Best Business Operations Research Books of 2025

Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations is an essential book for anyone involved in digital transformation. The authors provide solid guidance on what works, what doesn't work, and what doesn't matter. The book presents groundbreaking research, including data collected from the State of DevOps reports conducted with Puppet, to measure software delivery performance and what drives it. The findings and science behind that research are presented in an accessible way for readers to apply in their own organizations. Overall, this book is a must-read for management at every level in the tech industry.

This beginner's guide is a comprehensive and easy-to-follow resource for anyone planning to start and maintain a limited liability company. The author shares his own experience in starting businesses and provides invaluable insights into the common mistakes to avoid, including tips for managing the LLC successfully. The book covers everything from starting the LLC in six easy steps to finding strangers to invest in your business. It also includes a simple method for choosing the right structure based on your situation. Overall, this is an excellent resource for anyone looking to start an LLC.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • More than two million copies in print! The premier resource for how to deliver results in an uncertain world, whether you’re running an entire company or in your first management job. “A must-read for anyone who cares about business.”—The New York TimesWhen Execution was first published, it changed the way we did our jobs by focusing on the critical importance of “the discipline of execution”: the ability to make the final leap to success by actually getting things done. Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan now reframe their empowering message for a world in which the old rules have been shattered, radical change is becoming routine, and the ability to execute is more important than ever. Now and for the foreseeable future: • Growth will be slower. But the company that executes well will have the confidence, speed, and resources to move fast as new opportunities emerge. • Competition will be fiercer, with companies searching for any possible advantage in every area from products and technologies to location and management. • Governments will take on new roles in their national economies, some as partners to business, others imposing constraints. Companies that execute well will be more attractive to government entities as partners and suppliers and better prepared to adapt to a new wave of regulation. • Risk management will become a top priority for every leader. Execution gives you an edge in detecting new internal and external threats and in weathering crises that can never be fully predicted. Execution shows how to link together people, strategy, and operations, the three core processes of every business. Leading these processes is the real job of running a business, not formulating a “vision” and leaving the work of carrying it out to others. Bossidy and Charan show the importance of being deeply and passionately engaged in an organization and why robust dialogues about people, strategy, and operations result in a business based on intellectual honesty and realism. With paradigmatic case histories from the real world—including examples like the diverging paths taken by Jamie Dimon at JPMorgan Chase and Charles Prince at Citigroup—Execution provides the realistic and hard-nosed approach to business success that could come only from authors as accomplished and insightful as Bossidy and Charan.

The definitive story of Amazon.com, one of the most successful companies in the world, and of its driven, brilliant founder, Jeff Bezos.. Amazon.com started off delivering books through the mail. But its visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, wasn't content with being a bookseller. He wanted Amazon to become the everything store, offering limitless selection and seductive convenience at disruptively low prices. To do so, he developed a corporate culture of relentless ambition and secrecy that's never been cracked. Until now. Brad Stone enjoyed unprecedented access to current and former Amazon employees and Bezos family members, giving readers the first in-depth, fly-on-the-wall account of life at Amazon. Compared to tech's other elite innovators -- Jobs, Gates, Zuckerberg -- Bezos is a private man. But he stands out for his restless pursuit of new markets, leading Amazon into risky new ventures like the Kindle and cloud computing, and transforming retail in the same way Henry Ford revolutionized manufacturing. . The Everything Store will be the revealing, definitive biography of the company that placed one of the first and largest bets on the Internet and forever changed the way we shop and read.

The Business Case for AI is a practical guide for business leaders who want to implement AI in their organizations. The author, Kavita Ganesan, provides real-world examples to help readers identify high-impact AI opportunities, prepare for AI transitions, and measure AI performance. The book covers the Three Pillars of AI success and offers a systematic framework for testing and evaluating the value of AI initiatives. It is a simple yet compelling guide that does not require any technical knowledge. Overall, The Business Case for AI is a valuable resource for leaders who want to jumpstart their AI strategy or manage their AI initiatives for better outcomes.

Don't let a fear of numbers hold you back.Today's business environment brings with it an onslaught of data. Now more than ever, managers must know how to tease insight from data--to understand where the numbers come from, make sense of them, and use them to inform tough decisions. How do you get started?Whether you're working with data experts or running your own tests, you'll find answers in the HBR Guide to Data Analytics Basics for Managers. This book describes three key steps in the data analysis process, so you can get the information you need, study the data, and communicate your findings to others.You'll learn how to:Identify the metrics you need to measureRun experiments and A/B testsAsk the right questions of your data expertsUnderstand statistical terms and conceptsCreate effective charts and visualizationsAvoid common mistakes

"Working in Public: The Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software" by Nadia Eghbal provides a comprehensive and insightful look into the world of modern open source software development. The book examines the evolution of open source over the last two decades, its impact on online behavior, and its ramifications for individual creators. Eghbal's interviews with hundreds of developers, coupled with her experience at GitHub, offer a unique perspective on the challenges faced by online creators. The book also scrutinizes the role of social media platforms in reducing infrastructure and distribution costs for creators. Overall, "Working in Public" is a must-read for anyone interested in the dynamics of online creative communities."

After reading this book, you will be able to answer the following questions:What is Operations and Supply Chain Management and why is it important?What are the key functions within this field, and how do they interact with one another and the broader business? What are the responsibilities and decisions that managers in each functional area think about? How will disruptions in the Supply Chain impact the business world and our lives?A practical understanding of the dynamic, expanding, and evolving Supply Chains that make our daily lives possible.. Have you ever wondered what your peers meant by “Supply Chain” or “Operations”, or why either of these fields matter? What about people that work in these roles – what do they actually do? In Operations and Supply Chain Management Essentials, these questions and more will be answered.. This useful guide uses a hypothetical company and the consumer product they make, to explain how the various functions within the Supply Chain intertwine to bring a finished product to life for consumers in the market. You will understand the story of how new demands, changing preferences, and unforeseen circumstances force this fictional company to adapt in order to survive. Through this book, you will understand and appreciate how these activities, including logistics and warehouse management, make everyday products and services available at our disposal - and why this is increasingly important for companies to pay attention to. The simple format and non-technical language of this book will attract even laypersons looking for a quick, comprehensive overview of supply chain management.. About the SeriesThe Self-Learning Management Series is designed to help students, new managers, career switchers and entrepreneurs learn essential management lessons. This series addresses every aspect of business from HR to Finance to Marketing to Operations across any and every industry.