Operations Management: An Integrated Approach, 5th Edition

GOALS OF THE BOOK

1. Provide a Solid Foundation of Operations Management

Our book provides a solid foundation of OM concepts and techniques, but also covers the latest on emerging topics such as e-business, supply chain management, enterprise resource planning (ERP), and information technology. We give equal time to strategic and tactical decisions and provide coverage of both service and manufacturing organizations. We look closely at some of the unique challenges faced by service operations.

2. Provide an Integrated Approach to Operations Management

While several excellent textbooks provide appropriate foundation coverage, we believe that few provide sufficient motivation for students. We are aware that a major teaching challenge in OM is that students aren't motivated to study OM because they don't understand its relevance to their majors. We think the course textbook can greatly support the professor in this area; therefore, a chief goal of this book is to integrate coverage of why and how OM is integral to all organizations. Interfunctional coordination and decision making have become the norm in today's business environment. Throughout each chapter we discuss information flow between business functions and the role of each function in the organization. On the opening page of each chapter we ask the reader “What's in OM for Me?” and the chapter ends with a section called “OM across the Organization” to review the answers to that question.

The text also illustrates the linkages ...