Case study and comparative strategic analysis of Toyota and Ryanair

Research Paper (undergraduate) from the year 2011 in the subject Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing grade: A The University of Surrey course: Operations Management and Business Strategy language: English abstract: This paper seeks to compare and contrast the differences in the way manufacturing firms and service firms operate. For this purpose the paper conducts a comparative analysis of the operations strategy of Toyota the world's leading car manufacturer and Ryanair Europe's leading low-cost airline. Firstly it will be dealt with the competitive factors both companies need to excel at in order to gain competitive edge and sustain economic viability from a long-term perspective. Secondly it will outline the major aspects that enable both companies to succeed in a highly competitive and dynamic business environment. In particular it will draw on key components of successful operations strategies such as process design human resource management innovation management supply chain management and quality management. Finally the paper concludes by summing up the key points and highlighting the respective implications. In addition the paper provides a more comprehensive strategic analysis of Ryanair's low-cost strategy in the appendix in order to promote understanding.