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Oxford University Press, 2012. All rights reserved.

Operations Management
Chapter 3
Operations Processes
and Life Cycles
Jones & Robinson
Jones & Robinson: Operations Management
Explain how process types have evolved

Define and explain process choice

Explain the role of operations management during the
stages of the product life cycle

Explain the role of operations management during the
stages of the service firm life cycle
Learning Objectives
Jones & Robinson: Operations Management
Craft Era: before the industrial revolution and
characterised by artisans making customised goods
usually from their own small businesses
Many of these process types are still in use today:
Simple project e.g. simple house construction,
large sculptures. Nowadays even management
consulting or hairdressing
Job shop e.g. auto repair shop, General
Practitioner, eye glasses or jewellery making
Batch process e.g. pharmaceuticals, wine
making, wood or plastic products



Evolution of Process Types
Jones & Robinson: Operations Management
Mass Production Era: after the industrial revolution
the following process types emerged:
Complex projects e.g. large scale bridge or
road building, exploration of outer space
Batch production e.g. printing shop, hospital
outpatients, classroom based education
Assembly line e.g. domestic white goods,
computers, automotive assembly
Flow process e.g. paper manufacturing, oil
and steel production



Evolution of Process Types
Jones & Robinson: Operations Management
Evolution of Process Types
Jones & Robinson: Operations Management
Strategic Operations Era: much more is required of
business to meet the increasing demands of
customers. This led to:
Lean production e.g. Toyota; the removal of
all waste from processes
Agile manufacturing e.g. Benetton; the ability
to alter any aspect of an operation to meet demands
Mass customization e.g. Dell; low cost goods
customized for individual customers
Innovation and continuous improvement (CI)
e.g. Dyson, Virgin Atlantic; innovation is rapid and
significant change. CI is incremental change
Evolution of Process Types

Jones & Robinson: Operations Management
Process Type and Process Choice
Jones & Robinson: Operations Management
Process Types in Materials Processing
Operations
This identifies the standard variety / volume mix of Hayes and Wheelwright (1979)
together with the move to a more strategic management approach in recent years
Jones & Robinson: Operations Management
Process Types in Customer Processing
Operations
This identifies the standard variety / volume mix of Silvestro et al. (1992) together
with the move to a more strategic management approach in recent years
Jones & Robinson: Operations Management
Characteristics of Process Type
Jones & Robinson: Operations Management
Product Life Cycle
Introduction
Growth
Maturity
Saturation
Decline

Jones & Robinson: Operations Management
Product Life Cycle
Jones & Robinson: Operations Management
Service Firm Life Cycle
Entrepreneurship
Multi-site rationalization
Growth
Maturity
Decline

Jones & Robinson: Operations Management
OM Issues during the
Service Firm Life Cycle
Jones & Robinson: Operations Management
Operations have developed from simple craft projects
through to job shops and batch production.
The industrial revolution brought the opportunity to
mass produce goods using assembly line processes.
Modern businesses have now developed strategic
operations strategies based mainly on providing
higher volumes with more customer choice, such as
mass customization.
The product life cycle has 4 stages:
introduction growth maturity and decline

Summary
Jones & Robinson: Operations Management
The service firm life cycle has 5 stages:
entrepreneurial stage
multi-site rationalization
growth
maturity
decline

Summary