Operations Management can be a complex and demanding topic. Mastery of Operations Management in the workplace, however, can mean the difference between an organisation succeeding or failing; whether it is in manufacturing, services, supply chain or any other industry. The core aim of Operations Management for Business Excellence Second Edition is to provide an overview of the issues, introduce the concepts and help provide the solutions to achieving and maintaining "excellence" within the workplace which is very important for today's operations managers and organisation executives.

Drawing on his many years of experience in the study and application of the topic, David Gardiner looks at the theory of Operations Management and places this firmly into practice in a meaningful way that practitioners, executives, academics and students can appreciate.

Operations Management for Business Excellence Second Edition is written primarily for post-graduate students who are studying Operations Management as part of a business degree or business diploma. It will appeal to undergraduates who have not been exposed to the topic previously and who do not need the rigorous mathematical approach of many typical Operations Management texts. Additionally, it would be attractive for practitioners to use with their clients as they endeavour to implement process improvement, business application software and supply chain management applications.

1. Strategy and competitiveness
2. Demand management and forecasting
3. Capacity management
4. Process design
5. Process improvement and lean thinking
6. Achieving balanced results 
7. Product design and quality
8. Inventory and supply planning
9. Collaborative supply chains
10. Managing projects

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Preface to second edition

In the preface to the first edition, I said that this was an ''ongoing project''. The overall subject matter has developed in recent years with a wider acceptance of the need for processes in a business environment and the elevation of supply chain management functions and operations management functions within organisations. A natural follow-on from this has led me to update this text book.

The most noticeable change, with this edition, is the inclusion of a ''perspective'' at the start of each chapter. While this is not a full case study in an academic sense, it does provide an insight into the chapter topic and a basis of discussion, either before covering the material, or afterwards.

The perspectives, in themselves, proved quite a challenge to prepare. My aim was to choose subjects that were relevant to each chapter while also providing a current example that would allow readers to make contributions to discussions without, necessarily, fully understanding the theoretical concepts involved.

The material for the perspectives was generally obtained from publically-available sources, but, where appropriate, I referred the draft copies to the organisations involved and sought their comments. I fully appreciate the assistance provided by individuals within these organisations and this help is attributed at the conclusion of each perspective.

- David Gardiner