1. OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
Dr Julie Thomson
Room W212
Department of Business Management
Glasgow School for Business and Society
Slack p13-
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
Lecture 1.3 – The Transformation Model

2. Some operations described in terms of their processes
(Source: adapted from Slack et al, 2013:19)
Operation
Some of the operation’s inputs
Some of the operation’s processes
Some of the operation’s outputs
Airline
Aircraft
Pilots and air crew
Ground crew
Passengers and freight
Check passengers in
Board passengers
Fly passengers and freight around the world
Care for passengers
Transported passengers and freight
Department store
Products for sale
Sales staff
Information systems
Customers
Source and store products
Display products
Give sales advice
Sell products
Customers and products ‘assembled’ together
Police
Police officers
Computer systems
Public (law-abiding and criminals)
Crime prevention
Crime detection
Information gathering
Detaining suspects
Lawful society, public with a feeling of security
Frozen food manufacturer
Fresh food
Operators
Processing technology
Cold storage facilities
Source raw materials
Prepare food
Freeze food
Pack and freeze food
Frozen food

3. Operations input resources and outputs
Figure 1.5 All operations are input-transformation-output processes
The Transformation Process is the ‘Black Box’ of operations management

4. Example Pret A Manger ‘High-end’ sandwich and snack retailer
Use only ‘wholesome’ ingredients
Source: Getty Images: Bloomberg / Chris Ratcliffe
All shops have own kitchens which makes fresh sandwiches every day
Fresh ingredients delivered early every morning
Same staff who serve you at lunch made the sandwiches that morning
‘We don’t work nights, we wear jeans, we party… ’

5. Operations Management at Pret a Manger
Customer feedback is regarded as being particularly important at Pret. Examining customers comments for improvement ideas is a key part of weekly management meetings and of the daily team briefs in the shop.
All types of enterprise have an operations function, even if it isn’t called ‘operations’.
Most operations produce both products and services.
All operations create services and products by changing inputs into outputs using ‘input-transformation-output process’.
Operations are processes that take in a set of input resources which are used to transform something or are transformed themselves into outputs of service and products (transformed resources) e.g. customers, materials, information. While other inputs are resources which act upon the transformed resources, there are two types which form the building blocks of operations e.g. facilities (buildings, equipment) and Staff (transforming resources)
Organisations process customers;
– they might change their physical properties in a similar way to materials processors e.g. hairdresser or cosmetic surgeon
- They might store (accommodate) customers e.g. hotels
They might transform the location of their customers e.g. airlines, bus
- they might transform their physiological stage e.g. hospitals
they might transform their psychological state e.g. entertainment services e.g. Music, theater, television, radio, theme parks
Environment (e.g., location, competitors)
TRANSFORMED RESOURCES
Food ingredients Packaging Customers
Perceived Add
Value?
No of products sold.
No of customers served
INPUT
OUTPUT
Kitchen equipment Shop fittings Staff
TRANSFORMING RESOURCES
Employee Satisfaction
Transformation process
CUSTOMERS are PROCESSED
Feedback/Outcome? (e.g., % of customers happy with speed + friendliness of service; Profits)

6. PROCESS HIERARCHES
“A process perspective can be used at three levels: the level of the operation itself, the level of the supply network, and the level of individual processes.” (Slack et al., 2013:19)
Expressed another way, Operational Processes have:
Internal and external suppliers
Internal and external customers
The job of the operations manager is to ensure that these processes are both effective and efficient!
Operations and Service Mangement,