What is the difference between the operational strategy of a manufacturing company and the operational strategy of a service company?

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Needed to maintain a competitive edge

Adapting based on customer needs after examination of the best

It is observed that companies at times might be reluctant to use benchmarks. One of the most popular reason for this is the belief that they are their own organization, and hence, do not need to emulate any other organization. This is where it is critical to underline the fact that benchmarking does not mean blindly ‘copying’ what competitors do. It simply means to understand what is the acceptable standard in the industry, and where does the organization stand vis-à-vis that standard. Benchmarking helps organizations to stay in sync with the market and customer needs. For instance, at a bank the turnaround time for any customer complaint could be 4 hours, hypothetically. The bank might be tempted to believe that they are doing a great job by offering such a short TAT. However, if other leading banks have a TAT of 2 hours, then the scenario changes. Suddenly, the ‘great job’ is 50% below the benchmark. Customers are likely to prefer a bank that resolves their concerns in the fastest possible timeframe.
4. Explain the process of strategic planning of company (enterprise) production capacity.
A strategic plan is a tool to define your organization’s goals and what actions you will take to achieve them. Typically, a strategic plan will include your company’s vision and mission statements, your long-term goals (as well as short-term, yearly objectives), and an action plan of the steps you’re going to take to move in the right direction. Your strategic plan document should include: 

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  Your company’s vision 
  
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  Your company’s mission statement
  
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  Your company’s goals
  
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  A plan of action to achieve those goals
  
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  Your approach to achieving your goals
  
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  The tactics you’ll use to meet your goals
  

An effective strategic plan can give your organization clarity and focus. This level of clarity isn’t always a given—according to our research, only 16% of knowledge workers say their company is effective at setting and communicating company goals. By investing time into strategy formulation, you can build out a three- to five-year vision for the future of your company. This strategy will then inform your yearly and quarterly company goals. This tool can help you document and share your strategy with key investors or stakeholders as you get your business up and running.
You should create a business plan when you’re: 

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  Just starting your business
  
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  Significantly restructuring your business
  

If your business is already established, consider creating a strategic plan instead of a business plan. Even if you’re working at a relatively young company, your strategic plan can build on your business plan to help you move in the right direction. During the strategic planning process, you’ll draw from a lot of the fundamental business elements you built early on to establish your strategy for the next three to five years.
5. Explain the Kaizen concept in operations and process management.
The Kaizen method continues to be studied and applied today in industries around the world. Initiated in Japan, it has since attracted Western companies with its unique approach to production and management. Dedicated to continuous improvement, the Kaizen system is one of the foundations of lean manufacturing. It proposes progressive changes at all levels of the organization to ensure real management of operational performance.
Summary :

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  The need to improve, to exist
  
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  Continuous improvement for operational performance
  
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  Kaizen as a solution against resistance to change
  
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  Measuring the results of the Kaizen approach
  

In a company organized according to the principles of Kaizen, changes are made in small doses and at a continuous pace (daily). Improvement operations must also be simple, inexpensive and tangible. This is a diametrically opposed approach to those based on large-scale revisions, rapid and fundamental disruptions that can present significant risks (difficulty of acceptance and assimilation by employees in particular).
The Kaizen method is also characterized by the fact that it involves all the company’s stakeholders. Each employee is encouraged to analyze his or her own workstation and identify opportunities for improvement. Motivation and commitment are indeed one of the most important aspects of the Kaizen continuous improvement principle.
Overall, the latter is at the service of industrial performance by:

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  Improving quality and production times
  
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  Optimizing flows
  
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  Enhancing productivity
  
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  Improving working conditions
  

The best definition of this method is that of Masaaki Imai, founder of the Kaizen Institute: “Everyday improvement, everybody improvement and everywhere improvement”.