ALS 424
Business Operations

Operations Management is concerned with the production and delivery of goods and services to meet customers’ demands. It is one of the central functions of every business, government agency, and non-profit organizations. Sound and creative operations management can provide an important competitive advantage for firms to succeed in today’s marketplace. Successful companies need to have the capability of delivering high-quality products and services to meet their ever-changing customer demands in a timely and cost-effective manner. It has also been realized that the Operations function must integrate into the overall corporate planning and strategy to achieve such an advantage. Therefore, an understanding of operations management is essential for all managers, and a working knowledge about the Operational processes within a firm is an integral part of your MBS education. Students work closely with Operations these days, particularly due to the new direction the industry is heading toward, where manufacturing is increasingly being outsourced, and the two key roles left for American companies are Intellectual Property Innovation, and delivering goods and services to customers. Also, since the implementation of Sarbanes-Oxley act due to SEC regulations, many divisions are forced to learn how to work together. Furthermore, no business leader can have a complete grasp of their business without a balanced understanding of Operations. A perspective on Operations Strategy and Supply Chain Management will help them see the inner workings of their colleagues in Operations and will appreciate the planning and execution processes that directly affect their responsibilities.

The objective of this course is to develop a general managerial perspective on the role of operations management in the function of a firm, at both the tactical and strategic levels. The course will offer a broad survey of quantitative tools, concepts and techniques in managing operations, with particular emphasis on a number of major operations management issues that can significantly affect the competitive position of a firm in the marketplace. Through the discussions of these issues, the students can also develop a good understanding about how operations should interact with other functional areas such as marketing and finance.