Operations Management
Definition of Operations Management
The concept of operations management is an extremely vast one, referring primarily to the processes undergone by resources in their transformation into final products. Some of the basic processes included in operations management refer to the allocation of resources, the design of the prototype, the actual manufacturing and the delivery process (McNamara, 2009). More recently, a trend has been enforced in that operations management strives to achieve a unification between effectiveness and efficiency, in the meaning of delivering high quality products within imposed resource limitations.
Mystic Marc's Guide to Success (The Economist, 2009) tells the story of Marc Benioff, the successful founder of Salesforce.com, an innovative approach to selling software applications to business entities. In a time in which the software developers were focused on traditionally selling their applications, Benioff spotted a tremendous opportunity of offering online complementary services (the company is most renowned for their Customer Relationship Management online applications). The founder argues the importance of a nurturing working environment, and a strong reputation as a company that respects, and even goes beyond, the norms of social responsibility. The company has evolved from its initial desire to be an industry leader, to that of being a leader and a strong presence within industry and community.
3. The Article in the Operations Management Context
Marc Benioff's and his company's evolution and success relate to operations management by referring not only to the core process of a business -- that of delivering a product or service that transforms into money -- but more so as they both focus on the end result, within given conditions and limitations. Additionally, they both place increased emphasis on other elements, such as customer satisfaction, employee morale and on the job satisfaction, or the respect for the communities in which the firms operate.
References:
McNamara, C., 2009, Operations Management, Management Help, http://managementhelp.org/ops_mgnt/ops_mgnt.htm last accessed on December 8, 2009
2009, Mystic Marc's Guide to Success, The Economist, http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14953117 last accessed on December 8, 2009
