Some factors like quality assurance (hiring labor), cost control (Infrastructure and political factors), supply chain management (Suppliers) and sustainable operations (Proper disposal of waste) are also important for an organization in order to compete in the global market and earn profits. The textbook also says a firm that produces its product with less raw material waste than its competitors has a low cost leadership.
According to the article there are many other functions that are not crucial for the organization but they help in the success of the business. Forecasting is a method to plan future operations by predicting future demand for products and services. As per the textbook focus forecasting tries a variety of computer models and selects the best one for a particular application. However, forecasts these days are rarely perfect specially made on the basis of demand.