Operations management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Operations management - Essay Example They all convert inputs in order to provide outputs which are required by the customer.† The resources that go into an operating system include materials (physical items that are consumed), machines (physical items that are used), and labor (people who provide or contribute to the operation of a system). The transformation process is one that adds value to the goods or services that are offered by a business. Wild (2002, pg. 6) says that operations management â€Å"is concerned with the design and the operation of systems for manufacture, transport, supply, or service.† The activities you would expect to find in an operating system include manufacturing, which consists of process, match, batch, and jobbing (where something is physically created); transporting (where something is moved from where it was created to a different place); supply (where ownership is changed), and service (where someone or something is accommodated). An operating system is, â€Å"a reflection of the purpose it serves for its customer, i.e., the utility of its output to the customer (Wild, 2002, pg. 4). The external influences of the design of any system can necessarily vary. Examples of these include money, utilities, the external marketplace, the economy, the weather, disastrous situations, the state of the company, stakeholder opinions and actions, the availability of materials, the availability of machines, the availability of labor, the labor market, the availability of proper facilities, the demand for the products or services that are being offered, and the availability of transportation for goods that have been manufactured. 2. A company with poor productivity & customer service record wishes to improve throughput, reduce operating expenses and inventories by installing better process technology. What would you recommend and why? Improving throughput, reducing operating expenses and inventories will take quite a bit of organization on the part of the company. In

Commnuincation skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Commnuincation skills - Essay Example Passive listening is one directional communication whereby the receiver does not give feedback or make inquiries and probably may or may not comprehend the message of the sender. Passive listening is known to lead to mistakes that are costly, employees being unhappy and customer dissatisfaction. Some passive listening examples include listening to radio and television. Passive listening is one of the most common forms of listening in today’s world. While active listening is a two directional communication where both sides are contributing, as well as engaging in conversation. Furthermore, in order to become a better active listener, studying and training are necessary (Shwom and Snyder 36). Therefore, it is safe to utter that the listening skill that would enhance better communication would be active listening. In order to develop better active listening skills as well as bring success within a workplace of which every employer seeks, they are three main categories that need e mphasis, namely; accurate hearing, comprehension and interpretation, and lastly response. For example, distractions from the environment like noise from vehicles or ongoing construction sites can be considered a hindrance to accurate hearing while for comprehension and interpretation, which would include the language factor. An example to this would be if someone speaks in a different language, like say Spanish it is impossible to comprehend and interpret what has been said if the person does not know Spanish. In order to combat this, one needs to be multi-lingual, and this is where employers’ of multinational companies invest in, as well. In addition to being a more effective listener in comprehension and interpretation, the in cooperation of non-verbal communication and verification of personal understanding through queries and paraphrasing is necessary. Some examples of non-verbal communication would include voice of tone, facial expression, body language, as