Operations Management 2600-BM-OM
Introduction to operations management (OM)
- definition of business operations and role of operations function
- history of operations evolution (snapshot overview)
- operations vs. projects and business processes
- transformation process model (inputs, transformation, outputs)
- operations in manufacturing vs. service organizations
- 4Vs framework (volume, variety, variation, visibility)
- operations performance objectives and Polar diagram
- ‘Triple Bottom Line’ (people, planet, profit) in operations
- assignment (individual): one-page operations snapshot of a selected organization
2. Operations strategy and process design
- role of operations strategy in competitive positioning
- order-winners vs. qualifiers (Hill)
- product-process matrix
- process types in manufacturing and service organizations
- basic process mapping using ASME symbols
- flow analysis and Little’s Law
- bottlenecks and capacity constraints
- assignment (team): team project initiation – organization selection and team contract
3. Capacity management and demand forecasting
- definition and role of capacity
- design capacity vs. effective capacity and utilization ratios
- Theory of Constrains (TOC)
- capacity planning strategies (level, chase, demand management)
- role of forecasting in operations planning
- overview of demand patterns and fluctuations
- basic forecasting approaches with emphasis on weighted moving average
- assignment (individual – worksheet, part 1): weighted moving average forecast
4. Inventory and materials management
- role of inventory in operations and the ‘water tank’ analogy
- type of inventory
- inventory-driven costs (IDCs)
- Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) and Reorder Point (ROP) system
- inventory review logic underlying reorder point systems
- ABC method
- assignment (individual – worksheet, Part 2): EOQ and ROP calculation
5. Operations planning and resource systems (MRP/ERP)
- hierarchy of planning
- dependent vs. independent demand
- Master Production Schedule (MPS)
- Materials Requirement Planning (MRP): logic and purpose
- MRP mechanics: netting and timing
- lead-time offsetting
- role of ERP (enterprise resource planning) in coordinating planning and information flows
- assignment (individual): part 3 (worksheet): 2-level BOM, 1 end item
- assignment (team): operations diagnosis of the project organization
6. Lean operations, Just-in-Time (JiT), and Kanban
- lean principles and objectives
- 7 types of waste (Muda) in operations
- Just-in-Case (JIC) vs. Just-in-Time (JiT)
- Kanban signaling system
- Poka-yoke (mistake-proofing)
- Value Stream Map (VSM) basics
- lean application in service operation
- Smart Factory Tycoon as an experiential illustration of flow, bottlenecks, and waste
7. Supply chain management (SCM)
- definition and scope of supply chain management
- Supply chain strategy: lean vs. agile (Fisher)
- supply chain relationships: adversarial vs. partnership
- Bullwhip effect and mitigation strategies
- beer game
8. Quality management and systems
- definition of quality: conformance to specification vs. meeting customer expectations
- service quality gap model
- Total Quality Management (TQM) principles
- Six Sigma and DMAIC methodology (overview)
- Cost of Quality (COQ) model
- overview of quality management systems: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, EMAS
- Assignment (team): operations improvement proposal for the project organization
9. Written exam
10. Final team project presentation
Important: each course participant will need to allocate significant amounts of time to complete course assignments and the final team project. Students will work on several individual and team assignments, and prepare team project to pass (=substantial workload). Therefore, the course is primarily recommended for full-time Business and Management students, as it might prove too difficult for incoming Erasmus exchange students, particularly students with no background in management science.
|
Term 2025L:
1. Introduction to operations management (OM) |
Type of course
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Upon the completion of the course, you will be able to:
- identify, map and analyze business operations of a selected organization,
- describe the scope, role, and evolution of operations management and contribution of operations strategy,
- use analytical frameworks and techniques including 4Vs framework, operations performance objectives (Polar diagram), process mapping (ASME), flow analysis (Little’s Law), bottleneck identification, capacity utilization, basic demand forecasting (weighted moving average), inventory analysis (EOQ, ROP, ABC), and supply chain flow analysis,
- present principles, benefits and limitations of operations management approaches including Reorder Point System, ABC method, MRP, ERP, JiT, lean management, Kanban systems, Poka-yoke, VSM, TQM, inventory-driven costs, lean and agile supply chains, Six Sigma (DMAIC), ISO 9001, ISO 14001, EMAS,
- apply core operations management concepts, tools and techniques to real-world cases and propose operational improvements,
- work in teams on solving practical business problems.
Assessment criteria
Students will be graded based on:
Individual and team assignments accompanying regular classes (30%)
Written exam (30%)
Final team project (40%)
In order to pass the course, students need to gain at least 60%.
The method of calculation of the final grade:
less than 60% - 2
60% - 67% - sufficient (3)
68% - 75% - satisfactory (3.5)
76% - 83% - good (4)
84% - 90% - fairly good (4.5)
91% - 97% - very good (5)
98% and above – excellent (5!)
Bibliography
Basic reading:
- Slack, N., Chambers, S., & Johnston, R. (2022). Operations management, 10th Edition. London: Pearson
Readings supplement the classes:
- case studies distributed in the classroom
- proposed readings available on internet
|
Term 2025L:
Basic reading: |
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: