ISQS 3344 Introduction to Production and Operations Management
Spring 2014 Lab Syllabus
(Section 001, Room BA011, Tuesday 8:00-9:20A.M.)
Instructor:
Office, Phone:
Email:
Office Hours:
Websites:
Dr. James Burns
E306, (806) 834.1547
jim.burns@ttu.edu
By appointment
http://burns.ba.ttu.edu/isqs3344.htm
Lab Objective
The lab portion of ISQS 3344 is designed to give students an opportunity to experience
operations management in situations that will mirror real life operational challenges. Students
will take a product idea and develop it from facility location planning for the product
manufacture to addressing the challenges faced in everyday operations management. Students
will also learn to utilize quantitative operations management tools in a group setting in order to
help build operations management skills. The lecture portion of the course will give students the
building blocks necessary to research and present their product organizational management
plans.
Lab Outline
The lab will consist of the following:
 The lab class will be broken up into teams of three (3) or four (4) people for group work.
 Each team will give two (2) oral presentations (15-20 minutes each) during the semester that
together make up a single term project. Each team will assume the role of a group of
entrepreneurs soliciting funds from “investors” to start up a manufacturing company. Part 1
will introduce the overall plan (operations strategy, core competencies, mission statement,
product design, process selection), and include product demand forecasting. Part 2 will
discuss capacity planning and location analysis, just-in-time system implementation, facility
layout, and work system design. Please note that you don’t have to actually make the
product in real life; this is not an engineering class. For each group presentation, one group
will be assigned to critique the presentation and will be graded on the critique.
 In addition, groups will be required to turn in a project paper, which is nothing more than a
written version of the oral presentation that should follow the conventions of professional
writing (logical organization, concise style, correct spelling and grammar, etc.)
 Grading for the course will consist of the following:
300 Three 100 point exams (3rd exam on Finals Day: non-comprehensive)
100 Three homework assignments
150 Two group presentations in the Lab class (75 points each)
150 Two group papers in the Lab class (75 points each)
Lab
40 Grade assigned to each group member by fellow members
60 Attendance grade for Lab phase (attendance is mandatory)
800 Total Possible Course Points
Attendance Policy
My duty as an instructor in a business course is to prepare you for the so-called real world.
There, suddenly not showing up on a workday without any notice is not looked upon favorably.
Thus, each non-excused absence will result in a loss of 20 points up to a total of 60 out of the
800 points originally available. I recognize that life happens, however, so if you must miss class,
give me the reason for the absence within seven (7) calendar days of its occurrence and I may
excuse it. It is entirely up to me whether an absence is excused, except for religious holy day
observations and school-sanctioned trips (see the student handbook). Leaving the lecture early
without permission is automatically an unexcused absence.
Plagiarism
You are required to give me an electronic copy of each PowerPoint presentation and each written
presentation before a grade on your project can be issued. All PowerPoint and written
presentations are kept on file. If it is determined that you have turned in a presentation that is
someone else’s work, your grade for the assignment will be “0.” It is certainly acceptable for
your team to develop a product that someone else has used, just not a copy of someone else’s
work.
Email Expectation
I use email a lot. I expect you to email me questions if you cannot come by during office hours.
I may communicate outside of class using email “@ttu.edu address;” it is important to check
your email regularly. My suggestion is to check your email at least once per day to stay current
on what we are doing in the lab.
The above expectation is reasonable given the wealth of computing resources available to all
students. A list of all Texas Tech computer labs, as well as their hours of operation, may be
found at http://www.depts.ttu.edu/itts/labs/
Civility in the Classroom
I expect everyone to behave in a civil and respectful manner in order to create an atmosphere
conducive to teaching and learning. Talking while I am addressing the class is not acceptable,
nor is abusive language or behavior towards me or any classmate. Listening to music, web
surfing, texting, chatting, reading, working on course work from another class, or engaging in
any other activity not related to ISQS 3344 while in the lab is rude, and therefore also not
acceptable. The disruptive student may be asked to leave class and may incur an unexcused
absence.
Please turn your cell phones off, or at the very least put them in silent mode.
Changes to the Syllabus
The instructor reserves the right to adjust the syllabus as necessary in order to ensure that all
course requirements are fulfilled.
Syllabus Contract
I have read the preceding ISQS 3344 syllabus material carefully, including but not limited to, the
attendance, plagiarism, and civility policies, and fully understand what is expected of me.
Signature: _____________________________
Print name: ____________________________
Email address: _________________________
Date: __________________