Overview and Analysis of Operations Management. Lean Operations, Quality Management and Inventory Management

This essay will analyse the key factors which determine ‘success’ and ‘failure’ of quality management (QM), lean operations and inventory management. These three areas of operations management are significant and can dramatically improve a firm’s efficiency, responsiveness and reduce costs.This essay will illustrate how theoretical frameworks can help explain the actions of organisations past and present, and the success of these actions will be evaluated.

Managers often fail to understand for operations to be successful, a company wide approach or cultural shift must occur. There is much literature on the application of these operations in a small number of sectors, namely, manufacturing. This essay will analyse the appropriateness of these operations across many sectors and will draw upon case studies as well as my own experience.