Read the following case study based on Goldman Sachs and answer the questions that follow, not all the answers can be found in the case study, you may be required to conduct additional research.

Operations at Goldman Sachs Operations is at the core of Goldman Sachs. For every trade agreed, every new product launched or market entered, every transaction completed, it is Operations that enables business to flow. Operations is integrated within our businesses and delivers banking, sales and trading, and asset management capabilities to all our clients. We work to protect the accuracy and efficiency at every step of the trade. For example, if a company wants to buy a block of stock, Operations first ensures that the stock and payment are ready to be traded. Next, we make sure that the trade is settled properly and on time. And finally, Operations confirms that each trade is reported accurately to the buyer, the seller, the firm and the regulators. Along the way, Operations looks for anything that could expose our clients or the firm to financial loss, penalty or other risks. Operations does this for every transaction all around the world. Operations also aids in the design of the technology, the information flows and the processes that make it all work. We constantly monitor these systems and reengineer them to keep everything running as efficiently as possible.

Source Available at: https://www.goldmansachs.com/careers/divisions/operations/ [Accessed 10 February 2022].

Q.1.1 The extract mentions that operations are at the core of Goldman Sachs, support this statement by discussing the concept of operations management in your own words. (5)