DAVID GARDINER / HENDRIK REEFKE
In a context of heightened global disruption, accelerating digital transformation, and increasing sustainability imperatives, the fifth edition of Operations Management for Business Excellence provides a contemporary and analytically grounded framework for understanding how operations and supply chain management contribute to long-term organisational performance. The text integrates foundational principles of operations and supply chain management with recent developments in automation, artificial intelligence, robotics, connected systems, and real-time analytics. It examines how these technologies are reshaping operational decision-making, blurring traditional boundaries between planning and execution, and raising new questions concerning governance, ethics, and the role of human judgement in technology-enabled systems. Each chapter combines conceptual clarity with applied examples, linking operations strategy to practical challenges such as warehouse design in the era of Industry 5.0, omnichannel logistics, returns management, and supply network resilience. A consistent five-pillar strategic framework – adaptability, customer-driven innovation, continuous competitive recalibration, proactive risk management, and workforce empowerment – provides a structured lens through which advanced supply chain concepts are analysed. Written for undergraduate and postgraduate students, executives, and practitioners, the book balances analytical rigour with accessibility. It encourages critical evaluation of how organisations can design effective, resilient, and responsible operations, positioning operations management as a discipline that integrates people, technology, and sustainability to create enduring value.
