TEACHING OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT FROM A SCIENCE OF MANUFACTURING

Recently, there has been much concern over the dumbing down of production and operations management (pom) courses in response to the repudiation of the theory-heavy operations research (or) approach that became dominant during the 1970s. However, although almost everyone agrees that a new POM framework is needed, there is as yet little agreement on what it should be like. As a result, there is currently a huge variance among POM courses at different universities, ranging all the way from traditional OR courses to almost purely anecdotal case-oriented courses. Although academics have struggled with the search for an appropriate level of methodological rigor in POM courses, our customers (i.e., students and the firms that hire them) have been inundated by a blizzard of management buzzwords. Although many of these undoubtedly contain kernels of truth, the very nature of the buzzword approach is such that it provides little balanced guidance as to what methods work well in a given situation. In recognition of these disparities, POM researchers have begun trying to systematically describe the underlying behavior of production systems. The goal is to provide a framework that will help organize educational approaches and business practices in a consistent fashion. In this paper, we describe our attempt at the needed “science of manufacturing,” which we call factory physics, and illustrate how it fits into a new paradigm of POM teaching.     

An Integrative,Experiential Approach to Production Management Education

This paper addresses the important relationship between production and operations management (POM) and information technology. An approach to POM education is presented in which information technology is used to create an experiential learning environment that integrates the topics taught in POM courses. Results of an implementation of the proposed approach are presented and implications are discussed for POM education.     

PEDAGOGICAL CHALLENGE: TEACHING INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT COURSES

There should be two distinctly different pom introductory courses (or even tracks) for MBAs. Course one (called pom) would consist of traditional pom materials emphasizing domestic POM course materials. Course two, called international production and operations management (ipom), would focus on international aspects of pom, emphasizing cross-boundary operations. Training of instructors differs significantly for the two courses. ipom accentuates operations crossing borders where different languages, cultures and currencies apply. The ipom syllabus employs cases and examples based on companies and/or divisions located in a great variety of countries. Three important drivers of the international pom curriculum should be recognized: (1) supply chain management with ipom responsible for coordinating sources-of materials as well as making and delivering goods and services across global boundaries, (2) portfolio management because ipom can reduce risks by geographically diversifying operations, and (3) capabilities management because ipom must spot, develop and implement special global opportunities. Teaching how these three international drivers interact challenges the pom field to provide proper curriculum development and instructor methodology.     

Martin K. Starr: A Visionary Proponent for System Integration,Modular Production,and Catastrophe Avoidance

Martin K. Starr facilitated the creation of an identity for production and operations management (POM) as an academic discipline. This paper aims to summarize Starr's substantial contributions to scholarly inquiry on system integration and interfunctional coordination, modular production, and catastrophe avoidance. Even after four decades, we describe how his legacy in these areas continues to define several major drivers of operations and supply chain management research and practice. Starr has influenced several generations of students, professors, and executives with his writings, teaching, and leadership roles in the POM community that include 32 years on the faculty of the Columbia School of Business, 15 years as Editor‐in‐Chief of Management Science, and presidency of the Production and Operations Management Society.     

The impact of culture on best-practice production/operations management

Significant work has been completed in arriving at what have been put forward as `best practices' for a variety of facets of production/operations management (POM). Organizations are becoming global in their operations. In this environment, there is a desire to learn from this 'proven' best practice and to use the generic ideas, concepts and techniques 'world-wide'. However, it is becoming apparent from a range of fragmented evidence that 'best practices' developed and successful in one context are not necessarily directly transferable to a comparable alternative. More detailed examination suggests that national culture has a significant role to play in determining the precise nature of a best practice in POM, and how universal it might be in its application. This paper examines structures within which to view facets of POM in order to identify one that will facilitate exploration of cultural issues. There follows an identification of what might be considered to be an appropriate range of cultural dimensions along which POM best practices may be considered. A review of the evidence from the literature of cultural impacts on aspects of POM is presented. This is used to support the development of a generic framework to examine this interface more comprehensively.     

Action Learning - A Paradigm in Emergence: the Problems Facing a Challenge to Traditional Management Education and Development

This paper examines the proposition that action learning is a new paradigm in management education. Action learning is becoming widely accepted methodology for the development of managers and managerial competence. This is in both public and private sector organizations and within the context of certificated and organisationally based programmes. The paper seeks to use Kuhn's work on the nature of paradigms and change as a way of explaining the increase of interest in his approach. Importantly, although this approach promises to answer some of the problems of traditional management education, it is not without its own critics. Kuhn's criteria for a paradigm change are explained with reference to action learning literature and knowledge of practice. From this a framework is developed that compares a traditional approach to management education with an action learning approach on three levels. Our conclusion is that action learning is a new paradigm, but for the maximum benefit to be gained from the approach its application needs to be more carefully considered, particularly in relation to the provision of some wider external frameworks for the manager to use as‘tools for thinking’     

PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT'S NEW “REQUISITE VARIETY”

This essay is based on my plenary address at the second annual meeting of the Production and Operations Management Society on November 11, 1991. I propose that as the competitive environment in which production and operations management (POM) practitioners operate becomes ever more demanding and the problems about which POM academics study and teach become more complex and interrelated, we need new approaches both in our teaching and our research. I describe five ways of expanding our “requisite variety” of capabilities.     

A critical review of lean supply chain management frameworks: proposed framework

Lean supply chain management (LSCM) is one of the emergent fields of research. The present study objective is to perform review on existing LSCM frameworks and proposes a new LSCM framework. The study collected 30 LSCM frameworks with the help of extensive literature survey. The sample of LSCM frameworks have been classified based on novelty of the framework, contribution of various researchers to develop LSCM framework, verification status and modes of verification methodology used by the researchers, and also the degree of standardisation of LSCM elements. The study found that many researchers have proposed novel frameworks, lack of participation of practitioners and to some extent consultants in the field of LSCM framework development. It was also found that a huge number of incoherent elements were used to propose the LSCM frameworks. The study findings will give direction to the future researchers to propose a unified LSCM framework that will help to find out the coherent set of elements in the field of LSCM frameworks. Finally, the study proposes a comprehensive LSCM framework with the help of standard elements in the field of LSCM.     

Conjoint effects of interacting strategy-making processes and lines of defense practices in strategic Risk Management: An empirical study

The ability to contain adverse effects of major risks under turbulent conditions and exploit the opportunities they present are fundamental concerns in strategic management and various institutions promote enterprise risk management (ERM) to deal with these challenges. Yet, our knowledge about how ERM affects performance and interacts with corporate strategy-making processes is limited. The ERM frameworks impose first and second lines of defense practices to integrate business operations and corporate risk oversight. Emergent strategies generate responsive initiatives and strategic planning coordinates updated actions. Hence, this study analyzes the conjoint effects of these ERM practices and strategy-making processes based on a large corporate sample and finds that ERM practices depend on strategy-making to attain effective risk outcomes. The application of ERM frameworks can, therefore, not be assessed in isolation, but must consider corporate strategy-making. This has implications for the way we conduct research on strategic risk management, how executives approach risk oversight and policy-makers impose formal risk governance requirements.     

Decoupling thinking in service operations: a case in healthcare delivery system design

The notion of decoupling thinking has been well established in the manufacturing operations and supply chain management literature. This paper explores how this decoupling thinking can be applied in service operations and in particular in health care. It first reviews the relevant literature on decoupling fundamentals, the front- and back-office distinction, and new emerging decoupling thinking in service operations. Subsequently, a flow-based framework including content and process is developed for decoupling thinking in service operations. The framework provides an integrated perspective on customer contact, flow driver and flow differentiation (level of customisation). The framework hence, through flow differentiation, introduces the concept of standardisation versus customisation in a service context. This is followed by a health care case example to illustrate how the framework can be applied. The managerial implications are primarily in terms of a modularised approach to system design and management. The framework offers potential for benchmarking with other service systems as well as with manufacturing systems based on the shared foundation in decoupling thinking. Finally, suggestions are provided for further research opportunities derived from this research.     

Finding and Implementing Energy Efficiency Projects in Industrial Facilities

This study addresses the challenges of finding and implementing profitable energy efficiency (EE) projects, a critical foundation for sustainable operations. We focus on manufacturing enterprises, but many of our findings apply also to the back office of service operations. Our starting point is that, in nearly every industrial enterprise, there are many profitable EE projects that could be implemented but are not. An oft‐cited hindrance to implementation is the lack of an internal management framework in which to find, value, and execute these projects. Using a conceptual approach, we rely on proven sustainable operations tools to develop such a framework. We identify three major value drivers of EE projects: savings intensity, “green” image, and project complexity. We then describe a framework for understanding the context of EE projects in industry, with an underlying analytic foundation in optimal portfolio analysis. A case study of a large manufacturing site is used to illustrate emerging best practices—based on Kaizen management principles—for integrating EE project management with operations, engineering, and strategy.     

Theory Development in Operations Management: Extending the Frontiers of a Mature Discipline via Qualitative Research

This invited paper discusses theory development in operations management. Many stellar researchers have made excellent contributions to theory development in our field. Operations management is a maturing discipline. Recently, theory driven empirical research has become common in top‐tier journals in our field. Impelled by this trend and due to the path dependency of research, in general, researchers have examined operations phenomena using theories from management and organizational science. How do we extend the frontiers of knowledge in our maturing discipline? How do we develop theories within the field of operations management? In examining some of the seminal ideas that have shaped our field, a common characteristic is that they relied on observational studies and conceptual reasoning. Is it time for us to stress the usefulness of qualitative research methods in our field? Could this lead to an intellectual renewal in our field and extend the frontier of a maturing discipline? This paper explores these questions and advances the notion that qualitative analysis needs to be emphasized more than it has been in recent past. This paper is meant to provoke discussion among empirical researchers in operations management.     

INTRODUCTION: SHAPING THE FUTURE OF MANUFACTURING AND SERVICE OPERATIONS

The challenges and opportunities in production and operations management (POM) are almost unlimited because in the world economy, manufacturing andservice operations account for more than 10 trillion dollars per year and in any single industry, the performance varies widely from country to country and from organization to organization. The goal of Production and Operations Management is to contribute to improving the management of manufacturing and service operations all over the world. The editors and reviewers judge the papers published in the journal for their contribution to improving of business practices and to further closeness between research and practice. The journal will publish high quality papers on a broad range of topics in POM, and it encourages all paradigms, old and new. We also invite managers from around the world to describe specific POM problems that provide challenging opportunities for academic research.     

TEACHING THE PRODUCTION/OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT CORE COURSE: INTEGRATING LOGISTICS PLANNING ACTIVITIES

This paper discusses the benefits of restructuring the introductory undergraduate production and operations management (pom) course to improve its pedagogical effectiveness and to better convey the importance of integrating logistics planning activities. The introduction of a dynamic integrative semester-long case study which involves students in applying pom concepts and tools through a simulation game is reported.     

A Lean transportation approach for improving emergency medical operations

Abstract

This paper extends the approach of Lean transportation to improve the performance of emergency medical processes (EMP) by adapting its main concepts into the main characteristics of the EMP environment. The paper is based on an inductive theory-building process initiated from a case study in the field of emergency medical services. The development of the suggested performance improvement approach triggered from an exhaustive analysis of a process involved and an exploratory review of the existing improvement approaches available. The process of concern can be described as a specialized transportation process, where human lives are at risk. Its characteristics led to a natural application of Lean transportation. The results include, a novel approach for improving the agility and efficient EMS processes. This is validated with an application for improving ambulance response times and turnaround times of the Red Cross operations located in Monterrey, Mexico. The approach proved to be an integrated scheme for identifying waste opportunities at a systems level. This characteristic is important to let operations management prioritize improvement efforts in a limited budget situation. This work suggests the application of the emerging Lean transportation approach for increasing the agility performance of EMS processes.     

Green supply chain performance measurement using the analytic hierarchy process: a comparative analysis of manufacturing organisations

The main purpose of this research is to develop and deploy an analytical framework for measuring the environmental performance of manufacturing supply chains. This work's theoretical bases combine and reconcile three major areas: supply chain management, environmental management and performance measurement. Researchers have suggested many empirical criteria for green supply chain (GSC) performance measurement and proposed both qualitative and quantitative frameworks. However, these are mainly operational in nature and specific to the focal company. This research develops an innovative GSC performance measurement framework by integrating supply chain processes (supplier relationship management, internal supply chain management and customer relationship management) with organisational decision levels (both strategic and operational). Environmental planning, environmental auditing, management commitment, environmental performance, economic performance and operational performance are the key level constructs. The proposed framework is then applied to three selected manufacturing organisations in the UK. Their GSC performance is measured and benchmarked by using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a multiple-attribute decision-making technique. The AHP-based framework offers an effective way to measure and benchmark organisations’ GSC performance. This study has both theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically it contributes holistic constructs for designing a GSC and managing it for sustainability; and practically it helps industry practitioners to measure and improve the environmental performance of their supply chain.     

TOWARD A “NEW ARCHITECTURE” FOR POM

The field of POM is steadily expanding its scope. This allows us to pursue interesting new fields of inquiry and makes us ever more relevant to the needs of practitioners. But it also increases the risk that over time our efforts will become fragmented and unfocused, causing us to slowly lose our sense of community and break up into separate camps. In this paper I ask, “What kind of new organizing framework, or ‘architecture,’ will allow us to maintain our sense of community as our interests diverge?” I describe the experience of one academic organization that faced a similar problem several years ago and how the situation was resolved. This experience leads us to propose a possible solution to Pom's emerging problem: engage with real operations managers and focus our efforts on helping them deal with the actual problems they are facing in today's complex and fast‐changing world.     

Introduction to the Special Issue on Humanitarian Operations and Crisis Management

The Genesis of this Special Issue came from the Board of the POMS College on Humanitarian Operations and Crisis Management (HO&CM). It was seen as a necessary initiative to define the field and examine research opportunities. This Special Issue shows that humanitarian operations pose challenges for P/OM researchers and practitioners that differ markedly from those of conventional supply chains associated with profitable enterprises. On the basis of the eight articles in this Special Issue, we have described and demonstrated the unique characteristics of the POM/HO&CM interaction. We have also identified those attributes that tend to overlap with conventional aspects of POM. In addition to wanting to be cost effective, the issue of equity fairness is pervasive in humanitarian operations, and so is the need to always base considerations on “last‐mile logistics,” that is, getting aid to those in most need. Research is essential to determine how to train researchers to scout out and map the territory of the real problems. One of the most vexing problems is the lack of robust data in the humanitarian domain which is as richly varied as the types of disasters that can occur.     

Commentary on Knowledge Creation and Dissemination in Operations and Supply‐Chain Management

The title of this paper might have been Knowledge Creation and Dissemination in the POM Domain . Instead, these accomplished authors (who shall be dubbed with honorable intentions as RSST) define the POM domain as Operations and Supply‐Chain Management. Thereby, they leave no doubt that the POM domain spans the entire supply chain from shovels in the mine and seeds in the ground to recycled waste that is remanufactured and sold as new (as well as refurbished) products. RSST declare that sustainability of the ecosystem cycle must be achieved (even in the face of disaster conditions) by all institutions. RSST believe that practitioners can be taught the necessary attitudes and skills by business and engineering schools. It is noteworthy that the ecosystem cycle they describe is accompanied by marketing and financial decision cycles running parallel from inception of ideas to the “end of life” closure that starts a new cycle for closed‐loop product planning. For these coexisting, interdependent, all‐encompassing systems, the RSST team leaves no doubt about the evolution of teaching and research opportunities for young POM scholars. These authors focus on the fact that everything that is not morphing is likely to become counterproductive in the not too far future. This is a critical point of view which is based on the fact that the status quo is highly vulnerable. Also, very special is the RSST warning that changes are required in the status quo which must be made without damaging the existing fabric. This non‐disruptive way of doing POM business has been remarkably successful for the cohesion of the field over the past 25 years. There is agreement that it is great to shake things up without tearing those things apart. All of this leads to the conclusion that the advice of these authors (RSST) is correct and valuable. Debate and disputation of these points is encouraged and expected by the RSST team.     

Designing the venue logistics management operations for a World Exposition

World Expositions, due to their size and peculiar features, pose a number of logistics challenges. This paper aims at developing a design framework for the venue logistics management (VLM) operations to replenish food products to the event site, through a combination of qualitative and quantitative research approaches. First, an in-depth interview methodology, combined with the outcomes of a literature review, is adopted for defining the key variables for the tactical and operational set-up of the VLM system. Second, a quantitative approach is developed to define the necessary logistics resources. The framework is then applied to the case of Milan 2015 World Exposition. It is the first time that such a design framework for a World Exposition is presented: the originality of this research lies in the proposal of a systematic approach that adds to the experiential practices constituting the current body of knowledge on event logistics.