Production and operational management systems began over 7000 years ago by Sumerian priests who realized they needed a means of tracking and recording such areas as inventory, loans, and business transactions. About one millennium later, the Egyptians improved these processes by planning and organizing construction projects such as the building of pyramids. To this day, these processes and those who control them are a vital part of the industry standard. Organizations across the globe continue to improve and evolve within these departments in order to remain a cut above the rest in a competitive business world (Wikipedia, 2015).
Production and Operations Departments have been referred to as traffic controllers. These teams have the responsibility of converting supply, manpower, customer demand, and assets into an efficiently running machine. They must be able to forecast and make the appropriate decisions within the production process to achieve the most successful results while staying within budget and established timelines. This is a cradle to the crave process requiring managers to supervise and implement necessary changes and sometimes restructure the production process in order to adjust to changes that may adversely affect the final outcome.
There are many different methods that can be used to run an efficient business. The tradition process is composed of several groups and control systems. This method can be broken down into five categories.
Initiation: This is probably the most important phase. This is when the scope of the project is developed and team is assembled. This is the birth of a cycle and must be planned with all aspects considered. Who is best fit for each responsibility through the cycle? What is the most efficient way to manufacture the product while maintaining a high quality standard? Where is the best location for the facility in order