While operations management was originally developed in manufacturing organisations, theory and method have been expanded to cover operations in service organisations. Key business functions include product design, resource allocation, location and layout of facilities, scheduling activities, materials and inventory management, process integration, technology selection, capacity planning and work force improvement. Quality management and the philosophy underlying this commitment receive particular emphasis.

Brief Course description  

This course addresses the management of operations in manufacturing and service organizations focussing on the critical decisions of operations management i.e. design of goods and services, managing quality, process and capacity design, location strategy, human resources and job design, supply chain management, inventory and material planning, scheduling and maintenance. The course will give students a greater understanding of the scope of Operations Management decisions and the types of tools that might be employed to help manage the decision-making process. 

Learning outcomes

Upon completing the course, the participants will be able to:

• Learn capacity planning strategies to manage in producing services and goods in industries, business and organizations may it be profit making or nonprofit making
• Apply and acquire knowledge in managing and scheduling projects 
• Learn how to make decisions by applying tools such as control charts, quality function deployment, house of quality, forecasting methods and inventory models in manufacturing and service industries. 
• Understand how to use quality management tools to analyze variability in processes. 
• Learn how to manage processes, design and develop supply chain distribution networks 
• Understand how to manage capacity and improve productivity
• Learn how to do benchmarking in industries 
• Learn how to manage efficiently the business operations by appropriate management of inventory, vendors, and resources 
• Make decision logistics planning 
• Know how to effectively communicate the results of business applications.

Course Content

• Operations and Productivity
• Operations Strategy in a Global Environment
• Project Management
• Forecasting
• Design of goods and services
• Managing Quality
• Process Strategy
• Location Strategy
• Layout Strategy
• Human Resources and Job Design
• Supply Chain Management
• Inventory Management
• Aggregate planning
• Material Requirements Planning
• Lean Operations
• Short-term Scheduling 
• Maintenance and Reliability

Text Book

Jay Heizer and Barry Render, Operations Management, 10th edition, Pearson, Prentice Hall, 2011 
(The book can be purchased from the USP Book Centre)