Functions Of Operations And Supply Chain

Introduction: In this assignment I will be providing apprentices and readers with an understanding of the role and importance of operations management in the efficient and effective production of goods and services.

Operations management is in regard to all operations within the organization responsible for creating goods and services that organizations pass to their customers. This function is at the heart of all organizations, giving the means of achieving their aims and reason for their existence. These activities include: managing purchases, inventory control, quality control, storage and logistics. A great deal of focus in operations is on efficiency and effectiveness of such a process.

According to Investopedia ULC (2012), " Operations management is concerned with converting materials and labor into goods and services as efficiently as

Russell, R. S., & Taylor III, B. W. (2011). Operations Management: Creating Value along the Supply Chain 7th edition. Retrieved November 18, 2011, from Wiley.com: http://bcs.wiley.com/he-bcs/Books?action=index&itemId=0470525908&bcsId=5869

Operations Management focuses on the design and management of products, processes, services and supply chains (Diemond, 2014). It considers the acquisition, development, and utilization of resources that firms need to deliver the goods and services their clients want (Diemond 2014). Operations Management consists of many topics which are applied on a daily basis at the company I work for. Some of the topics include process control, lean manufacturing, six sigma, and supply chain management. It is the process that controls how inputs (raw materials, labor, and energy) get converted into outputs (finished goods or services).

Operations Management in an organisation is repsonsible for managing and in making decisions concerning the activities that convert inputs into outputs , that is goods and services. This covers both short term actvities as well as longer term activities to meet strategic goals. Inputs can be the raw materaials need to manufacture goods such as furniture or the computers needed to create a service like online shopping site. Operation management’s role is to make decisions to improve how operation activities function, for example, to improve the final quality of the output or to change production methods to be more efficient in terms of cost and in time.

Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

Operations processes refers to the acquisition of inputs which are transformed in a business through the addition of value into outputs of goods and services. Businesses use operational processes involving inputs and transformation processes to increase efficiency and output. The operations management focuses on carefully and managing processes to produce and distribute products and services based on the nature of the business. To achieve objectives in a business, the quality of products are monitored regularly using customer services and warranties. Both Qantas and McDonalds, utilise operation process in order to gain maximum efficiency and productivity.

* supply chain manager: negotiates contracts with vendors and coordinates the flow of material inputs to the production process and the shipping of finished products to customers

Operations management focuses on managing the processes of producing and distributing products and services. Operations activities often include product creation, development, production and distribution. It deals with all operations within the organization. Related activities include managing purchases, inventory control, quality control, storage, logistics and evaluations. The nature of how operations management is carried out in an organization depends very much on the nature of products or services in the organization, for example, retail, manufacturing, wholesale, etc.

People can say that operations management has existed since man start to produced goods and services to meet their needs and necessities. Although, the origin of operations may be come from ancient civilizations, their major evolution in history is practically refers to the last 250 years. Therefore, the story is presented in accordance with the most important contributions or primitive impulses and not strictly chronological terms. There are several important areas that have contributed to the evolution and development of operation management.

Operations management is generally described as the planning, arrangement, and control of activities that change raw materials or an organization's input into finished products and services. The overall activities covered by operations management include the creation, development, manufacture, and distribution of products. The concept also relates to various activities such as inventory control, controlling purchases, quality control, logistics, storage, and evaluation ("Operations Management in McDonalds", n.d.). Since operations management covers the entire operations in an organization, it mainly focuses on the efficiency and effectiveness of the firm's processes.

In any business, the achievable goal is to have a successful form of operations management. The function of this goal is to plan, coordinate, and control resources that are needed to produce a company’s products and services. This area is a critical function within every organization and plays a vital role in the success of any company. Over the course of the years and through changing economies, operations management and its decisions have been altered to reflect updated standards, conditions, and technology. These areas and activities that have been developed are often unseen and overlooked. The evolution of operations management and its purposes were derived from several gurus whose innovation expanded from assembly lines to quality management and strategic perspectives. Operations management has grown to include an emphasis on better quality goods and services, technology, and automation: far exceeding the initial expectation of just minimized costs.

When a 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit the coast of Japan, no one would think any business in its path could survive such a tragedy. Nissan was able to survive the devastating effects of this natural disaster by having a plan to sustain operations. In order to sustain operations, it is essential to explore the use of process management functions within the operations management (OM) processes. Nissan was impacted by the earthquake, but fortunately they were able to explore the use of process management and incorporate them into operations management (OM) functions. Nissan has been able to use key advantages from three different operation theories: Just-in-Time (JIT), Toyota Production System (TPS), and Lean Production as well as integrate concepts such as triple bottom line, ISO 14000 standards, and incorporate corporate responsibility principles to maintain sustainability into their operations.

Operational management processes in a firm involves overseeing, formulating and reformulation of the operations of a business. The processes are meant to ensure efficiency in administering resources whilst ensuring there is effective management of client’s specifications and or directions. This is achieved by adding value to the firm’s processes. Such achievements are experienced when a firm embarks in directing its physical and or technical functions towards enhancing its development, production and manufacturing. These should be pre-determined and controlled by market opportunities if a company is to reach its ultimate production levels. Their realisation adds up to ensuring the future of a firm, offering operational