Essentials of Operations Management
- Scott T. Young - DePaul University, USA
Operations Management (General)
It contains most of and important operations management subjects. It also has a easy understandable language. Examples are explanotary.
This is a good introduction to operations management, probably best suited to first or second year business students doing modules in operations management. The coverage is good, but not deep, as might be expected in a book with "Essentials" in the title. There could have been slightly deeper discussion of the Japanese contribution to the field, but that is probably a minor concern. Supply chain and other up-to-the-minute topics are covered, but again not in too much detail. I think the book's main weakness (although very slight) is its ommission of the the numerate component of the subject. Little space is given to the important areas of statistics and data. Because of this, the text remains in the "essentials" bracket, and perhaps this is rightfully so. For students specializing in operations, this book would be good only as pre-reading. There isn't enough depth to make it relevant to specialists. That said, for my students, who take operations management as an inescapable module, it is entirely appropriate - pitched at the right level, expansive in its topic coverage, and very well written for comprehenisibility. It is also a fairly slim volume, which is a huge plus. Operations texts can be on the large side, and this deters less dedicated students from using them.
Will be recommending this again this year to second year undergraduate students of business operations. The course I teach is half marketing and half operations. Students typically see operations as the undesirable, difficult part, and engage less enthusiastically than they do with the marketing element. This book is very light on the quantitative aspects of operations so is appropriate for generalists seeking understanding of the broader concepts. For operations specialists, its content would probably be too basic, but might work as a primer on a pre-reading list.
Very thorough and balanced approach to operations management.
I have adopted the text for Spring 2014. Please send me instructor's all supplemental teaching materials, including manuals, dvd case, power points, and so on.
I feel like this is more suitable for undergraduates.
Interesting but a little too technical for the course / general business students we have. Looks much more revelant to specialst course
Covers the material to a level appropriate for undergrad management & marketing students; includes a look at sustainability.
Concise and meets objectives of the course. Price was reasonable for students.
Sample Materials & Chapters
Chapter 2: Productivity and Process Analysis
Chapter 5: The Balanced Scorecard Approach to Operations