Production and operations management systems.

Abstract

Our goal is to make the subject of production and operations management (P/OM) interesting, even exciting, to those who are embarking on a career that involves business of any kind. This includes the business of making profit, as well as notfor- profit applications. Yes, P/OM applies directly to helping people who are under stress (as in humanitarian operations) as well as for everyone striving to have a better life. Since P/OM capabilities deal equally with goods and services, the fields of hospitality, travel, healthcare, education, entertainment, and agriculture are as vital a part of its purview as manufacturing. This list of applications should be kept in mind when reading the section “To whom is this text directed?” Managers in all of the fields listed above will benefit from learning more about P/OM. We hope the reader will supply categories of personal interest that we skipped over such as sports and astronautics. Since the beginning of mankind on earth, if the “busyness” process was successful, then some form of profit sustained it. There is nothing ugly about making money. Profitability is a requisite sign of smart management and productivity achievement. Return on investment is the essence of sustainability. Studies show that environmental concern enhances long-term profitability and generally is beneficial to short-term profits as well. P/OM (more than other functional areas of business, government, and not-for-profit organizations) impinges on the environment. We used “busyness” to reflect both personal task performance and work-related job performance. P/OM applies to both sides of the street. A disciplined manager is unlikely to be bogged down by inefficient processes at home. P/OM’s use of energy, water, and even air to make goods and provide services is functionally unique. The way that P/OM blends the talents of people with the power of technology resides in a special domain that no one else occupies. Cooperation with allies (e.g., specialists in energy, graphic arts, information systems, market research, and managers of other technologies) is increasingly essential.