This text is designed to be appropriate for Operations Strategy modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. The text adopts a value chain approach and contains a number of features to aid the learning process - chapter introductions, chapter summaries, further reading and boxed features.

Introduction: Emerging Characteristics of value and value creation and delivery.- Perspectives of Value.- Value as a Business Concept.- Value Based Organisations: the Growth of Flexible Response and Virtual Organisations.- Supply Chains and Value Chains: Definitions, Characteristics, Differences and Directions.- Value Based Organisations: the Value Chain Approach.- Strategic and Operational Characteristics and Components.- Corporate Value, Performance Management, Coordination and Control: Issues and Options.- Managing Customer Value and the Value Proposition.- Core Competencies, Key Success Factors, Value/Cost Drivers and Process Management.- Where Value Strategy and Value Operations Meet.- Existing Value Chains.- Industry Value Chains.- Corporate Value Chains.- Value and Value Chains in Healthcare.- Value Chains in Education.- Configuring the Value Chain, Structure and Performance.- Configuring the Value Chain.- Case Study Exercises.

This new text is designed to cater for the needs of both undergraduate and postgraduate students taking Operations Strategy or Strategic Operations Management modules.

Adopting a value chain approach, it seeks to instruct and inform the reader on the importance of the strategic issues in operations thought and practice. The text provides an up-to-date, accessible approach to operations strategy, with a comprehensive overview of the subject area as a whole.

The text has a companion web site which contains a supporting instructors manual, which can be found at www.palgrave.com/business/walters.

'I particularly like its straightforward, functional approach, which makes it easy for the student to understand. I also like the liberal use of examples and case studies, which are bang up to date and still topical. ' - Mark Godson, Sheffield Hallam University '...forces students to think conceptually and this is refreshing...it offers rigorous treatment of the important concepts...' - Dr Brian Carlisle, Honoray Professor of Managment, Samara State University, Russia 'This text makes, in my opinion, a considerable contribution to the teaching material available in this area. An excellent text.' - Ray Rogers, Coventry Business School

Adopts a value chain approach, which is a new and innovative way of approaching the Operations Strategy area
David Walters is a well respected and prolific author in the Operations/logistics area