OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

Essay by arthurzou1018University, Bachelor'sB, April 2005

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Introduction

This assignment focuses on the performance objectives of operations management identified by Slack et al (1998) to investigate the external issues that may impact on the operation function within the organisations in question.

In the discussion, each objective is specified and associated with the relevant literature and examples. The chosen examples are based on the author's industrial placements and work experience, which indicates the differential manipulation of operations management in different organisations. The aim is to reflect managers' actions in achieving the objectives of operations management, as well as to emphasise the role of organisational culture for the operations manager in the implementation of operations management.

The last section summarises the linkages between the performance objectives based on the findings, and the author's opinions about the implementation of operations management.

Discussion

Bicheno and Elloitt (1997, p.9) define operations management as:

" The planning, scheduling and control of the activities that transform inputs into finished goods and services".

Naylor (1996, p.9) illustrates that:

"Operations management is concerned with creating, operating and controlling a transformation system which takes inputs of a variety of resources and produces outputs of goods and services which are needed by customers".

The operation could be the central to the organisation because it produces the goods and services which are its reason for existing. Operations management is linked to all organisations as every organisation is producing either a product or a service. However, it cannot be said to be the most important function since there are other functional areas and boundaries within an organisation.

In today's fast changing world, organisations have to have a tendency towards being efficient, effective and innovative to the changing environment to succeed. The author believes that operations management could be the key to this success.

Slack et al (1998) state five...