For well over a century, manufacturing has dictated the developmental growth of management in business, mainly in achieving lower costs and higher quality. The strength of the economy, however, continues to move quickly toward the service sector, bringing with it a number of innovative management techniques tailored to customer service operations. Highlighting the value of using contemporary innovations to help achieve success, New Methods of Competing in the Global Marketplace outlines the benefits that companies can gain by sharing techniques across the manufacturing/services boundary. Emphasizing the similarities between the two components, the book vividly describes this vanishing boundary and shows how the techniques used in one field can be adapted for effective use in the other. It describes how management and manufacturing programs can be personalized to fit individual needs and can be successfully implemented through technology innovations, infrastructure realignments, and cultural adjustments.

The authors describe the steps necessary to build an integrated supply chain. They present a novel business input-transformation-output (ITO) model that depicts the basic elements of service operations management and explains how managers use a variety of paths to aid them in the decision making and management of their companies. As a manager, you will find a wealth of practical insight that applies to your business. Stressing the need for knowledge management, this book shows that change is necessary for the future success of all types of organizations.