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Original research IS OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT INCLUDED WITHIN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, OR IS SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT A PART OF OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT?Pages 185-196 Abstract
Operations Management (OM) and Supply Chain Management (SCM) are closely intertwined disciplines, yet academic and professional debates persist regarding their proper hierarchical relationship. This viewpoint paper argues that OM is best understood as a branch within the broader domain of SCM. Drawing on evolving definitions and theoretical frameworks, the paper outlines how OM’s internal focus on efficient transformation processes fits as a vital subsystem of the end-to-end supply chain system. Key theoretical foundations, including General Systems Theory, Porter’s Value Chain model, and the APICS Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) framework, all support a holistic view where operations are one component of an integrated value-delivery network. Through conceptual clarification of terms, the paper demonstrates that modern thinking subsumes OM within SCM. Counterarguments, including the view that SCM might fit within OM or that they are distinct domains, are presented and rebutted. The paper concludes with implications for theory development, future research, education, and managerial practice.
Keywords: Operations management, Supply Chain Management, General Systems Theory, Porter’s Value Chain model, and the APICS Supply Chain Operations Reference.
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M. P. Kovilake 
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