Operations is one of the three strategic functions of any organization. This means that it is a vital part of accomplishing the organization’s strategy and ensuring its long-term survival. The other two areas of strategic importance to the organization are marketing and finance.
The operations strategy should support the overall organization strategy. Many companies prepare a 5-year pro-forma to assist in their operation planning. The pro forma uses information from past and current financial statements in an effort to predict future events such as sales, and capital investments.Operations management is the management of processes that transform inputs into goods and services that add value for the customer.The goal of operations management is to maximize efficiency while producing goods and services that effectively fulfill customer needs. Countless operating decisions must be made that have both long- and short-term impacts on the organization’s ability to produce goods and services that provide added value to customers. If the organization has made mostly good operating decisions in designing and executing its transformation system to meet the needs of customers, its prospects for long-term survival are greatly enhanced.
