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Operations management

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do businesses measure and improve how efficiently they produce?

The measurement and management of capacity utilisation, labour productivity and efficiency, the causes and consequences of under- and over-utilisation, economies and diseconomies of scale, and ways to improve productivity and efficiency.
A focused answer to the OCR A-Level Business operations theme on efficiency, covering capacity utilisation, labour productivity and unit cost, under- and over-utilisation, economies and diseconomies of scale, and ways to improve productivity, with worked calculations.
11 min answer →

What does operations set out to achieve, and how are goods produced?

Operational objectives including cost, quality, speed, dependability and flexibility, the concept of added value, and the main methods of production (job, batch, flow and cell) and the factors that determine the choice of method.
A focused answer to the OCR A-Level Business operations theme on objectives and production, covering operational objectives (cost, quality, speed, dependability, flexibility), added value, and the job, batch, flow and cell methods of production with the factors that determine the choice.
10 min answer →

How do businesses ensure and manage quality?

The importance of quality, the distinction between quality control and quality assurance, total quality management and quality standards, the costs and benefits of improving quality, and the consequences of poor quality.
A focused answer to the OCR A-Level Business operations theme on quality, covering the importance of quality, the difference between quality control and quality assurance, total quality management, quality standards, and the costs and consequences of poor quality.
10 min answer →

How do businesses manage stock and cut waste?

Stock (inventory) management including buffer stock, lead time, re-order levels and the interpretation of stock control charts, just-in-time and just-in-case approaches, lean production and Kaizen, and the management of supply chains.
A focused answer to the OCR A-Level Business operations theme on stock and lean, covering buffer stock, lead time and re-order levels, stock control charts, just-in-time versus just-in-case, lean production and Kaizen, and the management of supply chains.
11 min answer →

How do technology and innovation change how businesses operate?

The impact of technology on operations including automation and computer-aided design and manufacture, the role of research and development and innovation, the difference between product and process innovation, and the benefits and risks of investing in new technology.
A focused answer to the OCR A-Level Business operations theme on technology and innovation, covering automation and computer-aided design and manufacture, the role of research and development, the difference between product and process innovation, and the benefits and risks of investing in new technology.
10 min answer →