B. Understanding details. Mark these statements T (true) or F (false) according to the information in the text.

1. Division of labor results in greater productivity and efficiency.

2. Adam Smith was the first to discuss the division of labor.

3. Henry Ford was the first to introduce interchanging parts.

4. The industrial revolution was the substitution of human power.

5. The development of the gasoline engine and electricity accelerated the industrial revolution.

6. The principles of scientific management cannot be applied at present.

7. Mathematical terms can be used to represent a productive system.

8. Computers were introduced into business more than fifty years ago.

Vocabulary tasks

A. Match the words in column A to their opposites in column B:

B. Complete the following sentences using the words from the above exercise:

1. How do they _________ in such conditions?

2. The scientific study of work started _________ this century.

3. People _________ stop think of standardized parts.

4. Adam Smith was the _________ economist to discuss the division of labor.

5. Specialization of labor can result in job _________.

6. There are seven ________ of contribution to the operations management field.

7. It is not ___________ to divide labor.

8. It is __________ to imagine some things which are not interchangeable.

Speaking

Work in groups and discuss:

a) division of labor

b) human relations

c) computers in operations management

Unit 5

The Operations Function

Before you read

Discuss these questions:

1. What do you understand by operations management?

2. What are the responsibilities of operations managers?

Now read the text. What does it say about the questions above?

Operations management is concerned with the production of goods and services. Every day we come in contact with an abundant array of goods or services, all of which are produced under the supervision of operations managers. One example of an operations manager is the plant manager who is in charge of factory. All other managers who work in the factory – including production and inventory control managers, quality managers, and line supervisors – are also operations managers. Collectively, this group of factory managers is responsible for producing the supply of products in a manufacturing business. One step further, we should also include in the group of operations managers all manufacturing managers at the corporate or divisional level. These managers might include a corporate vice president of operations (or manufacturing) and a group of corporate staff operations managers concerned with quality, production and inventory control, facilities, and equipment

But operations managers are employed in service industries, as well as in manufacturing companies. In private service industries, operations managers are employed in hotels, restaurants, airlines, banks, and retail stores. In each of these organizations, operations managers are responsible for providing the supply of services, much like their counterparts in manufacturing who produce the supply of goods. Also, in the government there are operations managers in the post office, welfare department, and housing department, to name only a few.

On the surface, it may appear that service operations have very little in common with manufacturing operations. However, a unifying feature of these operations is that both can be viewed as transformation processes. In manufacturing, inputs of raw materials, energy, labour, and capital are transformed into finished goods. In service operations, these same types of inputs are transformed into service outputs. Managing the transformation process in an efficient and effective manner is the task of the operations manager in any type of organization.

There has been a tremendous shift in our economy from the production of goods to the production of services. It comes as a surprise to many people that today more than 80 percent of the American work force is employed in service industries. Even though the predominance of employment is in service sector, manufacturing remains important to provide the basic goods needed for export and internal consumption.

For many years, when the field was related primarily to manufacturing, operations management was called “production management”. Later, the name was expanded to “production and operations management” or, more simply, “operations management” to include the service industries as well. The term “operations management” refers to both manufacturing and service industries.

Reading tasks

A. Understanding main points. Answer these questions:

1. What is the plant manager responsible for.

2. Whom does the group of operations managers include?

3. Where are operations managers employed in private service industries?

4. What is in common for all operations?

5. In which sector is the predominance of employment?

6. How does the term “operations management” emerge?

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 1008