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Operations Management
In today's business environment, operations management is essential for the ultimate survival of businesses as they contend with fierce competition, ever-changing technology, and implementation of e-commerce in our global economy. Managers must recognize the significance of the shift in the balance of power to the consumers because of the globalization of business and markets and e-commerce. They must strive to reach higher levels of productivity in every aspect of their organization from creating higher quality products, to delivering better customer service, to achieving shorter delivery times, and reducing labor and material costs. As businesses strive to endure and maximize profits, achieving operational excellence through operations management can have a significant impact on the cost of products and the services performed within a business entity.
Operations management is prevalent in every form of business whether it is a production, retail, or service organization. As individuals perform their duties and job functions, those tasks become part of an operation. Those tasks can include such processes as producing a product, selling merchandise to a customer, or performing a service. "Operations management (OM) is defined as the design, operation, and improvement of the systems that create and deliver the firm's primary products and services" (Chase-Jacobs-Aquilano, 2005). OM is the conversion process that transforms inputs such as raw materials, labor, or customers into outputs in the form of finished goods or services. As part of this conversion process operations must make strategic decisions in the areas of strategic long-range planning ...