This course provides a general introduction to operations management and supply chain management. Operations Management studies the process by which inputs of materials, labor, capital and information are transformed into products and services which the consumers are willing to pay for. These processes can be managed well or poorly. Knowledge introduced in this course will help you understand the reasons for both. Business logistics is primarily concerned with the efficient integration of suppliers, factories, warehouses and stores so that merchandise is produced and distributed in the right quantities, to the right locations and at the right time, and so as to minimize total system cost. This course will introduce you with the tools used in planning and coordinating a supply chain.
The main objective of this course is to introduce tools and techniques that are needed to understand operations and supply chain processes and to provide students with the ability to analyze and continuously improve these processes.
Critical and Integrative Thinking
Each student shall be able to identify key issues in a business setting, develop a perspective that is supported with relevant information and integrative thinking, to draw and assess conclusions.
Part 1: Operations management Operational decisions: scheduling in specialized workshops, point-of-order inventory management and calendar inventory management. Tactical decisions: material requirements planning (MRP) and just-in-time methods. Strategic decisions: project management, location, capacity and configuration of a production center.
Part 2: Corporate logistics External logistics: optimal transport management for the company, the minimum-cost transport problem, the shortest-path problem. Internal logistics: optimal allocation problem, inventory management in a random universe, load-capacity adjustment.
Part 1: Operations management 1 Introduction to operations management: definitions, classification of decisions, classification of production systems and main problems. 2. Scheduling in specialized workshops. 3. Order point inventory management. 4. calendar inventory management. 5. Production planning: the MRP method. 6. Dynamic programming applied to production planning. 7. Just-in-time planning: objectives and implementation. 8. Project management: scheduling and critical path analysis. 9. Project management: project scheduling and load calculation. 10. Production center configuration: balancing a line. 11. Production center capacity: choice under uncertainty. 12. Location of a production center. 13. Using mathematical programming and Excel solver. 14. Interpretation of the solution and post-optimal analysis.
Part 2: Corporate logistics 15. Introduction to logistics: definitions and scope. 16. Use of a logistics modeling language. 17. Transportation for business. 18. Maximum flow problem. 19. Minimum cost flow problem. 20. Shortest path problem. 21. Optimal assignment problem. 22. Calendar inventory management: the case of an entire demand. 23. Inventory management by reorder point: the case of a random universe. Production planning: capacity load adjustment.
Exercises to apply the concepts and methods presented in the course are offered at the end of each chapter. A commented exercise will be solved during the course. Students are expected to try to solve the other exercises themselves. A correction will be made available on WebCampus. A case study will be formulated and solved in groups using a modeling language.
Concepts and methods will be explained in lectures. Students will be invited to participate by trying to solve for themselves the application exercises proposed at the end of each chapter. A commented solution will be presented during the course. In addition, students will solve a case study in groups, enabling them to master a modeling language.
In the first session, assessment consists of two parts:
- Written examination of exercises applying the concepts and methods covered in the course (75% of the final grade).
- Submission of group work (25% of final grade).
In the second session, the assessment is made up solely of a written examination of exercises accounting for 100% of the grade.
Course presentations and complete exercise solutions will be made available to students on WebCampus.
| Training | Study programme | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor in Business Engineering | Standard | 0 | 5 | |
| Bachelor in Business Engineering | Standard | 3 | 5 |