Chapter 1 questions

Describe operations and supply chains in terms of

1-

inputs, processes, outputs, information flows,

suppliers and customers.
Answer :
Operations:
-The systematic design, direction, and control of
processes that transform inputs into services and
products for internals, as well as external, customers
-Processes can be linked together to form a supply chain
– interrelated processes within a firms and across
different firms that produce a service or product to the
satisfaction of the customers.
Supply chain:

-Core processes are sets of activities that deliver

value to external customers
1- Supplier relationship process
2-New service/product development process
3-Order fulfillment process
4-Customer relationship process
-Support processes provide vital resources and
inputs to the core processes
2- an operations strategy and its linkage to corporate
strategy, as well as the role it plays as a source of
competitive advantage in a global market place.
Answer
-Specifies the means by which operations implements
corporate strategy and helps build a customer-driven
firm
-Corporate strategy provides an overall direction that
serves as the framework for carrying out all the
organization’s functions.
3- define the 4 main competitive priorities used in
operation strategy, and their linkage to marketing
strategy.
Answer
The main 4 competitive priorities
1-Low cost : which means deliver goods and services
as low cost as possible, so the process must be
designed to achieve that.
2-High quality: include top quality: which is to deliver
outstanding services or products, this needs a high
level of customers and superiors of RM.
And include consistent quality: which is to deliver
products or services that meet design specification on
a consistent basis, this requires to reduce the
defective products.
3-Time: include delivery speed to customer’s orders,
which means manage time by a design process that
supports that.
Include on time deli vary: which means meeting
delivery time promises, by increasing the percentage
of customer’s orders.
Include development speed: quickly introducing new
products or services , by integrating with critical
external suppliers.
4- Flexibility: including customization which means
satisfying the unique needs of the clients, by changing
the design of products, low volume, close customer
contact .
Include variety: which means handling awide
products or services, by producing more products
than process supporting customizations.
Include volume flexibility: which means even
accelerating or decelerating the rate of production of
goods or services quickly to handle and manage the
fluctuation in demand. By designing process exceed
capacity .
4- how operations can be used as a competitive
weapon.
Answer
As it known that the operations is used to achieve the
organizational goals, by conversion the inputs to
outputs to deliver value for the final customers, so the
organizations should used there operations as an
opportunities to obtain competitive advantages for
example:
At an airline
-Customer relationship
Top quality
Consistent quality
 Delivery speed
Variety
-New service development
Development speed
Customization
Top quality
-Order fulfillment
Low-cost operations
Top quality
Consistent quality
On-time delivery
Variety
-Supplier relationship
Low-cost operations
Consistent quality
On-time delivery
Variety
Volume flexibility

5- global trends and challenges facing operations

management.
Answer
Global trends
- Productivity improvement
- Global competition
- Ethical, workforce, and environmental issues
Challenges
- Using operations to compete
- Managing processes
- supply chains