Intro to O&SCM

Question 1

What is the ITO Systems Perspective?

Answer 1

I-T-O: Inputs (including both those that will be transformed and those that do the transforming; Transformation via operations processes; Outputs (products and services). All processes have inputs of transforming and transformed resources that they use to create products and services.

Question 2

What are the transformed resource inputs?

Answer 2

Materials, information or customers.

Question 3

What are the two types of transforming resources?

Answer 3

Facilities (e.g. Equipment, Technology, etc.) and People

Question 4

What are the 4 characteristics of demand (aka 4-V analysis) that have a significant effect on how processes need to be managed?

Answer 4

Volume, variety, variation, and degree of visibility that customers have of the production of products and services.

Question 5

Why is 4-V analysis important?

Answer 5

They inform the way processes need to be managed. All 4 dimensions have implications for processing costs. High volume, low variety, low variation and low visibility tend to keep costs down.

Question 6

What are the three levels of analysis for process perspective?

Answer 6

Operation itself, supply network and individual processes.

Question 7

What are the 5 aspects of performance objectives?

Answer 7

Quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost.

Question 8

Define supply chain management.

Answer 8

Harrison & Van Hoek (2002: 6)
“The alignment of upstream and downstream
capabilities of supply chain partners to deliver superior
value to the end customer at less cost to the supply
chain as a whole.”
Slack et al (1998: 413)
“The management of the interconnection of
organisations which relate to each other through
upstream and downstream linkages between different
processes that produce value in the form of products
and services to the end customer.”

Question 9

Define services.

Answer 9

Increasingly, the distinction between services and products is seen as not particularly useful. Services and products are merging, and the common view now is that all operations ‘serve customers’ regardless of whether they provide tangible or intangible elements to them.

• “Unified” Services Theory – Sampson and Froehle,
Production and Operations Management, 2006
• The authors propose the idea that services are
those operations which involve the customer directly
providing inputs to the process