While being a seemingly simple concept, the phenomenon of operations management implies that a range of complex tasks including the internal (teamwork, production, etc.) and the external (outbound logistics customer relationships, etc.) ones should be carried out. The course, therefore, has served as a real eye-opener in terms of what gravity the choice of the operation strategy and framework has on the overall efficacy of an organization. In addition, the fact that companies are represented by supply chains in the context of the global economy was a surprise.
Detailing the valuable information retrieved when attending the course, I must mention that the concept of operations management finally became clear to me. I finally realized that the issue of quality assurance should be deemed as the aspect of operations management that has the highest priority rate along with the production process. Particularly, the identification of tools for quality control such as reports, audits, etc., should be viewed as data crucial to improving the corporate performance (Taylor & Russell, 2013).
Furthermore, the course shed some light on the way, in which quality management can be promoted when addressing the operations carried out in the company. As a result, it became possible to identify the link between the product quality and the customer loyalty rates. The tools suggested for improving the quality management process that were described during the course should also be viewed as an essential addition to my professional development and will serve as efficient tools in advancing in my career (Tetteh & Uzochukwu, 2014).
In other words, the course not only provided extensive information required to manage supply chains in the realm of the global economy but also served as a boost for acquiring new skills and learning more about the SCM-related operations in the designated area. In some way, the course both raised awareness regarding the contemporary issues in the SCM and promoted the concept of unceasing self-development.
The latter is, in fact, an indispensable element of the global economy realm at present. Studies show that it is crucial for an SCM expert to be ready to gain new knowledge, train new skills and evolve in the professional domain. The course, in its turn, has provided a sufficient amount of motivation for excelling in the target area and prompted the idea of consistent update of skills as a way of remaining relevant in the target market.
It could be argued that the course could have incorporated a larger number of discussions of the communication processes occurring during operations management. The issue of conflict management is especially important to me. It would have been fascinating to learn about different negotiation techniques that help promote understanding and cooperation in the workplace, thus, making the operations flawless. However, as it is, the course offers a plethora of information on communication that can be used as a platform for further self-guided learning (Sheeler, 2015).
Although being rather challenging and requiring numerous efforts to learn new information and train recently acquired skills, the course can be considered an essential stage of my professional development. The knowledge gained in the process can be deemed as timeless as it shows how one may improve one’s competency and build a strong supply chain in the environment of increasingly high competition rates. The operations and supply chain management course, therefore, should be credited as an essential stage in my professional development.
Reference List
Sheeler, C. L. (2015). Equity value enhancement: A tool to leverage human and financial capital while managing risk. New York City, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Taylor, B. W., & Russell, R. S. (2013). Operations and supply chain management (8th ed.). New York City, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Tetteh, E. C., & Uzochukwu, B. M. (2014). Lean Six Sigma approaches in manufacturing, services, and production. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.