CLASS EXERCISE ONE

1. Briefly describe the term operations management.

 Operational management is a process of production of goods or services.
This production system is called transformation it is a process that converts
input into output by taking out feedback and environmental change. This
process requires operational management for organizations to maximize their
output.

2. Identify the three major functional areas of business organizations and briefly
describe how they interrelate.


3. Describe the operations function and the nature of the operations manager’s job.
4. Describe each of these systems: craft production, mass production, and lean
production.
CLASS EXERCISE TWO

The Operations Management (OM) is the management function responsible for the
production of the physical goods and the services that a company offers in the market.
Its goal is to achieve simultaneously the objectives of quality, flexibility, costs and
deadlines. Between other activities, OM includes procurement (inbound logistics),
operations that transforms inputs in outputs, quality assurance and distribution
(outbound logistics).

If a production company is capable to manage its operations with effectiveness and

efficiency, it will get and keep some relevant competitive advantages. Production
function is that part of an organization, which is concerned with the transformation of a
range of inputs into the required outputs (products) having the requisite quality level.
The creation of goods and services requires changing resources into goods and
services. The operation manager job is to enhance the outputs with the inputs given.
That is because in this type of companies, the OM is responsible for the added-value,
assets and staffs.

In the framework of the modern OM, it is essential to incorporate new technologies and
use information systems to increase the productivity. It is almost impossible to comply
with company strategy (and the corresponding operations strategy) if there is not an
appropriate monitoring and control system adapted to the company. The main task of
the operations is to produce goods and provide services. In other words, “The profit
generating engine of any company is its operations” (Schroeder et al., 2011).
Accordingly, in developing strategies, companies should pay a great deal of attention to
operations and grant it a suitable operations strategy.

Porter (1980) considers organizational activities as the basis for competitive advantage.
He believes that organizations must select a distinct strategic position. Strategic
positioning in this context refers to performing activities different from competitors or
performing similar activities in a different way. While, in the operations, differentiation is
based on a different competitive priorities Competitive priorities are expressed as
dimensions of manufacturing strategy (Swamidass and Newell, 1987), goals for
manufacturing (Leong et al., 1990) and manufacturing tasks (Skinner, 1969).
Competitive priorities are the basis for developing distinctive capabilities in the
production system (Choudhari et al., 2010). They are the fundamental pillars of the
operations strategy (Martín and Díaz, 2009) and represent an important internal factor
of operations capabilities (Peng et al., 2011).

Based on above text:-

a) Discuss how an operations manager perform the transformation to achieve the

required output?

b) Explain what are competitive priorities? Provide some examples of how OM

influences the five major types of competitive priorities?

c) What is operations strategy? How does it relate to corporate strategy? Provide

example for your explanation?
CLASS EXERCISE THREE

1. Why product and service design is strategically important?

2. Explain the role of operations manager in product design?
3. How is product design linked with product decisions?
4. What are some of the factors that cause organizations to redesign their products
or services?
CLASS EXERCISE FOUR

1. What is Process Strategy

2. What are the techniques for improving service productivity?
3. Explain what a flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) is?
CLASS EXERCISE FIVE

1. Write a short note on the parameters that affects the Location & Layout of a firm?

2. How is that location a competitive. Discuss?

3. What the layout? Why it is important for that organization?