Question

  Explain how the job analysis process can assist in redesigning jobs using examples from organisations like Coles or Woolworths supermarkets. Explain how to bring change in their work design within their retail store layout to bring more productivity and efficiency. Using an example, explain how job description and job specification may impact the work design decisions.

Answer 1

Analysis:

Job analysis has got two components which are job description and job specification. Job description captures nature, machine involved, workplace environment, and type of activities that need to be performed in the job in the subject while the job specification clearly spells out the kind of qualification, experience, and education is required for the job to be completed.

The Job description helps us in redesigning the store layout to save the time to be given to each of the activities and how does in a given time period maximum amount of activity can be performed effectively. We must keep in mind the customer service level and customer satisfaction while designing the store layout and at the same time Job description will help in improving productivity and efficiency. For example, the store has more products which will be selected by the customers on his own and there is a very low level of assistance is required then the time available to the store employee will be used for other activities like sorting and inventory management to improve the efficiency and enhance the product availability level. We can create more billing counter to reduce the time customers have to wait for the billing and it will improve the customer satisfaction level. Similarly, if certain product categories or segment of the store need more level of personal assistance, all such category can be placed in a layout which will need a minimum number of store staff to support the maximum number of customers.