3.4 Decision making to improve operational performance
Updated
We've made some changes to this section of the specification. These changes affect first AS exams in 2024 and A-level exams in 2025. To find out what's changed, read our summary of changes. You can also visit our updated specification.
Students should consider the following throughout this section of the specification:
- how developments in technology are affecting decision making and activities in operations (eg more online businesses, better links with customers, suppliers and inventory control)
- ethical and environmental influences on operations decisions
- market conditions and competition
- how decisions in operations improve the competitiveness of a business
- the interrelationship between operational decisions and other functions.
Setting operational objectives
Updated
We've made some changes to the subject content in the table below. These changes affect first AS exams in 2024 and A-level exams in 2025. To find out what's changed, read our summary of changes. You can also visit our updated specification.
Content |
Additional information |
|---|---|
The value of setting operational objectives |
Operational objectives include:
|
External and internal influences on operational objectives and decisions |
Analysing operational performance
Updated
We've made some changes to the subject content in the table below. These changes affect first AS exams in 2024 and A-level exams in 2025. To find out what's changed, read our summary of changes. You can also visit our updated specification.
Content |
Additional information |
|---|---|
Interpretation of operations data |
|
Calculation of operations data |
Students should be able to calculate:
|
| The use of data in operational decision making and planning |
Making operational decisions to improve performance: increasing efficiency and productivity
Updated
We've made some changes to the subject content in the table below. These changes affect first AS exams in 2024 and A-level exams in 2025. To find out what's changed, read our summary of changes. You can also visit our updated specification.
Content |
Additional information |
|---|---|
The importance of capacity |
|
The importance of efficiency and labour productivity |
|
How to increase efficiency and labour productivity |
|
The benefits and difficulties of lean production |
Lean production should include 'Just in Time' operations. |
Difficulties increasing efficiency and labour productivity |
|
How to choose the optimal mix of resources |
The mix of resources should include an understanding of labour and capital intensive processes. |
How to utilise capacity efficiently |
|
How to use technology to improve operational efficiency |
Making operational decisions to improve performance: improving quality
Updated
We've made some changes to the subject content in the table below. These changes affect first AS exams in 2024 and A-level exams in 2025. To find out what's changed, read our summary of changes. You can also visit our updated specification.
Content |
Additional information |
|---|---|
The importance of quality |
|
Methods of improving quality |
Methods of improving quality should include quality assurance. |
The benefits and difficulties of improving quality |
|
The consequences of poor quality |
Making operational decisions to improve performance: managing inventory and supply chains
Updated
We've made some changes to the subject content in the table below. These changes affect first AS exams in 2024 and A-level exams in 2025. To find out what's changed, read our summary of changes. You can also visit our updated specification.
Content |
Additional information |
|---|---|
Ways and value of improving flexibility, speed of response and dependability |
An understanding of flexibility should include mass customisation. |
|
How to manage supply to match demand and the value of doing so |
Ways of matching supply to demand include:
|
Influences on the amount of inventory held |
Inventory control should include:
|
Influences on the choice of suppliers |
|
How to manage the supply chain effectively and efficiently and the value of this |
|
The value of outsourcing |
Download specification
Teaching from 2023
Teaching from 2015
