Operations Management Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Operations Management Questions - Essay Example The use of systems theory can be said to be a specialized form of system thinking which implies that systems are integrated into the activities of a manufacturing or service operator. They are integrated for the purposes of increasing a business’s profitability, efficiency along with many other aspects that are described in the paper. Service operations are actually concerned with giving guidance on the achievement of effectiveness along with efficiency in delivering and supporting the services offered by a business (Harvard Business Review, 2000). This is done so that the customer and service providers are assured of their money’s value. These operations may be used by a business in the achievement of their strategic objectives and this fact makes the service a very critical and essential capability of a business entity (Hammer and Champy, 2001). The purpose of providing guidance is to maintain steadiness in the service operation strategies in a business. It allows for changes in the designs, scales, scope along with the service levels being applied by a business. An organization is provided with a detailed guideline process, tools along with methods for using when controlling reactive and proactive reactions (Johnston and Clark, 2005). The business managers along with practitioners attain knowledge that helps them in making more appropriate and better decisions on various aspects. These aspects include the management of the availability of the services, the control of demand for their services, optimizing the utilization of the existing capacities, making schedules of their operations and the fixing of various problems affecting their business. The guidance that is offered involves the support of the business service operations through the use of newer copies and architectures (Hammer and Champy, 2001). The examples of these services are the utilization of a shared service, mobile business along with web services. On the other hand, manufacturin g operations usually concern themselves with the functioning of a business or a facility in contrast to the issues of maintaining, supplying distributing the products from the business. There are many differences that exist between the two processes (Harvard Business Review, 2000). For instance, service operations are usually labor intensive with the delivery of their products involving their interactions with humans along with many processes that are manual (Chopra and Meindl, 2001). The industry does not require the utilization of standardization along with automation of procedures like the manufacturing operations to augment their efficiencies. Manufacturing operations often require the use of systems that help in the scheduling of activities to enhance the coordination of these activities (Paton, Clegg, Hsuan and Pilkington, 2011). The service operations may not require the scheduling activities on a temporary basis as opposed to the manufacturing operations which might require them on a permanent basis (Harvard Business Review, 2000). The customers usually play a vital role in the service operations and their initiation. This involvement by the customers often brings service heterogeneity and greatly impacts the quality of the services being offered. The different and distinct needs of the customers involved makes the providers change the contents of their

The Issues of Terrorism and Culture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Issues of Terrorism and Culture - Assignment Example To support this, the spate of terrorists’ activities that have taken place in countries such as Libya, this was under Muammar Gaddafi, and other Middle East countries act as evidence. Terrorism has also been integrated into cases of religious barriers as seen in most Middle East countries, which are divided between Christianity and Islamic grounds. Therefore, terrorism is widely used in conflicts between countries such as America and Iraq, or conflicts based on religious grounds such as Christianity and Islam. Terrorism is a tool used in bringing about political change in nations both domestically and internationally (Whittaker, 2007). The term terrorism finds its roots in the French revolution in the 16th century and governments that aimed at bringing sanity and political stabilization to their native citizens. The divisions in defining terrorism base their origin on religious differences as well as conflicts between nations. In international conflict, terrorism is a tool of political violence against the enemy of the state. For example, the war between the Americans and the Israelites, the Americans used terror attacks against the Israelites to instil fear so that Americans could have solid ground to attack the Israelites. In a civil war, terrorism can also be used to explain the acts of violence carried out in the conflict. The other aspect of terrorism is viewed from outside the western viewpoint of terrorism. It is a weapon of alarm for public concern such as in university demonstrations and seminars, witchcraft among others. There is another view of terrorism, and that is terrorism from below, which is in three phases. The first phase that occurred in the 18th century included assassinations and bombing. The second phase occurred in the 19th century and involved acts of violence in most of the European countries. The third phase occurred in the 20th century and included actions from nationalist movements, religious movements and the secular group.