About 8. Operational Planning and Management

 Operations management is everywhere, in every organisation, in every service experienced and in every product consumed. It is the administration of business practices to create the highest level of efficiency possible in an organisation. It is concerned with converting materials and labour into goods and services as efficiently as possible to maximise profits. 

The aim of this unit is to enable students to explore how operations management manages all business activities to efficiently create and deliver products and services. This includes the transformation of inputs into outputs of finished goods and services and activities throughout the supply chain. Students will explore the approach to quality management and continuous improvement in the production process. They will review how operations managers have to look externally as well as at internal processes, considering suppliers’ performance and customers throughout the supply chain. 

By the end of the unit students will have an insight into the complex nature of operations, processes and supply chain management, fundamental for understanding the holistic work environment in any industry and organisation.