Which statement best describes the aim of an operations strategy?

• A. To maximize marketing reach
• B. To cut all costs regardless of quality
• C. To align operational capabilities with corporate strategy to achieve efficiency, quality, and responsiveness
• D. To keep production entirely in-house

Answer: (C)

The aim of an operations strategy is to align how a company runs its operations with the overall corporate strategy, so the business can operate efficiently, deliver quality, and respond quickly to changes in demand. This means designing and coordinating capacity, processes, inventory, suppliers, and technology in a way that supports the company’s strategic goals. When operations are in sync with strategy, decisions about what to produce, how to produce it, where to locate facilities, and how to manage the supply chain all reinforce each other to achieve lower waste, higher quality, and the ability to adapt as market conditions change.

Maximizing marketing reach belongs to marketing rather than operations. Cutting costs without regard to quality undermines long-term success, since quality and reliability matter to customers. Keeping production entirely in-house is a strategic choice that may or may not fit the overall plan, but it doesn’t capture the broader aim of coordinating capabilities with strategy to achieve efficiency, quality, and responsiveness.