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Featured Interview

Integrating purchasing in M&A: An interview with Lenovo's chief procurement officer
Featured Operations Article, interview Lenovo's chief procurement officer

May 2008

The chief purchasing officer of Lenovo explains how he helped to create the operational basis for its continuing evolution from a Chinese powerhouse into a global one.

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Featured Operations Article, quality management
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Managing for quality: An interview with Armand V. Feigenbaum

November 2007

A noted quality expert discusses how the underlying principles of quality improvement still hold true.

Featured Operations Article, Merrill Lynch interview operations it, Diane L. Schueneman, financerview
Focusing on the customer: An interview with the head of Merrill Lynch’s operations and IT

June 2007

Merrill Lynch has combined operations with IT in a single unit. Diane Schueneman, the head of the company’s Global Infrastructure Solutions, explains how she is changing both to focus on the customer.

Editors' Choice

Featured Operations Article, purchasing organization
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Inventing the 21st-century purchasing organization

November 2007

To get the most out of the purchasing function, top-performing companies redefine its role and ensure that its goals align with corporate strategy.

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Bringing best practice to China

November 2007

As the country merges into the world economy, best practice in China will become best practice globally, products developed in China will become global products, and industrial processes developed in China will become global processes.

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Building an effective change agent team

November 2007

A carefully constructed change agent program is essential to any successful operational transformation.

Featured Operations Article, pharma manufacturing
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Improving quality in pharma manufacturing

September 2007

For pharmaceutical and medical-product companies, adopting world-class manufacturing processes can create a competitive advantage by reducing regulatory risk and production costs.

Beyond manufacturing: The evolution of lean production

August 2007

Many nonmanufacturing sectors are rapidly adopting lean techniques. Soon they will no longer be a differentiating factor in themselves; the important thing will be how well you implement them.

Featured Operations Article, field service productivity
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Improving field service productivity

July 2007

Real-time information can help companies manage “invisible” employees.

Featured Operations Article, recession companies strategy
Preparing for the next downturn

April 2007

In a buoyant economy, the next recession seems far off. But managers who prepare during good times can improve their companies' chances to endure—or thrive in—the eventual downturn.

Featured Operations Article, services productivity
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Improving productivity in product services

February 2007

Services operations are variable, and measuring their performance is complex. But a company can raise their productivity by managing demand, assigning tasks by the cost of resources, and increasing labor's efficiency.

Featured Operations Article, IT governance
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Splitting demand from supply in IT

September 2006

Dividing IT into demand and supply organizations helps companies realize the full potential of their IT investments.

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Case in Point

Premium Content
Anticipating customer queries in call centers

November 2007

An effort to determine the value of specific kinds of customer inquiries shows how companies should decide which channels are best for dealing with each of them.

Survey

Understanding supply chain risk

Executives believe they face growing risk from disruptions to their supply chains—yet many are unprepared to manage those risks.

Research in Brief

Premium Content
Understanding Latin America's supply chain risks

May 2007

Few executives in the region—or elsewhere—feel confident that their companies can manage these risks successfully.

How to build top-performing auto dealerships

June 2007

Automakers and dealers should learn to collaborate more. Both parties would benefit.

Premium Content
Developing Mexico's offshoring opportunity

March 2007

To take advantage of the growing global market for offshored services, the country must do more to improve the suitability of its workforce.

The talent factor in purchasing

February 2007

Better purchasing can be beneficial in surprising ways, some far removed from purchasing itself.