Operations Strategy, 7th edition

Nigel Slack Warwick Business School, Warwick University
Mike Lewis Bath University

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Encourage your students to explore the core strategies in business operations with the go-to resource on the subject

Operations Strategy, 7th edition offers a thorough analysis of the key activities, processes and decisions a wide range of businesses adopt.

Whether large or small, for-profit or not-for-profit, international or local, a good operations strategy can have a huge impact on an organisation. This text will help your students explore the integral difference an effective operations strategy makes.

Hallmark features of this title

Content that encourages a thorough understanding of the different aspects of operations strategy

Frequent examples throughout the book which explore key strategic decisions of a broad range of organisations in different sectors
Continuation of the popular approach of past editions which explores how operations strategy is fundamental to the success of any organisation and can be a major source of competitive advantage
The chapter dedicated to socially responsible operations strategy has been maintained while other content is weaved throughout the remaining chapters
Consistent framework opening chapters with introductory comments and key questions and summarising answers to these at the end of each chapter

New and updated features of this title

NEW information on responsible and sustainable operations brings the book up to date with recent developments and shows how operations impact social, ethical, and environmental issues.
UPDATED! Increased emphasis on risk in operations strategy and the importance of external and internal context.
NEW! Several new examples, meaning this edition incorporates an even wider range of different types of organisations than previous editions.
NEW! Four new case studies (bringing the total to 18) explore real-life practical applications to use as part of your discussions in class or on an individual basis to help students ground theoretical concepts: Design House Partnerships at Concept Design Services, IKEA Looks to the Future, Kaston-Trenton Services, and computer game development at Widescale Studio.
NEW! Teaching notes for the case studies, added to the Instructor's Manual, show you ways to effectively incorporate the cases into your teaching sessions.

Features of Pearson eBook for the 7th Edition

Improve your students' learning experience with a range of digital tools.

From fully online delivery to blended learning, this is a digital textbook with integrated resources designed to keep your students engaged and support their learning.

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Preface

Authors' acknowledgements

Chapter 1 What is operations strategy?

Introduction
1.1 Why is operations excellence fundamental to strategic success?
1.2 What is operations strategy and how is it different from operations
management?
1.3 How should operations strategy reflect overall strategy (top-down)?
1.4 How do the requirements of the market influence operations
strategy (outside-in)?
1.5 How can operations strategy learn from operational experience
(bottom-up)?
1.6 How can the intrinsic capabilities of an operation's resources
influence operations strategy (inside-out)?
Summary answers to key questions
Further reading
Notes on the chapter

Chapter 2 The context, content and process of operations strategy

Introduction
2.1 What is the difference between the ‘context', ‘content' and the
‘process' of operations strategy?
2.2 What is the context of operations strategy?
2.3 What is the content of operations strategy?
2.4 What is the process of operations strategy?
Summary answers to key questions
Further reading
Notes on the chapter

Chapter 3 Operations performance

Introduction
3.1 What is meant by operations performance?
3.2 How is operations performance judged at a societal level?
3.3 How is operations performance judged at a strategic level?
3.4 How is operations performance judged at an operational level?
3.5 Does the relative importance of performance objectives vary over time?
3.6 Do operations performance objectives trade-off against each other? 3.7 What are the advantages and disadvantages of focused operations?
Summary answers to key questions
Further reading
Notes on the chapter

Chapter 4 Responsible operations strategy

Introduction
4.1 What is responsible operations strategy?
4.2 How does the environmental dimension of responsibility affect
operations strategy?
4.3 How does the social dimension of responsibility affect operations
strategy?
4.4 How does the economic dimension of responsibility affect
operations strategy?
4.5 How does the stakeholder dimension of responsibility affect
operations strategy?
4.6 How does the voluntariness dimension of responsibility affect
operations strategy?
Summary answers to key questions
Further reading
Notes on the chapter

Chapter 5 Capacity strategy

Introduction
5.1 What is capacity strategy?
5.2 How much capacity should an operation have?
5.3 How many separate sites should an operation have?
5.4 What issues are important when changing capacity levels?
5.5 What tasks should be allocated to sites?
5.6 Where should capacity be located?
Summary answers to key questions
Further reading
Notes on the chapter

Chapter 6 Purchasing and supply strategy

Introduction
6.1 What is purchasing and supply strategy?
6.2 What should we do and what should we buy?
6.3 How we buy: what is the role of contracts and/or relationships?
6.4 How do we manage supply dynamics?
6.5 How do we manage supply networks over time?
6.6 How do we manage supply chain risks?
Summary answers to key questions
Further reading
Notes on the chapter

Chapter 7 Process technology strategy

Introduction
7.1 What is process technology strategy and why is it becoming
more important?
7.2 How can process technology be characterised?
7.3 How do market volume and variety influence process technology?
7.4 How can process technology be evaluated strategically?
Summary answers to key questions
Further reading
Notes on the chapter

Chapter 8 Improvement strategy

Introduction
8.1 What are the different approaches to improvement?
8.2 How do the needs of the market direct the ongoing development
of operations processes?
8.3 How can the ongoing management and control of operations be
harnessed to develop their capabilities?
8.4 What can operations do to deploy their capabilities into the market?
Summary answers to key questions
Further reading
Notes on the chapter

Chapter 9 Product and service development strategy

Introduction
9.1 What is the relationship between innovation, design and creativity?
9.2 Why is the way in which companies develop their products and
services so important?
9.3 What process do companies use to develop products and services?
9.4 How should the effectiveness of the product and service development
process be judged in terms of fulfilling market requirements?
9.5 What operations resource-based decisions define a company's
product and service development strategy?
Summary answers to key questions
Further reading
Notes on the chapter

Chapter 10 The process of operations strategy – formulation and implementation

Introduction
10.1 What is the ‘formulation' of operations strategy?
10.2 What is involved in maintaining alignment over time?
10.3 What analysis is needed for formulation?
10.4 What is operations strategy implementation?
10.5 Who can be responsible for implementation? Summary answers to key questions
Further reading
Notes on the chapter

Chapter 11 The process of operations strategy – monitoring and control

Introduction
11.1 What are the differences between operational and strategic
monitoring and control?
11.2 How is progress towards strategic objectives tracked?
11.3 How can monitoring and control attempt to control risks?
11.4 How does learning contribute to strategic control?
Summary answers to key questions
Further reading
Notes on the chapter

Topics covered in case studies

List of case studies
Aarens Electronic
Aztec Component Supplies
Clever Consulting
Delta Synthetic Fibres (DSF)
Developing ‘Savory Rosti-crisps' at Dreddo Dan's
Design house partnerships at Concept Design Services
Disneyland Resort Paris
Dresding Medical
Hagen Style
IKEA looks to the future
Kaston-Trenton Services (KTS)
McDonald's: half a century of growth
Ontario Facilities Equity Management (OFEM)
Slagelse Industrial Services (SIS)
Turnround at the Preston Plant
Widescale Studio and the Fierybryde development
Zara's operating model
Zentrill

Glossary

Index

Nigel Slack is an Emeritus Professor of Operations Management and Strategy at Warwick Business School, Honorary Professor at Bath and Birmingham Universities, and Honorary Fellow of the European Operations Management Association.

Michael Lewis is a Professor of Operations and Supply Management at Bath School of Management.

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