FISHER COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING AND LOGISTICS
COURSE SYLLABUS
TERM:
Autumn 2012, Session 2 (10/12/12 – 12/4/12)
COURSE TITLE:
BUS M&L 4388, Warehouse Operations
COURSE TIME/PLACE:
M/W/F – Schoenbaum Rm. 305, 5:20 PM to 6:15 PM
CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
The study of warehouse operations focusing on facility layout, labor relations, warehouse
management systems, productivity improvement and measurement along with the impact
corporate and industry strategies have on warehouse operations.
Prerequisite: 3380.
INSTRUCTOR:
Scott Webber
Office Location: Fisher Hall, Room TBD
Office Phone TBD
E-mail: webber.84@osu.edu; or webber_84@fisher.osu.edu
Website: https://carmen.osu.edu
OFFICE HOURS:
By appointment and after class
REQUIRED TEXT:
Highly Competitive Warehouse Management, An Action Plan for Best-in-Class Performance North American Edition, 2012, Jeroen P. Van Den Berg, Distribution Group, ISBN 978-00915910-65-6, 712 Main Street, Boonton, NJ 07005
Warehouse Management – A Complete Guide to Improving Efficiency and Minimizing Costs in
the Modern Warehouse, Gwynne Richards, Kogan Page Limited 2011, ISBN 978-0-7494-6074-7,
Chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 only – BUSML 4388 Packet
Course lecture materials will include PowerPoint slides and industry journal articles. Class
materials will be made available on Carmen for downloading/printing prior to class.
COURSE OBJECTIVE:
Course will provide an understanding of the function of distribution and warehousing within the
Supply Chain as well as the primary processes and system infrastructure required to process
goods efficiently. Students will learn how and what their roles will be as a Manager within an
operation, from both text learning and actual application through facility tours and industry
practitioners.
COURSE FORMAT
This course will be conducted using a combination of class discussion, lecture, guest speakers,
industry analysis, industry visits, and review of text questions. Each lecture will cover the
assigned text chapter(s) and/or assigned reading. You are expected to attend all classes and to
be prepared to discuss and/or apply assigned readings. Students may be called upon to discuss
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assigned topics and concepts. In addition, students are expected to actively participate through
class room, tour, and guest speaker interaction – all of which will be taken into consideration for
development of student class participation points.
CLASS POINT TOTAL:
Grades will be based upon performance on the following:
Final E
Assignment
Final Exam
Quiz 1
Quiz 2
Quiz 3
Industry Visit (15)/Guest Speaker Attendance (10)
Class Participation
TOTAL
Points
200
50
50
50
25
25
400
Percentage
50%
12.50%
12.50%
12.50%
6.25%
6.25%
ASSIGNMENT DETAILS:
Exam (1): One comprehensive exam will be given. The exams will consist of questions drawn
from the text, readings, lectures, and industry tours. You are responsible for the material even if it
is not emphasized during the lectures. Pre-exam review will be held the day prior to the exam.
This review will focus on material which may be included in the test. Due to the nature of the
course and subject matter, exams may contain some comprehensive elements from guest
speakers and industry visits. There will be no make-up exams except in extraordinary situations,
which require approval 1 week before the scheduled exam. All tests will need to be returned to
me at the conclusion of the exam – else a grade of 0 (zero) will be assigned.
Quiz (3): Three quizzes will be given with questions drawn from the text, readings, lectures, and
industry tours. You are responsible for the material even if it is not emphasized during the
lectures. This review will focus on material which may be included in the test. Due to the nature
of the course and subject matter, exams may contain some comprehensive elements from guest
speakers and industry visits. There will be no make-up exams except in extraordinary situations,
which require approval 1 week before the scheduled exam. All quizzes will need to be returned
to me at the conclusion of the exam – else a grade of 0 (zero) will be assigned.
Industry Visits: During the course, we will have an opportunity to visit companies in the
Columbus area (as time allows). Companies are either a leader in their market utilizing efficient
logistics organization or a leader within the logistics industry. The objective of these visits is to
provide the student with a “real world” perspective of the logistics industry. Students unable to
attend an industry visit will need to notify me within 24 hours of the tour via email and complete a
written analysis of the selected company to gain points attributed to the industry tour. This written
paper should include; 1-company background, 2-key products/services, 3-industry market share,
4-key competitors, & 5-logistical organization. The expected deliverable consist of a 2-3 letter
sized, 1.5 spaced, type-written paper using 12 pt. Arial or Times New Roman font.
Guest Speaker Attendance: During the course, we will have the opportunity to host senior level
managers from leading companies in the Columbus area. They will provide insights to the
importance of logistics from a corporate perspective as well as current or emerging industry
trends in business. The objective of these events is to provide the student with a practitioner’s
perspective on the part logistics plays in his/her business. Students unable to attend need to
notify me at least 8 hours in advance via email. In order to gain points attributed to attending
Guest Speaker lecture, students obtaining an approved absence will need to complete a written
analysis of the speaker’s company. This written paper should include; 1-company background, 2-
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primary service/product, & 3-key competitors. The expected deliverable consist of a 2-3 letter
sized, 1.5 spaced, type-written paper using 12 pt Arial or Times New Roman font.
Class Participation: Participation will be based on attendance, preparation for class,
appropriate in-class participation during lecture, and quality of in-class participation.
ASSIGNMENTS AND DUE DATES
You are expected to approach each assignment with the professionalism required of you in the
“real” world. This is particularly relevant for your interactions with companies and as part of
fulfilling the requirements of this course. All assignments are due at the start of class, the day of
class. Additionally, assignments can be submitted via email or hard copy any time prior to the
due date. A 50% penalty will be assessed for submissions received after the start of class to 24
hours after the assignment is due (one day late). A 100% penalty will be assessed for
submissions more than 24 hours after the assignment is due. Correct spelling, grammar, and
punctuation are expected and will be considered in the grading of all assignments.
GRADING SCALE:
The grading scale is guaranteed. You will receive no less than the grade listed within the
appropriate interval.
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
E
Numeric Range
368-400 points
360-367 points
352-359 points
328-351 points
320-327 points
312-319 points
288-311 points
280-287 points
272-279 points
240-271 points
0-239 points
Quality Points
4.0
3.7
3.3
3.0
2.7
2.3
2.0
1.7
1.3
1.0
0.0
ATTENDANCE AND TARDINESS:
Class attendance will be taken formally during the first three weeks of the quarter to resolve
registrar scheduling issues. Going forward, students should consider attendance mandatory. I
may call on students by name to answer questions, respond to in-class exercises, or to comment
on key concepts. Missing these opportunities can result in a reduction in participation points.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
All tests, written exercises, and papers are to be your own work. Academic integrity is essential
to maintaining an environment that fosters excellence in teaching, research, and other
educational and scholarly activities. Thus, the Ohio State University and the Committee on
Academic Misconduct all students have read and understand the University’s Code of Student
Conduct, and that all students will complete all academic and scholarly assignments with fairness
and honesty. Students must recognize that failure to follow the rules and guidelines established in
the University’s Code of Student Conduct and this syllabus may constitute “Academic
Misconduct.” The Ohio State University’s Code of Student Conduct (Section 3335-23-04) defines
academic misconduct as: “Any activity that tends to compromise the academic integrity of the
University, or subvert the educational process.” Examples of academic misconduct include (but
are not limited to) plagiarism, collusion (unauthorized collaboration), copying the work of another
student, and possession of unauthorized materials during an examination. Ignorance of the
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University’s Code of Student Conduct is never considered an “excuse” for academic misconduct,
so I recommend that you review the Code of Student Conduct and, specifically, the sections
dealing with academic misconduct.
If I suspect that a student has committed academic misconduct in this course, I am obligated by
University Rules to report my suspicions to the Committee on Academic Misconduct. If COAM
determines that you have violated the University’s Code of Student Conduct (i.e., committed
academic misconduct), the sanctions for the misconduct could include a failing grade in this
course and suspension or dismissal from the University.
If you have any questions about the above policy or what constitutes academic misconduct in this
course, please contact me.
Other sources of information on academic misconduct (integrity) to which you can refer include:
 The Committee on Academic Misconduct web pages (oaa.osu.edu/coam/home.html)
 Ten Suggestions for Preserving Academic Integrity (oaa.osu.edu/coam/tensuggestions.html)
 Eight Cardinal Rules of Academic Integrity (www.northwestern.edu/uacc/8cards.html)
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT:
If you have a disability (as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act-ADA), and feel you
requires classroom accommodation or auxiliary aids, please inform me of your needs during the
first week of class so that I can take appropriate action.
COURSE DISCLAIMER:
The schedule, policies, and assignments contained in this course syllabus or on the course
website are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, class progress, or by
mutual agreement between the instructor and the students.
OTHER:
All cellular phones, pagers and other electronic communication devices are to be turned off
during class. Any electronic recording of the lecture or presentations is not authorized. The only
exceptions will be those authorized in writing by the Office of Disability Services.
EXTRA CREDIT:
You can earn 25 extra credit points during the course through incremental short essay questions
that will be added to each quiz (5 pts. each) and the final (10 pts.). These questions will be
focused on the application of learning – applying the concepts to a case study and/or open ended
question.
CLASS SCHEDULE:
Note: I may revise this schedule based on my work schedule, to accommodate class progress,
provide a more in-depth focus, or to take advantage of additional guest speakers should the
opportunity arise. We will attempt to stay as close to the below schedule as possible, Final exam
dates will not be altered.
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Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Date
Topic
Reading
10/12/12
Course Overview, Syllabus, & Introduction
Role of Warehousing and Distribution
10/15/12
Warehousing Overview
10/17/12
Warehouse Processes: Receiving and Put-away
RCH 3
10/19/12
Warehouse Processes: Picking Strategies and Equipment
RCH 5
10/22/12
Warehouse Processes: Order Picking Methods
RCH 6
10/24/12
QUIZ 1
10/26/12
Warehouse Processes: Replenishment to Dispatch
10/29/12
Warehouse Management Systems
10/31/12
Role of Warehouse Manager
11/2/12
Competitive Warehouse Management
11/5/12
QUIZ 2
11/7/12
Facility Tour - TBD
11/9/12
Effective Warehouse Management
11/12/12
NO CLASSES – Veteran’s Day
11/14/12
Effective Warehouse Management
VB 5
11/16/12
Process Efficiency
VB 6
11/19/12
Responsive Warehousing
VB 7
11/21/12
NO CLASSES – Thanksgiving
11/23/12
NO CLASSES - Columbus Day
11/26/12
Resource Utilization
11/28/12
QUIZ 3
11/30/12
Collaborative Warehousing
12/03/12
Final Prep/Review
12/05/12
FINAL
9
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Course Syllabus
RCH 1
VB 3
RCH 7
VB 4
RCH 2
VB 1
VB 5
VB 8
VB 9
Industry organizations and journal websites of general logistics interest
Source
Type
Website
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Governmental Agency
www.bts.gov
U.S. Department of Transportation
Governmental Agency
www.dot.gov
American Society of Transportation and Logistics
(AST&L)
APICS The Association for Operations Management
Professional
Organization
Professional
Organization
www.astl.org
Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals
(CSCMP)
Institute of Supply Management
American Shipper
Professional
Organization
Professional
Organization
Professional
Organization
Trade Journal
Canadian Transportation & Logistics
Trade Journal
http://www.americanshipper.c
om/asdaily
http://www.ctl.ca
DC Velocity
Trade Journal
http://www.dcvelocity.com
Inbound Logistics
Trade Journal
www.inboundlogistics.com
Industry Week
Trade Journal
http://industryweek.com
Internet Retailer
Trade Journal
Logistics Management
Trade Journal
http://www.internetretailer.co
m/home
http://www.logisticsmgmt.com
Logistics Today
Trade Journal
http://www.logisticstoday.com
Retailing Today
Trade Journal
http://www.retailingtoday.com
Supply Chain Brain
Trade Journal
Supply Chain Digest
Trade Journal
Transport Topics
Trade Journal
http://www.supplychainbrain.c
om/content/index.php
http://www.scdigest.com/inde
x.php
www.transporttopics.com
Reverse Logistics Association
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http://www.apics.org/default.h
tm
http://www.cscmp.org
http://www.ism.ws
http://www.rltinc.com
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