A number of historical milestones have shaped OM. Some of the more significant of these are the Industrial Revolution, scientific management, the human relations movement, management science, and the computer age
OM is highly important function in today’s dynamic business environment. Among the trends with significant impact are just-in-time, TQM, reengineering, flexibility, time-based competition, SCM, global marketplace, and environmental issues
OM works closely with all other business functions