Objectives and Summary
To define operations management Operations management involves efficiently and effectively implementing the tasks and policies to satisfy the retailer’s customers, employees, and management. This chapter covered the financial aspects of operations management. Operational dimensions are studied in Chapter 13.
To discuss profit planning The profit-and-loss (income) statement summarizes a retailer’s revenues and expenses over a specific time, typically on a monthly, quarterly, and/or yearly basis. It consists of these major components: net sales, cost of goods sold, gross profit (margin), operating expenses, and net profit after taxes.
To describe asset management, including the strategic profit model, other key business ratios, and financial trends in retailing Each retailer has assets and liabilities to manage. A balance sheet shows assets, liabilities, and net worth at a given time. Assets are items with a monetary value owned by a retailer; some assets appreciate and may have a hidden value. Liabilities are financial obligations. The retailer’s net worth, also called owner’s equity, is computed as assets minus liabilities.
Asset management may be measured by reviewing a firm’s net profit margin, asset turnover, and financial leverage. Net profit margin equals net profit divided by net sales. Asset turnover equals net sales divided by total assets. By multiplying the net profit margin by asset turnover, a retailer can find its return on assets – which is based on net sales, net profit, and total assets. Financial leverage equals total assets divided by net worth. The strategic profit model incorporates asset turnover, profit margin, and financial leverage to yield the return on net worth. It allows a retailer to better plan and control its asset management.
Other key ratios for retailers are the quick ratio, current ratio, collection period, accounts payable to net sales, and overall gross profit (in percent).
Important financial trends involve the state of the economy; funding sources; mergers, consolidations, and spinoffs; bankruptcies and liquidations; and questionable accounting and financial reporting practices.
To look at retail budgeting Budgeting outlines a retailer’s planned expenditures for a given time based on its expected performance; costs are linked to goals.
There are six preliminary decisions: (a) Responsibility is defined by top-down and/or bottom-up methods. (b) The time frame is specified. (c) Budgeting frequency is set. (d) Cost categories are established. (e) The level of detail is ascertained. (f) Budgeting flexibility is determined.
The ongoing budgeting process then proceeds: goals, performance standards, planned spending, actual expenditures, monitoring results, and adjustments. With zero-based budgeting, each budget starts from scratch; with incremental budgeting, current and past budgets are guides. The budgeted versus actual profit-and-loss (income) statement and the percentage profit-and-loss (income) statement are vital tools. In all budgeting decisions, cash flow, which relates the amount and timing of revenues received with the amount and timing of expenditures made, must be considered.
To examine resource allocation Both the magnitude of costs and productivity need to be examined. Costs can be divided into capital and operating categories; the amount of both must be regularly reviewed. Opportunity costs mean forgoing possible benefits if a retailer invests in one opportunity rather than another. Productivity is the efficiency with which a retail strategy is carried out; the goal is to maximize sales and profits while keeping costs in check.