Encyclopaedia Of Economics, Commerce And Management-Production Management And Productivity (Vol. 14)

The factor most central to the high performance of several of the supporting divisions of a business enterprise, is that of production. In terms of the number employed, this is by far the largest division in any undertaking. The term embraces the manufacture of goods and the provision of services. It also includes activities such as ?extraction? when applied to metal and minerals, and a vast range collectively described as ?construction?. Perhaps ?operations? would be a better term to use as in ?production operations? or ?operations planning an control?. Apart from the primary activities, there are interrelated and ancillary sections and departments, such as, purchase and storage, plant maintenance, transport, clerical services, fuel, electricity, water etc. In order to reach a high performance level, all components need to be properly analysed according to appropriate work-study principles. The factor of production brings into focus the many aspects of operations which constitute the life-blood of an enterprise.