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Operations at Starbucks

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Submitted By lixia
Words 3184
Pages 13
Introduction
Established in 1971, Starbucks has grown from its original store at Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, to the leading coffee retailer in the world, now operating over 19,000 stores across 62 countries. Through their commitment to sourcing and roasting the highest quality Arabic coffee in the world, Starbucks has become engrained in our society and many of those throughout the world, offering a wide array of products ranging from more than 30 blends of premium coffee, hot and iced espresso beverages, teas, merchandise, baked pastries, sandwiches, and more.
This report will analyze and assess certain operations within Starbucks, and how these operations are able to add value to Starbucks and work to meet customer needs. In particular, we will look at Starbucks first rate service quality and product quality, their ability to manage a global supply chain and inventory, and their continuing effort of making process improvements.

Quality Management at Starbucks

Starbucks offers a combination of services and products to create “The Starbucks Experience”. This requires quality management in both areas of its operations to ensure not only that each is of the highest quality, but also that the combination of the two produce the desired result. Starting with service quality, Starbucks strictly manages the service process through multiple systems.

The first system starts with the baristas on the floor. Drink orders are called out from the cashier to the first barista. The barista repeats the order to confirm out loud that the drink order has both been received and communicated correctly. Because the order is called out verbally, this gives both the cashier

and the customer an opportunity to correct the order if there is a mistake. This dual confirmation system limits mistakes and consequently the cost associated with redoing the order.

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