Operations management - Term Paper Example

Tactical issues are inclusive of structure and layout of the plant, methods of project management, selection of equipment, and their replacement. Operational issues, on the other hand, include control and scheduling of production, management of inventory, control and inspection of quality, handling of materials and traffic, and policies for the maintenance of equipment. This paper aims to discuss the theoretical approaches of operation management and then provides an analysis of the manner in which a restaurant, Tasty Delights, can ensure that their suppliers meet their need for raw materials and also provides an analysis of the operation techniques to be employed in both quality and supply.

Introduction Operation management carefully focuses on process management in production and distribution of services (Brown et al, 2008:98). Overall activities are inclusive of creation of products, development, and management of products and services. Activities related to this include quality control, storage, process evaluation, and logistics. The greatest focus is on process effectiveness and efficiency. Operations management is inclusive of substantial analysis and measurement of internal processes.

The nature of operations management is dependent on the services or products that the organization deals with. Operations management is made up of various parts that enable the organization to run smoothly and achieve its set goals (Waters, 2009:198). These include: Procurement practices which deal with the guidelines for the purchase of various products and materials form vendors and suppliers including insurance, legal services, computers and others. Management control and coordinating function which includes a wide range of operations aimed at ensuring that the goals set by the organization are being met consistently in an efficient and effective fashion (Waters, 2009:198).

Product and service management which focuses on the entire organization’s operations rather than the management of a service or a product seen in service and product management for food service industries (Waters, 2009:198). Quality management which is vital in the operations management effectiveness with emphasis on continuous improvement. Quality advances including total quality management and benchmarking have resulted in the operations management advances as well (Waters, 2009:199). Distribution channels which deal with distribution means and depends on the nature of the service or product (Waters, 2009:199).

Enterprise resource planning which refers to utilization of software applications in the integration of external and internal functions of the organization. Via the facilitation of information flow between HR, inventory control, and accounting, decision making, and planning are made easier (Waters, 2009:199). Facilities management since the effectiveness of operations management is dependent on the effective management of buildings, signage, computer systems, lighting and others (Waters, 2009:200).

Supply chain management which is the combination of science and art for the improvement of an organization’s raw components that it needs for the making of service and products and delivery to the customers (Waters, 2009:200). It has five basic components which are; planning, sourcing of supplies, making or manufacturing, delivery, and return of defective products. This paper will aim to discuss these