New and updated features of this edition Real-world examples engage students with the material NEW: All of the references and business examples throughout the text have been revised with the latest data, so students are up to date on current operations management practices. NEW: 7 new Chapter-Opening Vignettes engage and stimulate students’ interest by profiling how real companies like Apple, Lego, Nike, 3M, Starbucks, Oasis of the Seas, and Coca Cola, Inc. apply specific operational issues addressed in each chapter. NEW: Managerial Challenges present realistic scenarios that describe meaningful operations decision problems in which managers of various disciplines find themselves taking a leading role. Examples range from how to combat the rising cost of patient care and declining revenues at a nursing facility to a leading manufacturer’s quest to get their products to market faster. NEW: 4 new Managerial Practices provide current examples of how companies (successfully or unsuccessfully) deal with process and supply chain issues facing them as they run their operations. Examples range from the inventory system at IKEA to the shortage of toilet paper due to the coronavirus pandemic. Coverage of the latest technologies shows students howthey’re being used to improve operations Technologies highlighted include: NEW: Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) — the ongoing automation of traditional manufacturing and industrial practices using modern smart technology (Chapter 1). NEW: Autonomous Supply Chains — the trend toward automating elements of supply chains and the advantages it can have (Chapter 12). NEW: Autonomous Warehouse Operations — the use of automated guided vehicles, automated mobile robots, and aerial drones in warehouse operations (Chapter 13). NEW: Blockchains — what they are, how they’re different from cloud computing, and examples of their use in supply chains (Chapter 14). End-of-chapter resources enhance students’ learning NEW: 4 new Video Cases focus on the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic and its outstanding level of operations during the coronavirus pandemic. Students see the process-design challenges they faced; their managerial responses to operations issues related to managing capacity and inventory; and their successful coordination of supply chain activities and information flow throughout the organization. Active Model Exercises enable students to use provided spreadsheets to do a “what-if” analysis of examples presented in the text to see what would happen if certain parameters were changed. Experiential Learning Exercises group students into teams who work both in- and out-of-class on five exercises that actively involve them in team-based discussion questions and decisions. Each exercise has been thoroughly tested in class and proven to be a valuable learning tool.