What Are Operations Systems?

It can seem overwhelming to read about the numerous activities involved in operations
management. One wonders where they fit into an organization? How are they connected? This is
where a systems view is very helpful.

What is a System?

Simply put, a system is an organized collection of parts that are highly integrated to accomplish an
overall goal. The system has various inputs, which go through certain processes to produce certain
outputs, which together, accomplish the overall desired goal for the system.

For example, an automobile is a system. Its inputs are gasoline, a driver, a steering mechanism,
tires, as well as various tubes, pipes and electrical cords. The system's processes are when they
work together to burn the gasoline, resulting in the systems outputs of the tires moving and the car
steering as the driver prefers. The overall system's desired goal is a very useful automobile.

What is an Operations System?

The primary activities in operations management is a system -- they are all integrated and aligned
with each other. The operations manager's job is to ensure they are all effectively and efficiently
working together in order to produce the desired goal of useful goods and services for customers.

Look at this diagram of a system of an overall organizations. Notice the various inputs that are
processed to produce certain outputs and outcomes (desired goals).

An operations system includes, for example:

1. Inputs -- such as expertise, best practices, funding, equipment, facilities and technologies,
as well as the customer's feedback and the overall organization's strategic priorities
2. Processes -- such as planning (capacity, product and service design, production, facilities,
jobs, inventory, quality control, etc.) and managing productivity to produce high-quality
products and services
3. Outputs -- high-quality products and services
4. Outcomes -- very satisfied customers

Feedback from customers should be continually collected and considered as an input to the
processes of the planning the development and production of goods and services. In that way, the
operations system is really a recurring loop of outcomes which, in turn, influence the inputs to the
next round of the system.

Align Operations Systems With Strategic Planning

Notice that one of the inputs to the operations system is the strategic priorities of the organization. It
is critical that the operations system be closely integrated and aligned with the purpose (the
mission) and priorities (strategic goals) of the organization. Otherwise, the system will not be
operating as effectively as it should be. For the system to be operating as efficiently as it should be,
there should be closely integrated and aligned parts within the system.

Phase 1: Planning Operations Systems

Product/Service Planning

The planning of products and services (the outputs from the system) includes market research to:

 Clarify the needs and wants of potential groups (market niches) of customers, as well as
how those needs and wants might be met with certain products and services.
 Clarify how the new products and services should best be provided to those target markets.
 Identify competitors, as well as potential collaborators.
 Suggest the best terms in pricing for the products and services.
 Suggest how best to advertise and promote to those groups of customers.

The results of that research produce a specification of the product or service. Various feasibility
studies and perhaps a prototype might be done, as well, to refine the description of the product or
service. See
Product and Service Development

The specification could be further enhanced by adding information about costs to develop and
produce the product or service, including employees, facilities and management. This information is
often included in a business plan. (This information is also sometimes referred to as the business
strategy.)
All About Business Planning

Capacity Planning

Capacity planning includes specifying how many of the outcomes (products or how much service)
will be produced and how often. That includes predicting, or forecasting, the demand for those
outcomes. The previous market research will be very useful here. There are a variety of other tools
that could be useful, as well.
Four Steps to Forecast Total Market Demand
How to Choose the Right Forecast Technique
What is Demand Forecasting and How Can It Help Your Business?
What Are the Best Demand Planning Software Tools for 2019?

A useful planning technique to ensure consideration of many possible influences is scenario

planning, including to consider various external driving forces that could have a strong influence.
Driving Force Impacts for Environmental Scanning in Strategic Planning

It also might be useful to hire an expert with knowledge about developing the particular product or
service.
How to Successfully Hire and Work With an Excellent Consultant

The results of the planning should produce estimates of the needed inputs to produce the product or
service, including types of expertise needed, amounts of certain kinds of materials, what
technologies to use, etc.

Facilities and Layout Planning

This is one of the most critical activities in operations management, not just because they underlie
and facilitate the activities to very effectively and efficiently produce products and services, but also
because facilities and their maintenance are one of the most expensive, as well. Fortunately, there
is a variety of helpful articles about how to do this acclivity in operations management.
Relationship Between Plant Layout and Material Handling
Plant Layout and Material Handling
Introduction to Manufacturing Facilities Design And Material Handling
The Ultimate Facility Manager Checklist

Job and Work Design

The Business Dictionary defines work design as:

 "An arrangement in the workplace that has the objective of overcoming employee alienation
and job dissatisfaction that comes about from mechanical and repetitive tasks in the
workplace. Work design is used by organizations to boost productivity by offering employees
non- monetary rewards such as satisfaction from a greater sense of personal achievement.
Also called job design."

From Wikipedia:

 "Job design (also referred to as work design or task design) is a core function of human
resource management and it is related to the specification of contents, methods and
relationship of jobs in order to satisfy technological and organizational requirements as well
as the social and personal requirements of the job holder or the employee."

Work Design
Work Design (Wikipedia)
Work Design in an Organizational Context
Principles of Good Work Design

Work Flow Management

"Workflow management is creating and optimizing the paths for data in order to complete items in a
given process. Workflow management includes mapping out the workflow in an ideal state, finding
redundant tasks, automating the process, and identifying bottlenecks or areas for
improvement." kissflow

The map depicts the flow of activities through the system, including its input, processes, outputs and
outcomes. These are sometimes also referred to as operations management process maps. (This
technique is at the heart of the Business Process Re-Engineering approach.)

Workflow
What Should You Include in Your Operations Management Process Map?
9 Powerful Workflow Examples For Smart Teams in 2019

Phase 2: Planning Operations, Inventory and Quality Control

Production and Scheduling

Production Planning

This is the processes part in the operations system where the inputs are transformed into the
desired product or service. Considerations include, for example:

 Are there technologies currently or soon available that could expedite the production?
 Are there best practices suggested by various experts about the product or service?
  Can components of the product be purchased as-is or off-the-shelf?
 What components are needed, in total, to produce the product or service?
 What are the costs associated with developing and producing the product or service?
 What are the estimated demands of customers for the next six months? 12 months? 18
months? These estimates drive the scheduling of the production activities.

This activity also includes developing a detailed map of the activities required to obtain, assemble,
integrate and test the product or service before it is provided to customers.
What Makes a Good Production Plan?
What Must Be Considered for Production Planning?
Production Planning
Production Planning

Scheduling

A critical activity in ensuring that the operations system is highly effective and efficient is
coordinating (scheduling) the timing of activities to organize, monitor and optimize the equipment,
people and production activities. Scheduling has a major impact on the productivity of the system.
Scheduling (production processes)
Production Scheduling Approaches for Operations Management
Scheduling (in operations management)

Supply Chain Management and Inventory Management

Supply Chain Management

"In business and finance, supply chain is a system of organizations, people, activities, information,
and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer." Wikipedia

" Supply chain management (SCM) is the active management of supply chain activities to maximize
customer value and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. It represents a conscious effort
by the supply chain firms to develop and run supply chains in the most effective & efficient ways
possible. Supply chain activities cover everything from product development, sourcing, production,
and logistics, as well as the information systems needed to coordinate these activities." Supply
Chain Resource Cooperative

Guide to Supply Chain Management for any Organization: Overview and Resources
What is Supply Chain Management (SCM)
CSCMP Supply Chain Management Definitions and Glossary

The Death of Supply Chain Management

What Are the Main Supply Chain Challenges?
The Seven Deadly Supply Chain Sins

Inventory Management

Inventory includes unprocessed materials, finished products, supplies and works-in-progress.

Inventory management is a part of supply chain management that oversees the inventory items
from manufacturers to storage to where they are sold. There must be a very careful balance
between the size of the inventory of items compared to the actual rate of their sales. Too many
items in inventory means their costs are not recovered in a timely manner from their sales. It also
might mean high costs of storage. Insufficient numbers of items means the organization cannot
meet the customer demand, resulting in lost revenue.
What is Inventory Management?
What is Inventory Management?

Your Essential Guide to Effective Inventory Management + 18 Techniques You Need to Know
3 Inventory Management Problems and How To Avoid Them
5 Common Inventory Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Service Design

In the past, an organization was expected to provide a product or service to the customer, and then
that transaction was done -- the activity was done to the customer. The customer was more or less
at the mercy of the organization.

Today, that is changing dramatically. Customers have a much wider range of organizations,
products and services to choose from, and they can access them instantly. Customers can also
access numerous sources of useful opinions or reviews about the product or service even before
they buy them. Thus, it is more important than ever that organizations remain very good at
attracting, satisfying and retaining customers. That requires a carefully designed and implemented
customer services plan.

Service design "is the activity of planning and organizing people, infrastructure, communication and
material components of a service in order to improve its quality and the interaction between the
service provider and its customers. Service design may function as a way to inform changes to an
existing service or create a new service entirely." Wikipedia
Customer Service Business Plan Template
Why Your Business Needs a Customer Service Plan
8 Steps to Creating a Superior Customer Service Plan
How to Create a Customer Service Plan
How to Create a Customer Service Plan

Quality Control

Quality management, including quality control, is crucial to effective operations management,

particularly continuous improvement. More recent advancements in quality, such as benchmarking
and Total Quality Management, have resulted in advancements to operations management as well.
Quality Management

Quality control can be defined "part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality
requirements." While quality assurance relates to how a process is performed or how a product is
made, quality control is more the inspection aspect of quality management. An alternate definition is
"the operational techniques and activities used to fulfill requirements for quality." American Society
for Quality
Quality Control
Quality Control (QC): Definition, Importance and Tools of Quality Control
Quality Control Techniques