International Operations Management

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Elsevier US
Job code KIB
Chapter: Ch11-H7983 6-12-2006 9:22 p.m.
Page:355
Trimsize:7.25 in in
Fonts used Sabon & Frutiger
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11
International Operations
Management
Harry Kogetsidis and Marios I. Katsioloudes,
Spyros Hadjidakis
Objectives
Through this chapter, the student will be exposed to What is production and operations What is operations management What do operations managers do How is operations management done in the international arena How has good management of operations helped a small airline company become one of the most successful companies in its industry in the world How can forecasting help in international operations management How can project management help in international operations management?
Opening Case
Simulating patient arrivals and service rates at the
Luton & Dunstable Hospital
The outpatients department of the Luton & Dunstable Hospital, based miles north of London in the southeast of England, is visited by dozens of patients everyday. A patient visiting the hospital first checks in at reception
355

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.............................................................................
Elsevier US
Job code KIB
Chapter: Ch11-H7983 6-12-2006 9:22 p.m.
Page:356
Trimsize:7.25 in in
Fonts used Sabon & Frutiger
Margins:Top:36 pt
Gutter:66 pt
Font Size pt
Text Width PC
Depth:43 Lines
356
International Business and is then directed to the doctor who is on duty on that day. The doctor examines patients on a first-come first-served basis. Obviously, there area number of doctors on duty everyday in order to deal with the large number of patients visiting this busy hospital. When the consultation with the doctor is over, the patient checks out at reception in order to make sure that all the relevant forms have been filled in properly in accordance to the British
National Health Service regulations.
A team of analysts have studied the various operations that take place at the outpatients department of this hospital and have produced a simulation model that can be used to represent the system. Simulation is a modeling approach, which attempts to imitate the dynamic operations of a real-world system. It is used as a means to undertake experiments that would not be possible or easy to conduct in the real-world system. Managers responsible for operations can therefore use simulation in order to assess the demands on resources created by variable patterns of arrivals and service rates, such as those experienced in hospital outpatient departments. Simulation is an area with a large number of applications, from assisting healthcare planners in the evaluation of different options for the prevention of the HIV virus
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to providing support to the British Ministry of Defense on issues such as equipment procurement, force structure, and operational tactics/strategy.
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Exhibit 11.1 shows a simulation model developed to imitate the operations that take place at the outpatients department of the Luton & Dunstable
Hospital.