The revised and updated second edition of the popular and practical guide to contemporary operations management – now featuring a new chapter on managing sustainable supply networks.The Essential Guide to Operations Management explores fundamental operations management principles and shows how they are applied in real-life situations in both the services and manufacturing sectors. It adapts a strategic stance by providing a framework for effective decision-making: determining operations strategies; designing processes, products and work organisations; managing change through effective project management and technology transfer; exploring contemporary approaches to operations planning and control; and then managing quality and improvement strategies. As such, it addresses the needs of practising managers, postgraduate MBA and MSc students and final-year undergraduates in advanced operations management elective courses.The Essential Guide to Operations Management: Concepts and Case Notes, Second Edition, is supported by updated case studies throughout and online support materials for lecturers.

David Bamford, PhD, is an experienced industrialist/academic who has published over 100 articles, book chapters and reports, as well as having presented widely on his topics to both academic and practitioner audiences. Knowledge transfer has been at the centre of David's career strategy; it provides a focus and direction for his research, grant applications, publications, teaching and major administrative roles. His research interests are operations management improvement strategies, supply chain management, quality management, sports operations management, strategic organisational change and leadership.Paul Forrester, PhD, has specialisms in production and operations management, project management, supply management, quality management, cross-cultural management and research and development, all with a work organisation and social science perspective. He has over 30 years of lecturing and executive education experience and 20 years' experience of directing MBA programmes at three top UK universities (Keele, Aston and Birmingham). In addition, Paul has practical experience in the carpet textiles, computer and automotive manufacturing sectors.Iain Reid, PhD, is a qualified industrial engineer who is recognised as an expert in operational agility, Industry 4.0, knowledge transfer in SMEs and new innovations professional services such as legal technologies. He has a talent for Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTPs), developing collaborative partnerships across several industry sectors. He has undertaken research collaborations with universities across the world, including the University of Baltimore, USA, Swinburne University, Australia, the University of Palermo, Italy, and the University of Athabasca, Canada.