Operations Management: An Integrated Approach, 5th Edition

PREFACE

Today, companies are competing in a very different environment than they were only a few years ago. Rapid changes such as global competition, e-business, the Internet, and advances in technology have required businesses to adapt their standard practices. Operations management (OM) is the critical function through which companies can succeed in this competitive landscape.

Operations management concepts are not confined to one department. Rather, they are far-reaching, affecting every functional aspect of the organization. Whether studying accounting, finance, human resources, information technology, management, marketing, or purchasing, students need to understand the critical impact operations management has on any business.

We each have more than 25 years of teaching experience and understand the challenges inherent in teaching and taking the introductory OM course. The vast majority of students taking this course are not majoring in operations management. Rather, classes are typically composed of students from various business disciplines or students who are undecided about their major and have little knowledge of operations management. The challenge is not only to teach the foundation of the field, but also to help students understand the impact operations management has on the business as a whole and the close relationship of operations management with other business functions.

We were motivated to write this book to help students understand operations management and ...