6 Pages
1591 Words
Introduction - Writing and Communication Assignment Sample
Communication skills refer to the transmission of the information to convey the thoughts or ideas. The communications skills are significant in building the interpersonal relationships with collogues, peers and friends in the work environment. The academic writing skill is related to formal style of writing used in scholarly publications and universities. The report will be based on the industry course: Fashion buying and brand management and Marks and Spencer. The organization has been found in the year 1884 by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in Leeds ( Marks and Spencer, 2024). This is a British multinational retailer based in the London. The report will shed light on an issue which is affecting the organization. Moreover, it will discuss potential effects and issues on the organization.
Indentifying an issue affecting the organization
Marks & Spencer is one of the leading retailers; this is known for the selling clothes. The organization has been facing issues, one of the major issues which affecting the M&S is overproduction within the segment of fashion. The overproduction can boost the operational prices and contribute in the degradation of environment. This is affecting the sustainability objective of the brand. The issue refers to high or excessive goods manufacturing beyond the demand of market. In context to the fashion industry, overproduction occurs from the different trends such as push to fulfill expectations of customers and fast fashion. In the M&S, the issue related to the overproduction is major concern because of the desire to manage the availability of product and misjudged forecasts of demand (Why overproduction is the real challenge for the fashion industry, 2024). These outcomes in excessive stock, this is sold in donated or heavy discounts or in worse situations, landfills and incinerated.
The issue contributes to the natural resource depletion, greenhouse gas emissions and mainly wastes. The garment manufacturing and fabric production are mainly resource intensive, including chemicals, energy and water (Smith, 2019). This worsen carbon footprint of the Marks and Spencer. The main cause of the overproduction within the Marks & Spencer involves the pressure to effectively compete with the different brands such as H&M and Zara and dependency on the models of traditional production. This is mainly volume over the accuracy within the organization. These different practices mainly lead to increase the major inventory, major of these are donated or heavily discounted. Furthermore, the major overproduction intensifies the degradation of the environment. This is particularly contributing within different international issues such as resource depletion and textile waste (Theobald, 2022). It placed organization within the developed scrutiny from the environmental advocates, regulatory bodies and customers. By resolving the issue plays a major role in the M&S to manage the market, boost the operational effectiveness and uphold commitment related to the sustainability. Through utilization of the sustainable practices and technology, the organization can transform the issue in opportunity for the effective growth and innovation as well.
Discussing the issues and potential effects on the organization
The overproduction is major issue which offers the major challenges to the M&S within the whole fashion segment. The issue extends the different operational inefficiencies which can put impact on the brand reputation, environmental sustainability and financial performance. By understanding the overproduction nuances and the major effects on the M&S can resolve the major concern.
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Key issues
Environmental sustainability: The overproduction mainly contributes in the waste of textile, along with the stock surplus can increase the incinerated and landfills. This hinders the commitment of the M&S related to the sustainability in the initiative of Plan A. This focuses on the responsible utilization of resource and waste reduction. The excessive production of the garment increases the environmental issues. This includes the Non renewable resource depletion, water pollution caused by dyeing procedures and green gas emissions.
Financial strain: The surplus inventory ties the capital of working and boosts the costs of storage, decreasing the financial flexibility. In order to effectively excess stock, the organization resorts to discounts and markdowns (Bailey, 2024). This is diminishing the profitability and affecting the profit margins. The overproduction makes the inefficient within the additional investment in warehousing, logistics and supply chain.
Consumer perception and brand image: As the customers are developing favor to ethical and sustainable brand, the issue relayed to overproduction hinders the organization as uneven with the values of the modern customers (Effects of overproduction, 2024). Persistent reports related to wasteful practices and excess stock risk affect the loyalty and trust of consumers. It is mainly critical for the brands such as Marks and Spencer because it markets based on the sustainability and quality.
Operational inefficiencies: The overproduction mainly showcases the inefficiencies within the needs of agility in supply chain and forecasting. The models of the traditional production face challenges to work with the regular changing preferences of the current demographic (Godfrey, 2020). This diverts the effective resources from the product development and innovation, affecting the ability of M&S to compete in the efficient manner.
Potential effects on the organization
Environmental impact: The ongoing overproduction would affect the sustainability efforts of the M&S. mainly inviting the criticism through stricter regulations and environmental organizations from the different governmental bodies. Inability to fulfill the targets of sustainability can lead to certifications loss, fines and penalties. This includes the status of carbon neutrality and fair trade.
Erosion of competitive edge: The organizational risks to lose the high rivalry edge within the brands of fast fashion such as Zara. This uses the demand of production and agile supply chain. The overproduction makes the organization to appear inefficient and outdated.
Financial instability: Declining the profitability and increasing operational costs because of the major discounts can put impact on the organizational capability to reinvest within the initiatives of strategic growth. This includes the product diversification and digital transformation (Coleman, 2020).
Reputational damage: A failure which is related to resolve the overproduction can outcomes in decreasing loyalty and trust of consumers and public backlash. The ethical shoppers are important to the brands considered as more eco-conscious and responsible.
Recommendations
- The organization should apply the artificial intelligence and developed data analytics to boost the inventory management and demand forecasting. The predictive analysis might offer help in organization to align consumer demand with the production, reducing the excess stock. By introducing the model of pre-order for selected products, in this the products made after the order confirmation from the consumers. Within the made to order, the consumers can pre choose the sizes and designs so the products can be made as per the needs. This can be beneficial in reducing the waste and also organization can align with the consumption of sustainable production. This also can be helpful in catering the customized shopping experiences and attract the consumers who are seeking for personalization.
- M&S needs to boost the agile supply chain which can permit for the production runs frequently. The local manufactures partnership to shorten the quick respond and lead times to shifting demand and trends (Farkas and Schou, 2019). Via applying systems of inventory monitoring to optimize the distribution and stock levels.
- Expand the repair initiatives and existing recycling like as “Shwopping program” of M&S motivating the consumers to easily return the clothes which are used to recycle. The partnership with the manufactures and designers to make long lasting and durable products, incorporate the materials which are recyclable.
- The organization recommends developing the customer trust via enhancing the transparency related to the eco-friendly efforts. Via Utilization of the digital marketing and storytelling to highlight how the organization is resoling the environmental impact and overproduction. The organization can introduce the labels based on the sustainability on the clothes, offering education to the consumers related to the advantages of the sustainability.
- The manager ought to focus on provide the loyalty programs and discounts for the consumers who are joining the recycling or sustainability program. By offering the training to the workers related to the sustainability and encourages offering suggestion related to the innovative methods which can boost the effectiveness and decrease the waste (Finnegan, 2023).
- The organization ought to utilize the models of dynamic pricing to sell the inventory which is slow moving before this is extra. The organization might offer the different discounts; these might be provided early on the items with the low demand to reduce chances of accumulation.
CONCLUSION
Conclusively, it states that the overproduction mainly offers challenges for M&S, affecting the reputational standing and environmental financial. By effectively adopting the production models related to demand driven, investing within the initiatives of the circular fashion and developing the agility of the supply chain. Moreover, consumer engagement and transparent communication will boost the commitment of the brand to sustainability. This is lining up industry trends and customer expectations. Along with the different measures of strategic, M&S might change the overproduction from the opportunity related to growth and innovation.
REFERENCES
Books and journals
- Bailey, S. 2024. The Essentials of Academic Writing for International Students. London: Routledge.
- Coleman, H. 2020. Polish Your Academic Writing. London: Sage Publications.
- Farkas, J., and Schou, J. 2019. Post-Truth, Fake News and Democracy: Mapping the Politics of Falsehood. London: Routledge.
- Finnegan, R. 2023 Communicating: The Multiple Modes of Human Communication. Lond, NY: Routledge.
- Godfrey, J. 2020. The Student Phrase Book: Vocabulary for Writing at University. Bloomsbury: Red Globe Press.
- Smith, S. 2019. Academic Writing Genres: Essays, Reports & Other Genres. Evident Press.
- Theobald, T. 2022. Develop Your Presentation Skills: How to Inspire and Inform with Clarity and Confidence. London: Kogan Page.