Design of the Operations EnvironmentThe production function - its methods and decision-making processes are much influenced by business and technological environments.
Equipment Design
Equipment has to be selected. How much product should we make ourselves? How much to we buy in? What are our equipment acquisition and replacement strategies? Product design, capacity planning, employee skills and accounting procedures all have a bearing. Decisions extend to automation and computerisation, job security and employee stress. The type of equipment used influences work design.
Exercise
What effect has the use of personal work stations and computer to computer communication had in decentralising office work to working from home?
What has been the effect of computerisation on the national newspaper industry?
What physical problems are presented to you in the design and fittings of classrooms, library and computer suites at West London Institute.
© maintained and developed by C Jarvis for the BOLA Project
