Metamorphosis - JMR
Book Reviews
MAHADEVAN, B. 2007. OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT: THEORY
AND PRACTICE. DELHI: PEARSON EDUCATION, PP. XXIII+
583; SOFT COVER. ISBN: 8177585649; LIST PRICE: RS. 325.
SUSHIL KUMAR
In this era of globalization, businesses are
constantly striving to acquire a steady foothold
and excel in the market that is driven by the
customers. Products and services are regularly
being modified/ improved to cater to the
changing nature of demanding customers of
this age . Operations Management is that
knowledge domain, which provides know-
how to design, operate and improve a business,
and enables it to do better in terms of delivering
products and services with a competitive edge.
Operations Management has been an area
of interest since the age of industrialization,
albeit with different names. No wonder then
that a number of excellent books are available
in advanced editions in this area [to name a
few: Chase, Jacobs and Aquilano (2006),
Stevenson (2005), Gaither and Frazier (2002)],
and these books well serve the function of
textbooks throughout the world.
Globalization helped in making this
knowledge-base accessible to the Indian
students by publishing such texts in India.
Almost all the major publishers in India have a
book or two in the category of operations
management to boast about. This has taken care
of the long-felt need for affordable textbooks
of international standard in this area. But it has
given rise to an altogether different type of
problem. Many of these foreign books are not
Sushi! Kumar is on Faculty in the Operations Management Group at Indian Institute of Management Lucknow. He
can be reached at sk@iiml.ac.in
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2006, Vol. 5 No. 1, 107-112
very successful at generating and/ or sustaining
a high level of interest of our students in this
field . To a large extent, our students are not
able to effectively extract the knowledge
provided through these good quality texts.
Any quality book on operations
management must explain the matter, keeping
in view its application in the business .
Concepts would take a firm root in the minds
of the students only when they are supported
by the associated examples which the students
can relate to. While most of the 'imported'
textbooks are really good in subject matters,
their effectiveness takes a tumble when it comes
to examples that are being used to explain the
fundamentals . Many would agree that while
examples based on the companies like LL Bean,
J C Penny, Hertz (rent-a-car) would be apt for
students in USA; it probably would cut no ice
with our students in India. Add to it the
business data pertaining to American economy
and US industry productivity indexes provided
in the texts that is, students might feel alien to
our business domain. Examples from Tata,
Reliance, Infosys, and Maruti would make
much sense here.
Every instructor in the area of operations
management might have faced this problem.
It would need greater efforts from them to first
develop the course material with appropriate
 Metamorphosis - JMR
Indian examples and then make the concepts
clear to the students because of this missing
umbilical cord between the concepts being
taught and the example used to reinforce them.
In such circumstances, when a book on
this subject by an Indian author comes out in
the market, it would but naturally arouse
curiosity to explore whether it meets the
expectations of Indian instructors. This book
by Prof. Mahadevan has done exactly this.
Plan of the Book
The book contains twenty chapters
structured in five logical sections (parts). Apart
from following the generally accepted practice
of providing the sections on introduction,
design, and planning, the author has provided
sections on value chain and maintenance/
operations improvement.
Section-I containing two chapters, deals
with introducing the concepts, trends in
operations management and their relationships
with other business domains. In Chapter 1,
operations management is explained from the
systems viewpoint, highlighting functional
dependencies. Chapter 2 deals with strategic
issues and clarifies how operations strategy is
derived from the corporate strategy. Break
even analysis finds a place in this chapter.
World class manufacturing practices and their
competitive priorities are described that help
readers with a big picture of the operations.
The onset of globalization and its impact on
operations management practices in India finds
a special mention in this chapter. Business
Process Outsourcing (BPO) finds a special
treatment here.
Section-11 has seven chapters dealing with
the issues of designing the operations. Contrary
to the general trend, the theme of process
design (Chapter 3) precedes that of product/
service design/ development (Chapter 4) . In
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Chapter 3, process characteristics like volume
and variety are described using the immediately
recognizable examples related to BHEL, L&T,
Titan watches and Tata Indica. Various types
of processes and process-product matrix have
been explained. Chapter 4 contains the product
development process. It covers topics such as
product development process, and various
tools to help develop product, such as Quality
Function Deployment (QFD), VE, DFM, etc. for
effective organization. Chapter 5 is devoted to
Total Quality Management (TQM). It starts
with quality revolution and contribution of
quality Gurus to the concepts of TQM. A few
important quality tools such as Pareto diagrams,
Cause and effect diagram, and Poka Yoke are
elucidated. Various quality awards are also
briefly explained. Statistical Process Control is
the title of Chapter 6, in which process variation
and the steps to set up a process control system,
are explained. It also covers process capability,
six sigma, and acceptance sampling, albeit briefly.
Chapter 7 on facilities location explains the
factors affecting location decisions, followed by
four location planning methods: location factor
rating, centre of gravity, load-distance, and
transportation model, each with an example.
Chapter 8 titled plant layout, covers the
implications and various types of layouts,
including a good coverage on group technology
layout. Chapter 9 deals with capacity planning
that defines capacity and provides its measures
in a very interesting way. It follows by capacity
planning framework that chalks out the process
of computing the capacity requirements and
availability. Process mapping gets a mention
here. Alternatives for capacity augmentation
are discussed next, followed by the decision-
tree analysis. In addition, waiting line models
with good examples are presented in this
chapter.
Section-III contains the usual chapters of
forecasting, aggregate planning, Material
 Sushi I Kumar
Requirement Planning (MRP), Just-In-Time
GIT) and scheduling, and in addition, a chapter
on project management. Chapter 10 is on
forecasting and begins with emphasizing
forecasting as a planning tool. It then describes
the need, time horizon, design, and developing
forecasting logic. Various extrapolative (time
series, linear regression) casual methods of
forecasting are then explained with
appropriate examples, followed by forecast
accuracy. An interesting addition is the topic
of using the forecasting system that sums up
this chapter.
Chapter 11 on Aggregate Production
Planning (APP) begins with planning
hierarchies in operations and sets the pace for
chapters to come. Necessity of production
planning at aggregate level is highlighted,
followed by providing a framework for the
APP. Alternatives for managing demand and
supply are reported. Basic strategies of leveling
and chasing, and a mixed strategy are
explained in-detail, supported by fitting
examples. Various methods for APP are
described next, with a special focus on OR tools
like LP and LDR. Master Production
Scheduling (MPS) finds the right place at the
end of this chapter.
Resource planning is an appropriate title
for the next Chapter 12 that encompasses more
than just Material Requirements Planning
(MRP). The chapter highlights all the important
building blocks of MRP with examples. Lot
sizing could have had more rules. Additional
information on using the MRP system is
provided that discusses updating the MRP
schedules, and safety stocks and safety lead
time. Apart from MRP, the chapter includes
some elaboration on Capacity Requirement
Planning (CRP), DRP, MRP-11, and ERP that
emphasizes the central role of planning in
operations. Chapter 13, devoted to the concepts
in Just-In-Time GIT), traces the origin of JIT and
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unfolds its logic. The chapter highlights various
elements of JIT, discusses production planning
and control in JIT emphasizing push and pulls
scheduling. The Kanban system is elaborated
nicely in a step-wise approach using suitable
examples. Chapter 14 on operations scheduling
launches with portraying the context of
scheduling, relating it with machine loading.
A number of scheduling rules and performance
criteria are provided with examples. Flow-shop
and job-shop scheduling are the next topics
explained briefly. Theory of constraints and
related topics like synchronous manufacturing
and Drum-Buffer-Rope (DBR)" find a place at
the end of this chapter.
The last chapter in this section, Chapter 15,
is devoted to project management. It introduces
project, its characteristics, and four phases
(conceptual, planning, implementation and
control, and feedback) of project management.
Work, cost and organization breakdown
structures are discussed under project
framework. Next follows the development of a
network representation and associated
activities. Resource leveling and time-cost trade-
offs also find a place here. The chapter ends
with a brief on project uncertainties and related
computations.
Section-IV is focused on the issues of value
chain related to the material flow in the supply
chain system. First of the three chapters in this
section is Chapter 16 on Supply Chain
Management (SCM). Introducing the term
SCM, the chapter attends to the components
of supply chain. Bullwhip effect is discussed,
followed by a good explanation of the measures
for supply chain performance. Issues of
designing supply chains are addressed next.
The chapter ends with a brief mention of Third
Party Logistics (TPL), and role of IT in SCM.
Chapter 17 with the title Purchasing and
supply management is an interesting addition,
emphasizing the importance of operations
 Metamorphosis- JMR
activities on the suppliers side. Procurement
process is outlined, comparing the differences
in the traditional and modem approaches used .
The topic of vendor development finds a place
here. Factors for the make or buy decisions are
elaborated. The chapter ends with a good
coverage of thee-procurement process. The last
chapter in this section is Chapter 18 on
inventory planning and control. Importance of
inventory management is emphasized with
data from Indian industries. Inventory cost is
weii-explained with iilustrations. Some
common multi-period inventory models and
classification schemes are covered. In the end,
a brief on single period demand inventory
system is provided.
The last part (Section-V) of the book
contains two chapters dealing with
maintaining and improving the standards of
operations. Chapter 19 on maintenance
management highlights the changing focus of
maintenance from reactive to proactive
approach. Need of maintenance management
is emphasized. Maintenance measures like
MTBF, MTTR and availability are well-
described with relevant examples. Effective
maintenance requirements are highlighted and
alternatives are discussed. Decision tools for
maintenance management have been given a
fair treatment, along with examples. Spare
parts management is adequately elaborated.
The chapter at the end has a good coverage of
total productive maintenance related topics like
OEE. Chapter 20 is devoted to the concept of
continuous improvements. Possibilities of
radical improvement, as well as continuous
improvements are covered here. Various
popular improvement themes like process
mapping, Business Process Re-Engineering
(BPR), Kaizen, SMED, are presented. The
chapter ends on a high note with listing the
organizational chaiienges in the way of
improvements in operations.
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Features and Teaching Aids
Every chapter title page puts forward the
learning objectives of that chapter in order to
provide a study orientation. All the chapters
(except Chapter 3) have an opening vignette
text, taken primarily from Indian industries
(except 2 cases). This sets up the learning
curiosity with an appropriate contextual
example. These 'ideas at work', aptly termed
by the author, are suitably inserted at two-three
places inside every chapter as well. Throughout
the book, major points made in the text are
emphasized in the margin boxes. Readers are
provided with context- specific references with
respect to other books, web sites, etc., in
footnotes on the same page. There are plenty
of worked-out examples wherever applicable
in book chapters, to reinforce the presented
concepts. Learnings from the chapters are
summarized at the end of each respective
chapter.
Review questions are provided for every
chapter, each covering the entire chapter
material. Most of the chapters have been
provided with representative unsolved
problems and exercises. This would give a
chance to students to solve these detailed
problems of their own and augment learning.
Chapter-specific references are provided at the
end of each chapter.
Examples and the practices followed by a
number of Indian and multinational companies
are liberally provided throughout the text. At
the end of the book, the company index
provides details of the quoted organizations that
help one search the company-specific examples.
The book ends with the subject index.
To the best of my knowledge, this is the
first book in the area of Operations
Management in India that has an effective
resource support site designed to cater to the
needs of a teacher. For the instructors adopting
 Sushi! Kumar
this book as a textbook, a number of teaching
aids are provided at the book website http://
pearsoned.co.in/bmahadevan. These include
powerpoint presentations for all the chapters,
solution manual in excel format, and a
document listing the ideas for mini projects base
on the material covered in the book. The quality
of the powerpoint presentations is excellent
and matches the best in the world. That would
provide the instructors real good material to
base their course presentation on and adapt it
to their tastes and requirements.
Availability of this support makes this book
a just candidate to be adapted as a textbook
for the course/ s on Operations Management.
Kudos to the author for such an excellent work
in this 'attention-needed' instructor's support
area.
Overall Observations
Part one sets the pace of learning with
apt examples in the area of operations
management and arouses a curiosity with its
Indian-specific contextual examples. BPO has
been described with a process view, added by
listing down the functional domain of BPO
applications. The author has also successfully
managed to keep the same consistent pace
throughout the book. That makes the reading
a comfortable journey and keeps the readers'
interests intact.
The book goes beyond the present OM texts
with a few innovative additions. Chapter 17
on Purchasing and Supply Management is an
interesting addition in this category that
highlights how technology is helping with new
developments like e-procuring, etc.
The topic of inventory planning and
control is justifiably placed after the
introduction to SCM and procurement process.
Inventory cost is well-explained with
illustrations in this chapter.
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Section V of the book contains an
interesting and important theme of operations
management that is being ignored in many
popular OM books. It brings back the focus on
the somewhat-lost theme of maintenance from
an improvement perspective. The author has
thus managed to relate the maintenance related
activity with the continuous improvement
processes. There is a whole chapter on the
concepts of continuous improvements. I find it
very innovative and a must from the
improvement angle in the study of operations.
Company and subject indexes are good
additions at the end, facilitating a better and
specific search inside the book.
As there are so many topics fighting for
space in the introductory text. on operations
management, the author might have felt
compelled to be stringent in covering few of
the topics. The following are some of the
observations in this line of thinking:
• I would have preferred a little more
coverage in the area of Six Sigma. Out of
the two chapters related to quality, one
should have been more focused towards
the six sigma concepts, its practical
approach, and how Indian organizations-
manufacturing and services alike, are
finding it useful specifically in solving the
quality related problems, and developing
a sound positive work culture generally.
With its rising popularity all over the world,
this theme deserves more attention.
• Chapter on plant layout could have been
titled facilities layout to reflect the
applications of operations management
beyond the factory premises. Again, the
chapter on aggregate production planning
could have been focused towards sales and
operations planning keeping in line with
the APICS. Title itself could have been
Aggregate Sales and Operations Planning
(e.g., Chase, Jacobs and Aquilano, 2006).
 Metamorphosis - JMR

• The topics related to job and work design
seem to be ignored by the author, as Motion
study and work measurement do not find
any place in the text. Process mapping and
value-added concepts find coverage in
Chapter 20 on continuous improvement of
operations, but basic charts and diagrams
are not covered. Perhaps a separate chapter
(e.g., Greasley, Ch. 9 on job and work
des ign) would cover these topics
adequately.
• Section heading page would be better with
a summary of the section and the chapter
titles it covers (for example, Stevenson,
2006).
• A glossary, containing the definitions or
brief descriptions of common operations
terms would add value to the book .
Providing answers to a few unsolved
problems at the end of the book could
possibly encourage students to try those
problems out themselves (Gaither, 2002).
Summary
The author has managed to deliver a
delightful product with a potential to give a
knockout punch to many of the established
texts in this field with this marvellous creation.
Simple, easy-going and lucid language makes
it very comfortable and enjoyable for the
readers to connect with the subject matter.
Solved problems are many, and are effectively
used throughout the texts. Examples from the
Indian and international organizations are
aptly used to emphasize the practical side of
the described theory, and they gel well. Quality
of the text reflects the vast experience of the
author and his understanding of the subject.
So, at last, here is that much awaited Indian
book having all the ingredients to be the
Textbook in the area of Operations
Management. It comes out with flying colours
when compared with the most popular and
best-in-the-world texts in operations
management. I strongly recommend this as a
standard text for the operations management
course in MBA programmes. It could also be a
course book in undergraduate and post-
graduate programmes in Mechanical,
Production, and Industrial Engineering.
Manufacturing and Service organizations
would find this text as a very good reference
material in OM.
REFERENCES
Chase, R.B., Jacobs, F. R. and Aquilano, N.J.
2006 . Operations Management for
Competitive Advantage, 11th ed. New Delhi:
Tata McGraw-Hill.
Gaither, N. and Frazier, G. 2002. Operations
Management, 9th ed. Bangalore: Thomson
South-Western.
Greasley, A. 2006. Operations Management, UK:
Aston University Business School.
Stevenson, W.J., 2005. Operations Management,
8th ed. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Sushil Kumar is an Associate Professor in the Operations

Management group at liM Lucknow. He holds a doctorate from liT Delhi
in the area of Industrial Engineering. He has a rich experience of teaching,
training and consultancy in .the area of Operations Management. He
has published several research papers in international and national
journals of repute.

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