MIS 373 BLOG 1

The first week of MIS 373 summer II session is taught by Srikar Velichety. In the first, Srikar introduced the basic functions of operations management, taught us the operations strategies, and help us understand the strategic product and service design. From these lectures, I learned that operations management exists in our daily life. We could see some commercial advertisements use operations strategies, and we also use some operations management to create products and services. Operations management is changing our life, and companies are using it to create a more competitiveness environment.

The article named Organizational Factors that Contribute to Operational Failures in Hospitals, which illustrated two hospitals fail to use operational management that leads several operational failures. The author and other 25 people directly observe nurses and employees of two hospitals and found 120 operational failures. These failures could be classified into four categories: errors and poor training, “insufficient worksplace, poor process design, and a lack of integration in the internal supply chains.” In my opinion, to remove operational failures, the hospital should learn and use operations management.

First, hospitals should use organizational strategies to scan the environment. By using this method, hospitals could identify internal factors and external factors, and then, they could improve the environment in the workplace, support departments, and the flow of materials through internal supply chains. Next, they should make the planning and decision making process. Every employee should know their missions and goals, especially nurses. Thus, they could have a clear direction of efforts. Finally, hospitals could train their employees and use technology to increase the productivity and efficiency.

Hospitals could use operations management to redesign their workplace and process to meet patients’ needs, and they can also successfully remove the operational failures. Organizations and companies should also realize the importance of operations management and use it to improve themselves.

References:

• PowerPoint Slides MIS 373. Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 4
• http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/14-023_f68586ef-ffd3-4147-8178-0053916c0af8.pdf