Operations management is one of the main functions of a firm. The supply chain for the firm ensures the firm has the inputs needed to operate. Operations and supply chain management (OSCM) studies how a firm produces goods and services efficiently. As part of this graduate-level course, we will analyze the major aspects of business operations, including facility location, input procurement, demand forecasting, product and process quality control, manufacturing process analysis, project management, and inventory control. Other business courses, such as marketing or advertising, focus on specific functions of the firm. OSCM goes to the heart of what makes a firm tick. Basic questions such as how many workers to hire, how much raw material to have on hand to ensure no production shortfalls, and how many production shifts to schedule each week to meet forecast demand are part of OSCM. Likewise, OSCM includes deciding where to source raw materials and intermediate inputs (local, regional, or international), forecasting demand for these inputs, and ensuring production and service processes have the necessary inputs to operate efficiently. When there is a shock to operations – like when an overseas supplier of a key part is hit with a typhoon or when a labor shortage happens in a key production area – OSCM asks how the firm will react and what tools it will use to analyze and respond effectively. OSCM provides tools to analyze basic business functions, respond to business and market shocks, and mitigate risks associated with an uncertain production environment.
- Unit 1: Introduction to Operations and Supply Chain Management
- Unit 2: Process and Service Design Capacity Management
- Unit 3: Operations and Process Analysis
- Unit 4: Scheduling Model Analysis
- Unit 5: Demand Forecasting
- Unit 6: Process and Inventory Management
- Unit 7: Facility Analysis – Location and Layout Planning
- Unit 8: Supply Chain Distribution and Logistics
- Unit 9: Supply Chain Integration and the Bullwhip Effect
- Unit 10: Project Management
- Describe the fundamentals of productivity and how productivity is linked to operations and supply chain management;
- Explain the basic elements of operations management within the supply chain framework;
- Analyze complex cases in OSCM and formulate effective and efficient strategies to increase production output while maintaining quality;
- Analyze issues that affect the supply chain of a firm to suggest ways they might be addressed;
- Explain the importance of inventory control in ensuring a constant supply of production inputs to efficient operations management and minimization of production delays;
- Explain the significance of project management and project completion forecasts to the implementation of operations management;
- Relate the successful management of supply chains to the larger area of continual changes in external business conditions, such as changing modes of transportation, political uncertainty, and trade agreements;
- Describe the interaction between operations management and other functional areas of business; and
- Evaluate potential shocks to a supply chain and methods that would be appropriate to deal with each.