notification publication and we
contravene it, the terminal will not be held liable.

5.4 Meeting up with set productivity

Amidst multiple POW (point of work) also knows as areas of activities, frequent
equipment breakdown, low morale of staff due to poor welfare packages, an
operations manager is expected to continually meet up with set productivity and
this is not always easy as the frequent breakdown of equipment, un-house kept
export units, poor crane utilization, idle berth and other operational challenges
causes drop in operations productivity.

Solution
Ensure the response time to breakdown by maintenance team is spontaneous by
providing them a truck which is the cause of their delay, encourage management
to upgrade the welfare of staff, ensure all export containers (empty and full) are
house kept prior to the arrival of expected vessel, have someone to monitor idling
of equipment and work towards reducing it. On a final note, one of the major
causes of low productivity is idling of berth and to avoid this, ensure frequent
communication with the vessel on queue notifying the captain of the time vessel
at berth is expected to round up so as to avoid delay of the next vessel coming.
Also enroll all operations team on LEAN academy as this will boost their
efficiency (Hines et al, 2002).

5.5 Poor Export Housekeeping and Missing Containers

Exports received from external trucks to the yard/dock are not always house kept
prior to the arrival of loading vessel (ship) as such the crane loading the vessel
always experience idle time waiting for the export units to be pulled out of the
stack which reduces its productivity rating. There are also instances where
containers to be loaded to a vessel cannot be found due to wrong location
update and the vessel will have to sail without it there by resulting to service
failure to the customer.

20

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

Solution
Expert decking which is a newly introduced tool on the TOS (terminal operating
system) but is currently not in use should be put back to use. When this tool is in
use, export containers will be decked (allocated) to a plan position with specific
allocation thereby cancelling the need for housekeeping prior to the arrival of
loading vessel. With this, no container will be missing, all exports will be well
arranged according to their respective port of discharge and weight class which
is a global requirement of loading on a vessel.

5.6 Poor Knowledge Management

It is observed that every new operations management staff always look for new
ways of solving problems that the terminal has encountered and overcame
continuously. The problem with this is the time wasted which is seen to be futile
on reception of global remark as it will always be stated from the headquarters
that ‘this is no new invention, we saw this some years ago from the previous
management’.

Solution
The operations manager should take it as a top priority to interview key stake
holders in all department to find out what their challenges are and what they think
is a possible solution from their experience. He/she should also investigate saved
SOP (safe operating process) to avoid wasting time trying to reinvent something
that already exist. Most importantly, an SOP should be saved on the operations
folder; documenting step by step solution for every newly encountered challenge.

5.7 High Service Failure Delivery (SFD)

There is a high record of service delivery at APM Terminals Apapa, the most
common is the inability to position (to move a container to a plan location)
containers booked by consignee through the customs officers (Government
officials that inspect the integrity of goods coming into the country) at the agreed
date and time. This results to the customers goods accruing more storage

21

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

charges and delaying the good from getting to their targeted customers/market.
This often make our customers lose their client to other suppliers as in most
cases the containerized goods were supposed to keep a factory running.

Solution
The solution to this challenge is in multiple folds. First, more equipment must be
bought to salvage the multiple point of work. Secondly, customs inspection area
should be made bigger to accommodate more containers as the containers not
positioned due to filled area in some cases results in service failure. Thirdly,
since not all containers undergo customs inspection, those that must undergo it
should be discharged from the vessel to a dedicated location/stack to reduce
equipment interference with other POW; hence making the segregation process
seamless.

5.8 Wrong Update of Containers on the Dock

This has caused the terminal varying degree of embarrassment in the past. An
administration came and introduce the aid of human trackers to help customers
search for missing containers, this didn’t give required outcome. Another
administration discovered these trackers are using this opportunity to break into
containers and scrapped human trackers completely. They later introduced yard
mapping which attaches a location to a container once it is dropped this seems to
be the perfect solution till we started having network disruption in some locations
in the yard causing some containers not to have a mapped location in the yard.
This persisted till the end of the last administration.

Solution
This problem requires an ICT solution. What is needed is a stronger and better
network provider that covers every area in the yard. Making it impossible for a
container to miss location capturing.

22

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

5.9 Delay in loading External Truckers their Containers

This has led to the collapsing of some truck drivers inside their truck as a 100%
of the trucks visiting our terminals to load out containers are without air
conditions. This has also periodically led to protest among truck drivers who are
our landside customers, thereby disrupting the entire organizations operational
activities.

Solution
This problem is as a result of insufficient crane on the terminal. Advice
management to purchase enough cranes known as Rubber Tired Gantry
machines (RTG’s) to the point of having one on each stack. When this is done,
customers will feel satisfied and advise their importers to use APM Terminals as
their preferred terminal for importation.

5.10 Container Breakage/Interference with Customers goods

There is observed to be a high level of interference with the integrity of
customer’s goods, with the perpetrators always get away with it and this is
gradually reducing the organizations patronage and causing a bad media image
for the organization. A story regarding this was reported by TCV news on
YouTube by Infunanya, Eze (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meOiiR0i93A).
The question everyone keeps asking is ‘are there no CCTV cameras in position
capable of capturing these incidents’? The answer is that there are installed
cameras. Why then are these incidents not being captured? The answer is that
those involved in this unwholesome act are in direct interference with the
controls. Innocent operations staff are continuously being sacked while the real
perpetrators always go free and most times these sacked personnel are the
organizations good hands.

Solution

23

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

Independent contractors should be contracted to install and monitor hidden

CCTV cameras around the terminal without the knowledge of anyone except the
Managing Director and the Operations manager. By this, those behind this
unscrupulous activity will be quickly apprehended and the company will be saved
from losing its innocent and good operators in exchange for the culprits.

6.0 Conclusion
The incoming operations manager must take out time to understudy the causes
of every encountered challenges and be very inquisitive, the above document will
however serve as a guide and it will take frustration of Him/her as there is
already a preempt on
expected challenges and possible solutions.

24

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

7.0 Appendix
Advert for Head of Operations Role at APM Terminals

25

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

26

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

27

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

8.0 References

 Andrew, C.G. and Johnson, G.A. (1982). The crucial importance of production
and operations management. The academy of Management Review, Vol. 7, No.
1, pp. 143-147.

 Infunanya, Eze. (2019). Apapa Customs Uncovers container Containing 570,000

Cartons of Tramadol. [Online Video] on Jul 18, 2019. Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meOiiR0i93A
(Accessed 5th April 2021).

 Hesterly, W. and Barney, J. (2008). Strategic Management and

Competitive Advantage. (Online). Available at:
http://teaching.up.edu/BUS580/bps/Barney%20and%20Hesterly,
%202008,%20ch3_VRIO%20internal%20analysis.pdf. (Accessed 15th April
2021).

 Hines, Silvi & Bartolini, 2002, “Lean profit potential,” Cardiff Business School.

 Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R. (2009). Exploring corporate

strategy: Text and Cases. (Online). Available at:
https://www.academia.edu/download/49521226/Stratergic_Management.pdf.
(Accessed 22nd March 2021).

 Krajewski, L.J, Ritzman, L.P., and Malhotra, M.K., (2007), Operations

Management, 8th Edition, Pearson: Prentice Hall.

 Rider University (2021). What is the Role of an Operations Manager? (Online).

Available at: https://online.rider.edu/blog/what-is-the-role-of-an-operations-
manager/ (Accessed 22nd April 2021).

28

Classification: Confidential
 R1704D2623249

 Williams, T. (1981). Operations Management: Production of Goods and

Services. Journal of the Operational Research Society: Vol. 32, No. 2, pp 156.

29

Classification: Confidential