Operation Management

Summary

The book emphasized two approaches for bringing technology into the organization and the process leading to a technology plan and the activities necessary to implement the plan. The Appendix 3 examines the way the firm should construct its mix of products and processes to be successful in producing a consistent platform or portfolio. This appendix also examines the way the firm should construct its mix of products and processes to be successful in producing a consistent platform or portfolio.

The appendix emphasizes when a firm is planning its technology it should consider its strategy, goals, objectives, and mission. In this part of the book the authors focused on strategies of planning and using technology. These strategies are: single product technology, product platform, complementary platform, and portfolio management.

Chapter 9 of the book has integrated elements discussed throughout the text which we didn’t have read about. However, the core concept of the chapter is to create an understanding of how a firm develops a sustainable competitive advantage. The ultimate goal of a technology-focused firm, whether it seeks to obtain technology internally or externally, is to create value for the firm and the firm’s stakeholders. The authors tried to emphasis the key to a sustainable competitive advantage is the capabilities of the firm. In short, the capabilities are skills and abilities the firm develops internally that ultimately allow it to do things its competitors cannot easily match. Other aspects of value creation for a technology firm were also introduced in the chapter, including the establishment of industry standards, venture capital, and turnaround.

Evaluation

When we conduct the review of the given pages, we perceived unmeasurable knowledge. However, since this is a book review we tried to point out what the book offers and lacks. Here are our assessments:

Positive Side of the book

•  Businesspersons can find different strategies for different stages or cycle of their company.
• The book sets the problems will be face with the solutions.
• The authors tried to show the idea to the point.
• The book shows how to get a competitive advantage over other competitors.
• The book will be very useful for developing countries to shape their operation and financing issues. Even, the government can take many positive ways from the other countries economic activities and regulations.

Weak side of the book

• The book may be difficult for the people, which have no business background.
• Lacks definition of some business terms and some abbreviations are placed directly.
• Most of the examples are given based on USA or developed countries only.
• Some of the ideas may not be compatible with developing and under developing countries.