Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Contributors
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Part I Operations within Organisations – Building Blocks
- 1 What is Operations Management and Why is it Important?
- 2 Operating System Models
- 3 Key Decisions in OM
- 4 Planning and Controlling the Use of Operating Assets and Resources
- Part II Approaches to Understanding OM
- Part III Moving Forward with OM – Creating Competitive Advantage
- Part IV Challenges and Opportunities in Operations
- Part V Case Studies
- Index
- References
2 - Operating System Models
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Contributors
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Part I Operations within Organisations – Building Blocks
- 1 What is Operations Management and Why is it Important?
- 2 Operating System Models
- 3 Key Decisions in OM
- 4 Planning and Controlling the Use of Operating Assets and Resources
- Part II Approaches to Understanding OM
- Part III Moving Forward with OM – Creating Competitive Advantage
- Part IV Challenges and Opportunities in Operations
- Part V Case Studies
- Index
- References
Summary
Learning objectives
After reading this chapter you should be able to:
appreciate the various factors that have influenced the drive for change in the way that products and services are produced and systems are developed
understand the methods of production and delivery of services that have been adopted by various industries in pursuit of efficiency and effectiveness
describe the characteristics of organisations that have achieved operations excellence and those that have struggled
evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of alternative operating system models under varying market conditions
appreciate the operations management challenges in meeting customers' needs.
Box 2.1: Management challenge: Toyota/Honda vs General Motors/Ford
When one looks at the international car industry, two distinct groups of firms are noticeable. One group consists of firms such as General Motors and Ford. These firms have been around for a long time (really since the advent of cars). While very successful in the past, these firms now seem to be less so. They take longer than some of their competitors to produce new models and their models seem less well matched with market requirements. The cars are rated lower on quality and value of money (Womack et al., 1990; Holweg and Pil, 2004). As a result, these companies have suffered an erosion of market share in many market segments in which they compete. So, their frequent announcements of ever-growing financial losses do not come as a surprise to many. […]
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Operations ManagementAn Integrated Approach, pp. 37 - 63Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2008
References
American Engineering Council. 1921. Waste in Industry. Federated American Engineering Societies. New York: McGraw-Hill.
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. 1988. Toyota Production System: Beyond large-scale production, Productivity Press, 1988.Google Scholar
and 1996. Lean Thinking: Banish waste and create wealth in your corporation. New York: Simon & Schuster.Google Scholar
and 2003. Lean Thinking: Banish waste and create wealth in your corporation. New York: Simon & Schuster.Google Scholar
Henry Ford's Lean Vision: Enduring principles from the first Ford motor plant. New York: Productivity Press.
1993. Toyota production System. 2nd edn. Atlanta, GA: Industrial Engineering and Management Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
1996. World Class Manufacturing: The next decade; building power, strength and value. New York: Free Press.Google Scholar
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