Physical and Technological Resources

In the following assignment I will be describing the main physical and technological resources required during operation of my chosen business, and how these management types will improve my organisation. The organisation I will be covering is Sainsbury’s. Physical and Technological Resources

Below is a list of all the physical and technological resources involved with Sainsbury’s. Building and facilities
Sainsbury’s supermarket use the grid layout. The reason they do this is because the maximum amount of items can be put in the space, and can give shoppers easy access to walk around the whole shop. The layout is strategic too, letting them use various sales tactics. An example is how they place essentials at the back of the shop such as milk and bread. shoppers will need to walk to the back of the shop to get what they need, meaning seeing all of the other items on offer. Because of this it can influence people to buy these items and increase Sainsbury’s profit. They also use tactics like ‘pester power’, having an isle of sweets near the entrance. ‘Pester power’ is a term used to reference when children pester their parents to have items such as sweets or fizzy drinks. Materials and waste

Sainsbury’s have many schemes in place regarding waste products, and boast how efficiently they do it. In 2010 they achieved zero food waste, and recently achieved zero going into landfill sites. They did all of this with their new slogan ‘positive waste’. They do this through their recycling facilities, recently having the 100th built. They also donate 6.8 million meals through food donation partnerships. Plant and Machinery

Sainsbury’s manage their machinery by introducing a range of new designed lorries to do all their transportation. They are also running a new system of delivery, named “resource managed planning”. “resource managed planning” is a system that plans routes against the drivers shift and the vehicle resources, ensuring efficient transport for sainsburys nationally. Because of this new system they were able to cut distances travelled, increase driver productivity and reduce emissions released via their new designed lorries.

Equipment including ICT
Sainsbury’s store use ICT equipment daily as part of their store plan. Their self checkout booths are fitted with custom software, and will need to be protected using anti virus software. Planned maintenance and refurbishment

All of Sainsbury’s fleet of lorries will need often maintenance to ensure they are all running as efficiently and safely as possible. Things such as fork lift trucks and pickups will need maintaining in the warehouses, and in store equipment such as the self check out will need to be taken care of. Store refurbishments may be needed from time to time too, to make sure the store is looking professional and inviting, or in the case of any damage done to the property. Emergency provision

Emergency provisions are things placed in store regarding health and safety, security and protection of all people going into the store. This ranges from security cameras and fire alarms to hygiene equipment if for example dealing with raw meat. Emergency provisions must be abided by because of the health and safety at work act 1974. Because of these measures put in place you can feel safe being in store knowing that your safety is a top priority concern, and is heavily monitored. Insurance

It is compulsory for all establishments to have insurance, so a monthly amount will have to be payed to have the located store insured. The insurance covers all natural disasters including fire or even damage to equipment in store. Security

Security is set up in store via overhead cameras, alarms on doors and sometimes security guards in store in the bigger branches. There are also things like the weight scanner when using the self checkout to ensure all items you are taking out are paid for, and these booths are all monitored. It is important to have good quality security, to ensure the store is not stolen from or damaged, as that will directly affect profits and reputation. It is also important for people to see that the store is secure, making it feel like a safe environment to be going, and there are rules people are all abiding by. Intellectual property e.g. designs, drawings, text, music, video Intellectual property rights are laws set in place allowing people to own ideas, and rights as to what can be done with these ideas. This is important in regards to Sainsburys as they are a company constantly bringing out new products and slogans regarding new schemes they may be doing or related to prices. Any ideas must be patented to prevent any theft, and they must make sure to research if any ideas they have are already in use elsewhere before going ahead with any ideas. Accumulated experience and skills

Accumulated experience simply means experience within a job acquired over time. Instead of leaving their employees, they are trained on any issues and Sainsbury’s offer incentives for staff to keep working there long term. It is in their best interests to try keep their staff, as the accumulated experience and skills gained from working longer will mean they have a strong team, and a professional looking one. This can improve all skills from general running of the shop to customer service, and because of this the store will get a better reputation. Software licences

Software is important to store life and it must be ensured that software is up to date and licences are bought to use it. The software is used in things such as the self checkout, or the monitoring of groceries in store. Money will need to be invested into making sure the software is cutting edge to be competitive to rivals, and to ensure the smooth running of the store. All software will need to be maintained due to it’s importance. Protection via patents and copyrights

Patenting and copyright laws are run throughout the company. From intellectual property as mentioned earlier, to physical things like Sainsbury’s own items and recipes. Sainsburys must ensure they patent any ideas they have to protect against theft, keeping their store unique to others. This is needed to be cutting edge and ensure no profits are lost to other places selling their produces. Human Resouces

Managing human resources is vital for an organisation, and because of this the right tactics must be ensured to get the employees onboard and working efficiently. Human resources are the link between the business and it’s employed staff. Human resources are important because it is the employees on the front line and the face of your business, and are the ones that can improve production and profits. Because of this Human resource workers need to be able to choose employees with the right skills and qualifications required to keep the business working smoothly and have the skills to do the task at hand. A business can manage human resources by having training days to make sure everyone is up to date and motivation schemes, improving things such as staff morale or customer service tactics. Physical resources

Physical resources are the physical side of a business and are essential. Physical resources are things such as the building in which the business is run, material and waste disposal, equipment and plant and machinery. The building is the foundation of physical resources of a business, as every business must have one be it an office block to a warehouse. The size and location of the location should be relevant to the work being done and production size of the company. Waste is the disposal side of production, for example Sainsbury’s have complete food and waste recycling, having no waste sent to land fill. This is managed through their recycling facilities they have built. Having the right amount of equipment in your business is vital, as not having enough or not having equipment of the right quality could slow down production and may result in less profits and work. Machinery is a big part of sainsburys, from the self check out tills to the running of CCTV cameras and air conditioning units used in store. They are all built to make the image they want, and to ensure security making customers feel safer. Technological resources

Technological resources are the technology side of a business, and cover 4 parts of a company. These include Intellectual property, accumulated experience and skills, software licences and patent protection and copyright laws. It is important that a business protect their intellectual property properly and professionally, be it Sainsbury’s adverts that are played, or store slogans such as ‘live well for less’. Additionally they must make sure all their items are patented and professionally managed to prevent any theft. Conclusion

In conclusion it is a must for any successful business to manage all three resources, as together they improve profit, work ethic, efficiency and performance of a business. The company will also seem more professional, and that will only help the company image thus helping grow the company.