Active Operations Management
Richard Jeffery, Neil Bentley
This is a practical guide for managers in Service Operations to help them to improve the performance of their operation by using the Active Operations Management (AOM) method, developed by the authors.
AOM is a unique blend of the human and technical sides of performance improvement. On the one hand it offers a practical guide to planning and managing workers time in order to optimize the delivery of targets for cost, quality and service. On the other hand it provides insight into human motivation and behaviour that are critical to delivering performance improvement changes that will last.
This is a practical ‘how to’ book rather than a theoretical tome, aimed at demystifying management theory, debunking unhelpful jargon and helping managers apply techniques directly to their own working environment.
In a complex and rapidly changing world, the last thing managers need is internal complexity in the way they manage the delivery of service to customers. Simplifying the management of operations is essential if organizations are to be agile enough to adapt, survive and thrive in the modern economy.
Table of Contents
Introduction 6
Section 1: The importance of having a method 6
Chapter One: Why this and why now? 6
Chapter 2: The Nuts and Bolts of Service Operations 10
Chapter 3: How AOM Helps to Achieve Balance 16
Chapter 4: Why Bother? 25
Section 2: What is AOM and how does it work? 32
Chapter 5: We are all out of Magic Bullets 32
Chapter 6: The Four Perspectives 37
Chapter 7: Behaviours and Skills 41
Chapter 8: The AOM Method and Tools 49
Chapter 9: So how do you rate yourself? 56
Chapter 10: Overview of the AOM Method 60
Chapter 11: Back to Basics 67
Chapter 12: Your first plan 72
Chapter 13: Planning Work 79
Chapter 14: Balancing a Plan 87
Chapter 15: Controlling to Plan 94
Chapter 16: Reviewing and Learning 99
Section 4: AOM and The Bigger Picture 109
Chapter 17: Where next? 109
Chapter 18: AOM in a world of change 112
Chapter 19: AOM and the future of operations 119
Chapter 20: Goodbye and Goodluck 126