Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management 9 (2003) 269–270

ARTICLE IN PRESS

doi:10.1016/j.pu

Book review

Strategic operations management: the new competitive

advantage

R. H. Lowson, (Ed.); Routledge, London 2002, 325pp

Robert Lowson is Director of the Strategic Opera-tions Management Centre at UEA, Norwich, UK, andthe jacket of his new book features an enthusiasticendorsement from Professor Martin Christopher. Thatmay in part reflect the considerable logistics emphasiswithin the book, which is particularly strong on service,retail and distribution examples. Some fresh andimportant areas traditionally neglected in operationsare tackled, with chapters on SMEs, global trade and e-business strategic coordination. The author has clearlytaken some trouble to find new examples of existingpractices and the relative absence of the automotiveindustry is refreshing. However the use of the author’sown experience (and research) is also a double edgedsword, many recent operations management texts havebeen joint or team efforts, able to draw on a wealth ofexperience. The advantages and disadvantages of soleauthorship will I think decide the value of the book to itsreadership.The central question for me though is whom the book

is aimed at. The author has structured the first part ofthe book around four research questions—such as ‘‘Cana typology of operations management strategies beestablished?’’y On an intellectual level the author thenaddresses and answers those questions in an interestingand thought provoking way. However throughout thebook the question that springs to mind is what kind ofstudent would seek to understand strategic operationsmanagement by addressing these (research) questions?For example, take Chapter 4 ‘Towards a taxonomy ofoperations strategies’. The author has covertly sprinkledmuch incidental (but worthwhile) learning within thetext, and the author takes the trouble here to ground thechapter in the learning cycle and the concepts ofdeductive and inductive knowledge. (Although I thinkthe author’s intention was that inductive learning wasinference rather than as it appears in the text,interference). However I struggle to imagine a studentbody who would want to debate and understand thenature of operations strategy taking the authorsidiosyncratic approach (although I can see it working‘live’ in the classroom). I may be too influenced byMBA students, who want their courses in transparent,

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easily digested forms, succulently packaged, and with‘answers’.I see the book much more as a reader and of interest

to those who teach and work in the subject, rather thanas suitable for under or post graduates. To continue thesame example, based purely on what I read here, Ipersonally would still not be 100% sure on thedifferences between a typology and a taxonomy,students might fare better, but more importantly, it isnot made clear why this is so important to the (student)reader. If the idea of a typology is so central to studentgrasp of the material then this needs to be made clear.One can follow the interior logic of the book, but

repeatedly it seems the author launches quite advancedconcepts without prior discussion or definition. Forexample the book begins quite rightly with a compre-hensive discussion and definition of strategic operationsmanagement—but then discusses supply networks with-out comment (they are later discussed in Chapter 7).Another example would be the uninformative discussionof cellular manufacturing, p. 98, and also decoupling,p. 79, which is only followed up in the penultimatechapter, where push/pull supply chain processes aresuddenly and belatedly introduced. In fact too much ofChapter 4 reads like a list, with insufficient detail on keyconcepts. The author is not attempting a primer text onoperations, but I feel he has not quite managed thedifficult interplay between what existing knowledge andprevious experience can be assumed. (The ratherrudimentary nature of the think pieces for students inchapter one come to mind).For those who want to read a novel approach to

strategic operations management, the author’s particu-lar approach would be stimulating. Whether you agreeor not it is invigorating to read an author express astrongly held opinion on matters often treated withundue reverence. Lowson is scathing about the faddismand ‘claims of profound utopian benefits and catholicapplicability’ surrounding much supply chain thinking.He is also clearly not a big fan of lean thinking (p. 79).Such glimpses of the person behind the text enliven thebook from time to time but also lead back to theidiosyncrasy of the vision that drives the book.It is commendable that so much primary research

undertaken by the author is cited, but yet again thisleads to some very particular views and conclusions.Chapter 13 uses the author’s own research to put astrongly worded case for domestic (here UK) sourcing

ARTICLE IN PRESSBook review / Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management 9 (2003) 269–270270

being cheaper (in terms of total acquisition costs) thansourcing from low cost countries. However the finding,based on the data presented here, that UK prices couldbe 25% higher than low cost countries and it would stillbe better to source domestically is at least controversialand begs questions about the data sample. A supportingexample is based on three clothing retailers, using men’sdenim jeans. At the end of the chapter the author assertsthat their ‘axiomatic framework’ has been ‘widelyaccepted across a number of consumer industries’.In conclusion particularly if you prefer a logistics/

service/retail angle to operations, or are tired of moretraditional texts this could be a good read, however Ifind it too idiosyncratic to recommend for the majorityof students. Lowson incorporates value into strategicoperations well, and makes a good fist of the difficult

subject of e-business and operations, and the best of thebook relates to the areas he has most expertise on.Taken as a whole though, I found the parts of the bookbetter than the sum. Other readers though might place ahigher value on its originality. The book features avision of strategic operations management that is bothhome grown (as in European rather than American) andhome made. This fresh approach to standard materialmeans it would be worth keeping a look out for furtherwork by Dr Lowson.

Nigel CaldwellSchool of Management CRiSPS, University of Bath,

Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK

E-mail address: n.d.caldwell@bath.ac.uk