The students will also learn quantitative modeling tools to help him/her make better business decisions. In keeping with the rest of the curriculum, the material delivered in the first semester is more strategic, the material in the second semester is more tactical and the third semester covers operational issues.

In the first semester, the students are introduced to operations strategies and learn how these strategies mesh with corporate strategies. Next, they are exposed to the dynamics involved in managing the value stream through a series of lectures, case discussions, hands-on and computer simulations. Through these simulations, students get a clear understanding of the differences between push and pull systems.

During the second semester, students are introduced to lean operations, and the theory of constraints. The focus of these concepts is how to streamline the entire process by eliminating wasteful activities and by concentrating on a small number of key sub-processes in the entire system. The learning in these sessions is enhanced through a number of case discussions, hands-on and computer simulations.

The third semester material begins with some discussion on factory dynamics; this topic is concerned with the effective management of resources in the face of unpredictable events, or when the process does not permit a smooth flow of products through the manufacturing system. These sessions also provide an analytic explanation of why pull systems are better than push systems. There are a few sessions devoted specifically to problems that are unique to service operations in this semester. There are also a couple of sessions devoted to showing how some of the concepts integrate operations and accounting.

At various places in the curriculum, the students are introduced to quantitative techniques such as decision analysis, linear programming and queueing theory. These techniques are introduced in the semester where they fit best. For instance, decision analysis is a strategic analytic tool and is, therefore, introduced in the first semester.

The major learning objectives

1. The student will be able to offer useful insight on the development of operations strategies and explain its importance as a strategic weapon.
2. The student will be able to use quantitative models such as Linear Programming, Queueing Theory, and Decision Analysis to help him/her make better business decisions.
3. The student will be able to use lean thinking to re-design an existing process to make the product flow smoothly, by reducing all waste in the process.
4. The student will develop systems thinking and will be able to use the theory of constraints to both manage bottlenecks as well as decide which is the most profitable line of products to pursue.
5. The student will be able to design manufacturing processes that are relatively robust to the effects of variation by understanding the dynamics of push and pull systems and thereby how their limitations may be overcome.

Topics

• Operations strategies


• Value stream management and time-based competition


• Decision analysis


• Managing variation; push versus pull


• Queueing analysis


• Capacity and facility planning; materials requirement planning


• Site visits


• Lean manufacturing


• Integrating operations and accounting concepts


• Applying lean principles in batch operations


• Theory of constraints and linear programming


• Factory dynamics


• Service operations management