OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

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31 December 2007

Operations Management

Introduction

Short-term scheduling is one of the most important aspects of production planning within the operations management framework . However there is an assertion that it is one aspect of production planning for which few , if any really satisfactory techniques have been developed . In to come to relevant conclusions within this research , it is necessary to analyze this assertion from the two different viewpoints on the one hand , we should properly assess the benefits and drawbacks of

short-term scheduling in the general structure of production planning methods . On the other hand , it is essential to consider production planning as a whole in to understand whether the developed techniques are as bad as they are asserted

Short-term scheduling

The definition of scheduling is short and precise : scheduling concerns the allocation of limited resources to tasks over time (Kreipl Pinedo 2004 ,

. 78 . Thus , short-term scheduling is connected with creating proper resources ' allocations within the limited periods of time . The importance of short-term scheduling is not subjected to doubts , and the bright example of Delta Airlines only supports this idea : 10 of Delta 's flights disrupted per year , and half of those by weather Delta Airlines annually loses 440 million in overtime pay and food and lodging vouchers (Silver et al 1998 ,

. 110 . This situation was traditional for the company until it was capable of developing an effective short-term scheduling system of its operations

Dessouky (1995 ) stated that by scheduling effectively , companies use assets more effectively and create greater capacity per pound invested which , in turn , lowers cost . This added capacity and related flexibility provides faster delivery and therefore better customer service (Silver et al 1998 ,

. 34 . Thus , short-term scheduling is not as bad as some try to depict it . This type of production planning can work effectively for the benefit of the large manufacturing and services ' companies . The example of Delta Airlines is especially valuable due to the fact that such companies are extremely dependent on the external conditions which they cannot control (weather , and which can only be predicted within the short-term period . As a result , short-term scheduling is the basic operations management techniques for such enterprises

Scheduling and production planning

Certainly , it would not be proper to state that the area of scheduling lacks efficient techniques . Moreover , it is not correct to assert that the fact of short-term scheduling being connected with multiple constraints makes it irrelevant to the area of operations management at all

The production scheduling process requires the comparison of sales requirements and production capabilities and the inclusion of budgets pro forma financial statements and supporting plans for materials and workforce requirements , as well as the production plan itself . A primary purpose of the production schedule in its connection to production planning is to establish production rates that will achieve management 's objective of satisfying customer demand (Krepil Pinedo 2004 ,

. 81

This does not matter , which scheduling techniques each specific company...