“Operations strategy is the total pattern of decisions which shape the long term capabilities of any type of operation and their contribution to overall strategy, through the reconciliation of market requirements with operations resources” (Slack & Lewis,

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Operations Strategy

The statement that operations strategy is the decisions which shape the long term capabilities of any type of operation and their contribution to overall strategy , through the reconciliation of market requirements with operations resources , is true . First , define the words operations strategy , and operations strategy

Operations is what a company does . It is how it delivers its products or services to its customer . Operations is the case of a company 's business i .e . whatever that is , for example hospitality companies

offer service , manufacturing companies make products stockholders , purchase , store and distribute , which retailers procure stock and supply the public with the goods . This definition can be applied to almost any organization

Strategy is a deliberate search for a plan of action that will develop a business 's distinctive competence and compound it . Organizations strategy describes how it intends to create value for its shareholders customers , and the citizens

Operations strategy consists of a sequence of decisions that over time enables the business unit to achieve a desired operations , structure infrastructure and set of specific capabilities in support of the competitive priorities . Operations strategy is concerned with matching characteristics of operations function with the requirements of the market in to fulfill needs of the business . A proper approach of this process requires not only understanding of the ideas and methods used to develop operations systems but also knowledge of the techniques and principles involved in its implementation . Implementation requires knowledge of operations system and policies including those that relate to resource planning and activity control , quality , motivation and organization of people , performance metrics and continuous improvement

Operations strategy has several components that range from structure decision , categories to others . Decision strategies includes such things as capacity , which defines the size of the organization . Facilities available in the business unit also forms part of the structural decision categories of the operations strategy . Vertical integration is another aspect of the structural decision category . Technological trends in the organization is also part of the structural decision category

Infrastructural decision categories includes things like work place organization , information and control systems . The conditions of the work place affect the infrastructure of the business unit . Information and control systems defines the infrastructure of the organization

Capabilities are also a component of operations . Each business has unique capabilities . For example a firm A may have the capability of providing higher levels of services than firm B . Competition priories are also part of the components of operations strategy . In this category cost is an important aspect and determines the competitiveness of a business organization . The other aspect in this category is quality Here higher performance decisions are made and also maintaining consistence in quality . Time is also critical and on it emphasis is on fast delivery , on-time delivery of services and products and also the development sped . Flexibility is another aspect in the category of competitive priorities . There should be customization of services and also volume flexibility meaning that the...