Changes in operations management and their implications

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Most Economy books define manufacturing as the past of Operations management. O.C Ferrell, Professor at the Colorado Sate University explains that this is due to the fact that operations management at first was only concerned with the production of physical goods. He also defines manufacturing as "the activities and processes used in making a tangible product, also called production." [1] with accordance to that definition, it is difficult to date the real origins of manufacturing. We could come back to the primary workshops that made items in a relatively significant number with the aim of exchanging or selling them. The role of the people in charge of the production has continuously improved with evolution. In the Roman, army for example, some people had to oversee the making of the weapons and certainly faced some problems with raw materials or with people employed for that task. But these roles in the production of goods took a greater sense with the Industrial Revolution.

Extraits

[...] In the roman army for example, some people had to oversee the making of weapons and had certainly to face some problems with raw materials or with people employed for that task. But these roles in the production of goods took a greater sense with the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution and the golden age of manufacturing The first industrial revolution with principally the invention of the steam engine has built the basis of the second one that took place in the middle of the XIXth century. [...]

[...] The good and services world moved from standard and mass production to products that are the more possible in adequacy with its consumer. Techniques also evolved at the same time in a way of quality and safety improvement. But that concerns not only people's welfare but also our planet. In fact, today's society has been built on an industrialisation and consummation past. We only become aware nowadays that we have to act or humans will destroy the earth. That is why many governments have already instituted regulations about pollution. [...]

[...] According to him, each art, labour division, [ ] involves a proportional growth in the labour productive power”.[2] A hundred years later, the American engineer Taylor did researches about labour efficiency. He instituted a minimal time for the execution of each task and separated execution from decision. His concept, the scientific division of labour dealt with the accentuation of the division of labour: workers didn't have to think, just to obey to a task and produce at a minimum time.[3] Henry Ford based his own theory from the Taylorism, called later Fordism. [...]

[...] So they are both using in the industry and the services area. The quick growth of internet has seen born new services as online-buying sites or new possibilities as the personal customization of an article (you can today make writing the words of your choice in the back of a M&M's candy.) Globalisation and outsourcing The great advantages of outsourcing are that the independent companies can offer more efficiently in production, and at a lower cost. It also allows to firms using outsourcing to focus on what they do best and so improve consumer satisfaction. [...]

[...] Some new regulations are set but depend of the nations (security laws are not the same in all countries). For example, since studies have proved the dangerousness of asbestos, it is totally forbidden in France to use and produce it. Firms whose factories contained that material had to change it and that implied unforeseeable costs operations mangers had to face. Factories which were specialized in the production of asbestos had to close. But this product is still allowed in the United States or in Canada.[14] Britain adopted the Health and Safety at Work Act in 1974 places duties on employers such as ensuring far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work for all its employees”.[15] Each country has or hasn't its own health and safety regulations that could be legally enforceable or not. [...]