BE1401
Business Operations and Processes
_________________________________________________________________________________
Course Description and Scope
The operations function in an organization is responsible for the design and management of systems
concerned with the production of goods and services. Operations account for a significant
percentage of the value added and cost in any business. With increased competition, firms face
constant pressure to deliver timely and high quality product and services. Leading edge companies
have met these challenges by enhancing their competitiveness in business operations. Even a small
advantage in operations can be the difference between winners & losers in a competitive
marketplace.
The main objectives of this broad spectrum course are i) to gain an appreciation of the Operations
function and ii) to understand the fundamental concepts and techniques necessary for designing,
managing and improving operations and processes in both manufacturing and service industries.
Analyzing and continuously improving enterprise wide processes is critically important for achieving
world class performance in business operations. Hence the course will adopt a "process
management" viewpoint while addressing a variety of strategic and tactical issues. Topics covered in
the course include Operations Strategy, Process Analysis & Improvement, Process & Service Design,
Lean Operations, Inventory Management, Supply Chain Management, Quality Management and SixSigma Operations, Workforce Scheduling and Green & Sustainable Operations.
The course will use a mix of lectures, case studies, and problem solving exercises, to introduce the
students to the latest tools, techniques, issues and strategies in operations management.
Course Assessments
Components
Class Participation
Group Assignment
Quizzes
Final Examination
Total
Marks
10
10
20
60
100
Textbook
Most of the assigned materials will be provided online on Blackboard (http://edventure.ntu.edu.sg).
One should be able to follow the material taught using the assigned readings, cases and lecture
notes. However, if a student desires to have a reference text book, then either one of following
recommended books is a good choice:
Page 1
Distributed by Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University. All Rights Reserved.
1.
KRM: LJ KRAJEWSKI, LP RITZMAN and MK MALHOTRA, OPERATIONS
MANAGEMENT Processes and Supply Chains, 9th Edition, Pearson Global Edition,
2010, Pearson, ISBN 978-0-13-245891-7
2.
SCJ: N Slack, S. Chambers and R. Johnson, Operations Management 6th Edition,
Prentice Hall, 2010, ISBN978-0-273-73046-0
Proposed Weekly Schedule
Week
1
2
3-4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Topic
Introduction to Operations Management
World Class Practices
Operations Strategy & Competitiveness
Introduction to Process Analysis and Improvement
Process Analysis and Improvement
Little’s Law and Queuing Applications
Capacity Analysis
Product and Process Design
Service Design and Service Operations
Project Management
Work Force Scheduling & Operations Scheduling
Forecasting
Inventory Management – EOQ Model, Managing
demand uncertainty
Inventory Management – MRP and JIT
Supply Chain Management
Quality Management and Six Sigma Operations
Green and Sustainable Operations
Page 2
Distributed by Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University. All Rights Reserved.