Welcome to your operations management (OM) course. In this book, we present a state-of-theart view of the activities of the operations function. Operations is an exciting area of management that has a profound effect on the productivity of both manufacturing and services. Indeed, few other activities have as much impact on the quality of our lives. The goal of this text is to present a broad introduction to the field of operations in a realistic, practical manner. OM includes a blend of topics from accounting, industrial engineering, management, management science, and statistics. Even if you are not planning on a career in the operations area, you will likely be working with people who are. Therefore, having a solid understanding of the role of operations in an organization is of substantial benefit to you. This book will also help you understand how OM affects society and your life. Certainly, you will better understand what goes on behind the scenes when you purchase a bag of Frito-Lay potato chips; buy a meal at an Olive Garden, a Red Lobster, or a Hard Rock Cafe; place an order through Amazon.com; buy a customized Dell computer over the Internet; or enter Arnold Palmer Hospital for medical care.