Middle East Technical University/ODTÜ
Department of Business Administration
BA 5602
Operations Management
G109
W 14:45; 16:15
Instructor: Emre Berk
Office hrs: G 159
W 13:45-14:30; 17:30 MA315 (@ Bilkent University, Faculty of Business Administration)
Th 11:30 – 12:30, and by appointment
eberk@bilkent .edu.tr
www.bilkent.edu.tr/~eberk
Course description:
Examination of the nature and content of methods of quantitative analysis
employed in production/operations management decision making, introduction of analytical tools in
production/operations management problems encountered in practice. Topics include strategic impact of
operations management, global trends in operations management, design of production and work systems,
plant location and layout, quality management, supply chain management, queuing theory.
Prerequisite:
Familiarity with basic concepts of probability and statistics, and with computer use such
as word processing, spreadsheet applications and linear programming.
Textbook:
Hezier, J. And B. Render, Operations Management, Prentice-Hall, 2001 (6th Ed.) (Required)
Readings Packet. (Required/on reserve)
Mandatory reading:
Womack, J. P., D. T. Jones and D. Roos, The Machine that Changed the World – The Story of
Lean Production, Harper/Perennial, New York, N.Y., 1991.
Recommended reading:
Dertouzos, M. L., et al, Made in America – Regaining the Productive Edge, Harper/Perennial,
New York, N.Y., 1990.
Pisano, G. P. and R. B. Hayes, eds., Manufacturing Renaissance, HBS Press, Boston, Mass., 1995.
Babson, S., ed., Lean Work – Empowerment and Exploitation in the Global Auto Industry, Wayne
S. U. Press, Detroit, MI, 1995.
Hayes, R. H. et al, Dynamic Manufacturing – Creating the Learning Organization, Free Press,
New York, N.Y., 1988.
Grading Policy: The course grade will consist of the following components:
Midterm Exam 1: 25%
Midterm Exam 2: 25%
Final Exam: 35%
Class participation and assignments: 15%
The examinations will be given on the dates indicated on the syllabus. The Final Exam is intended to be
comprehensive. Make-ups will be given only under the conditions dictated by the University policies.
The course will be conducted with the expectation that all students will attend all lectures. All of the
assignments will be turned in individually by the each student.

A number of case discussions in class are intended to provide opportunity to apply codified
knowledge to real-life situations. In case discussions, active participation is expected of all students .
For case discussions, the students are required to type their responses/analyses to be turned in on the
day of discussion. Case preparation is an assignment for the individual and each student is expected to
turn in an individual case response/analysis. The cases are due on the day of discussion; non-attendees
are not allowed to turn in case analyses.
Punctuality and observance of instructions are essential for assignments. Assignments, which are late or do
not comply with the submission requirements, will not be accepted.
Plagiarism is defined as the action of using or copying someone else’s idea or work and pretending that
you thought of it, or created it. In order to conform to international academic standards, staff and students
must respect the individual thoughts, ideas or expressions of other authors in sources.
TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE
Week 1:
Readings:
Week 2:
Readings:
CASE:
Week 3:
Readings:
CASE:
Week 4:
Readings
Week 5:
Readings:
CASE:
Week 6:
Readings:
Week 7:
Readings:
Week 8:
Readings:
Week 9:
Readings:
CASE:
Week 10:
Readings:
CASE:
Week 11:
Readings:
CASE:
Week 12:
Readings:
Week 13:
Readings:
What is P/OM? Competitiveness and Productivity
Text, Chapter 1
Competitiveness & Operations Strategy
Text, Chapters 2 & 3
MTCTW, Chapters 1,2 & 3
“A Whirlpool factory raises productivity” (on reserve)
Productivity, Competitiveness and Strategy (contd)
"Competing through manufacturing" (on reserve)
"The Productivity paradox" (on reserve)
"Why some factories are more productive than others" (on reserve)
"Beyond world-class: The new manufacturing strategy" (on reserve)
“Agile manufacturing …”(on reserve)
“Chad’s creative concepts …” (on reserve)
Product and Service Design
Text, Chap. 5
MTCTW, Chap 5
Quality Management & SPC
Text, Chap 6 & Supplement 6
“Robust Quality” (on reserve)
“SPC at Motorola’s Austin assembly plant …”(on reserve)
“Successfully implementing SPC …” (on reserve)
Cranston Nissan (on reserve)
Raydale Conference Center (on reserve)
Production System Design: Process Selection and Capacity Planning
Text, Chap. 7
"Using Product Profiling to Illustrate Manufacturing-Marketing Misalignment" (reserve)
*
*
MIDTERM
#1
*
*
Job Design and Learning Curves
Text, Chapter 10
Learning Curve Handout (on reserve)
Production System Design (contd): Facilities Layout
Text, Chapter 9
Production System Design (contd): Location Decisions
Text, Chapter 8
"Efes Beverage Group Makes Location and Distribution Decisions for Its Malt Plant"
(on reserve)
Applichem (on reserve)
Supply Chain Management
Text, Chapter 11
MTCTW, Chapters 4 & 6
Inventory exercise (in class)
Harvey Industries (on reserve)
*
*
MIDTERM
#2
*
*
Supply Chain Management (contd) & Forecasting
Text, Chapter 4 & 12
"Making Supply Meet Demand in an Uncertain World"
"Sciagonian Ventures" (on reserve)
Supply Chain Management (contd)
Text, Chapter 14
Supply Chain Management (contd)
Text, Supplement 12
" The Realities of Becoming a Long-term Supplier to a large TQM Customer" (reserve)
"Getting Control of Just-in-Time" (on reserve)
CASE:
Week 14:
Readings:
"Does Manufacturing Need a JIT Revolution?" (on reserve)
“Pitfalls of Supply Chain Management” (on reserve)
The Dewey Stapler Company (on reserve)
Bill’s Hardware (on reserve)
Aggregate Planning and Scheduling
Text, Chapters 13 & 15
MTCTW, Chapters 7, 8, 9 & 10