In the fall of 1992 a conference honoring Elwood S. Buffa was held at the Anderson Graduate School of Management of the University of California, Los Angeles. This book is a collection of the work presented at that conference. The scholars who gathered to honor El are the prominent researchers in the field of Operations Management. Their collective work published in this book represents the richness of the field and provides the reader with valuable insights into its important issues and problems. While any grouping of the articles by these distinguished scholars will be arbitrary, I have organized the book in four sections. In the first section the articles dealing with the strategic issues in Operations Management are compiled. The articles deal with continuous improvement, quality, services, supply chain management, and creating value through operations. The articles that explore the interface of Operations Management with other functional areas, e.g. engineering and marketing, are grouped in the second section. The third section of the book contains articles that attempt to model some important planning problems that arise in the management of production and operations. Some of the papers in this section provide state of the art reviews of selected topic areas. Finally, the fourth section contains articles that deal with future directions for Operations Management. The authors offer several insights into the future evolution of the field. The book begins with the keynote address given by El Buffa at the start of the conference on November 2, 1991.

This fascinating new core textbook, authored by a highly respected academic with over a decade of industry experience, takes a global and strategic approach to the important topic of operations management (OM). Integrating contemporary and traditional theories the text covers everything a student needs to understand the reality of operations in the modern world and combines the latest cutting-edge thinking with innovative learning features. Written in a concise and engaging style and based on up-to-date research in the field, the book provides a range of international case studies and examples that help students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world practice. This is a must-have textbook for students studying operations management modules on undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA programmes. In addition, this is an ideal textbook to accompany modules on operations strategy, production management and services management. Accompanying online resources for this title can be found at bloomsburyonlineresources.com/operations-management. These resources are designed to support teaching and learning when using this textbook and are available at no extra cost.

Cruise Operations Management provides a comprehensive and contextualised overview of hospitality services for the cruise industry. As well as providing a background to the cruise industry, it also looks deeper into the management issues providing a practical guide for both students and professionals alike. A user-friendly and practical guide it discusses issues such as: · The history and image of cruising · How to design a cruise and itinerary planning · Roles and responsibilities on a cruise ship · Customer service systems and passenger profiles · Managing food and drink operations onboard · Health, safety and security Cruise Operations Management presents a range of contextualised facts illustrated by a number of case studies that encourage the reader to examine the often complex circumstances that surround problems or events associated to cruise operations. The case studies are contemporary and are constructed from first hand research with a number of international cruise companies providing a real world insight into this industry. Each case study is followed by questions that are intended to illuminate issues and stimulate discussion. The structure of the book is designed so the reader can either build knowledge cumulatively for an in-depth knowledge of managerial practices and procedures onboard a cruise ship, or they can ‘dip in’ and make use of specific material and case studies for use within a more generic hospitality or tourism learning context.

Optimization and evaluation are essential to the operations of several sectors such as the healthcare sector and the agriculture industry. Improvement of optimizations and evaluation are imperative for industry success and ensures that better services are provided to global consumers across sectors. Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Operations Management and Service Evaluation is a critical scholarly publication that focuses on operations management across several sectors and assessment strategies for the improvement of these industries. Featuring a range of topics such as fuzzy logic, ecosystem services, and metaheuristics, this book is ideal for managers, service evaluators, marketers, academicians, business professionals, researchers, practitioners, and students.

This book is unique! Until now, purchasing and supply management books have had a primarily domestic outlook. However in this book, important issues related to sales management and supply management are handled with a modern perspective. This book has global vision tied into management principles based on an understanding of the sales management and basic job of purchasing and supply management, as all authors have held high-level positions directing the effort. Distinguished researchers from prestigious universities have written chapters and case studies from real-world events that challenge the brightest minds.

This essential Handbook outlines the latest research on operations management teaching, and identifies new developments in the overall trends of (de)globalisation, sustainability and digitalisation. It highlights contemporary developments in teaching practice, providing theoretical insights into potential future pedagogical directions.