Description

Operations management is concerned with designing, managing, and improving the processes through which organisations transform inputs—such as materials, labour, information, and equipment—into goods and services.

The book emphasizes applying operations-management concepts to real business situations through examples, solved problems, cases, and practical exercises.

Main topics

• Operations strategy – aligning operations with organisational goals.
• Product and service design – developing products and services that meet customer needs.
• Forecasting – predicting future demand.
• Capacity planning – determining how much production capacity an organisation needs.
• Process selection and facility layout – designing efficient production processes and workplaces.
• Quality management – maintaining and improving product and service quality.
• Supply chain management – managing suppliers, purchasing, logistics, and distribution.
• Inventory management – deciding how much stock to keep and when to reorder.
• Aggregate planning – balancing production, workforce, and demand.
• MRP and ERP – coordinating materials, resources, and organisational activities.
• JIT and Lean operations – reducing waste and improving efficiency.
• Scheduling – planning when jobs, employees, and resources should be used.
• Project management – planning and controlling projects.
• Waiting lines and capacity analysis – managing congestion and service capacity.