Production and Operations Management

Production and Operations Management

Discussion Questions

Prepared by Dr. Stephen Hartman, School of Management, New York Institute of Technology.

Chapter 1

1. Define production operations management in your own words. Will your definition accommodate both manufacturing and service operations?

Productions/operations management can be defined as the management of all activities directly related to the creation of goods and/or services through the transformation of inputs into output.

2. Consider the potential contribution of information sciences to P/OM. Why is the management of information of such great importance in the management of "production"?

The management of information is of great importance to produc-tions/operations management since:

(a) without "information" one would have no knowledge of the state of input resources, process performance, or output goods and/or services;

(b) properly developed information systems can contribute to the overall integration required to allow a firm to produce on a competitive basis:

(c) "good" decisions require "good" information - the right information, at the right place, at the right time.

3. The marketing, operations, and finance accounting functions can be outlined . Prepare a chart outlining the same functions for:

a) a large metropolitan newspaper

b) a local drugstore

c) a college library

d) a local service organization (Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Rotary International, Lions, Grange etc.)

e) a doctor's or dentist's office

f) a jewelry factory

The actual charts will differ depending upon the specific organization considered. The important thing is that students come to recognize- that all organizations require, to a greater or lesser extent, (a) the three primary functions of operations, finance/acoounting, and marketing; and (b) that the emphasis or detailed breakdown of these functions is dependent upon the specific competitive strategy employed by the firm.

4. Do the preceding assignment for some...