For this chapter, you should be able to...

1. define operations and describe their relationship with other business functions
2. comment on operations management in organizations producing goods and/or services
3. discuss operations management strategies and practices for ecological, social, and economic sustainability

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1. What are "operations"?

Operations = the fundamental activities of organizations: what they do and what they deliver.
For example:

• In the primary sector = mining or harvesting
• In the secondary sector = industrial manufacturing
• In the tertiary sector = open-heart surgery
• In the quaternary sector = business consultancy

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2. Operations management and sustainability

The role of the operations management is wider than just ensuring that production is correctly planned and executed;
they also have to take several other factors into account.
These factors fall into three  categories: Economic factors, social factors and ecological factors. ​

• Economic factors

         = refer to the fact that budgets must be respected. Operations managers must ensure profitability over the long term
         = this is also called economic sustainability

• Social factors

         = refer to the fact that more and more organizations are becoming aware of their responsibility towards their workers, as
            internal stakeholders, and towards local communities, as external stakeholders. 
         = therefore operations managers must ensure that all employees are fairly treated
         = this is also called social sustainability

• Ecological (or "environmental") factors

         = refer to the fact that more and more managers understand the negative impact that their organization may have on the
            natural environment, especially different forms of pollution. 
         = this is also called ecological sustainability
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