Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
Operations Strategy
Tentative Course Outline: subject to some changes in cases and readings
2012-13: PGP Term-IV, PGSEM Quarter 1
Credits: 3
Faculty: LS Murty, D Block 106, 3044(O), lsmurty@iimb.ernet.in
Course Objective:
This course is intended to make the participants aware of the strategic role operations plays in
an organization. In the process, it brings out the strategic implications of the anatomy of
operations management; its linkages with other functional areas and corporate; and the
competitive strength of operations management.
Session Plan: The twenty sessions of this course are divided into five modules. Except for the
guest lectures and term paper presentations, a case will be discussed in each session and the
students will have to read the indicated Session Readings. These articles (refer Reading List
on p2) will not be directly discussed in the class, however, students are advised to read them
as the readings are supplementaries for the session and the module.
Module
I. Introduction: The
Concept of
Operations Strategy
II. Architecture
III. Systems and
Processes
IV. Technology
Session Date
Session Case
Session
Readings
Blitz Company
1,2,3,4,5
Blitz Company
(Contd)
American Connector
Company(A)
American Connector
Company(A)
Whistler Corporation (A)
(9-690-011)
Crown Equipment
Corporation: Design
Services Strategy (9-991031)
Lecture: Strategy
Formulation
Michigan Manufacturing
Corporation (9-694-051)
Stermon Mills Inc (5-693105)
ITT Automotive: Global
Manufacturing Strategy
(1994) (9-695-002)
1,2,3,4,5
1
6,7,8,9
10
20,21
11,12,13
14
19
Groups
submitting
case
analysis
V. Leading
Operational
Innovation: Role of
Senior
Management
VI. ‘Responsible
Strategies’
Delamere Vineyard (9-698051)
Indalex Ltd.
Australian Paper
Manufacturers (A) (9-691041)
The Poletown Dilemma (9389-017)
15
16,17,18
22, 23
Inditex Outsourcing at
Tangier (SKE099)
Starbucks and Conservation
International (9-303-055)
Project
Presentations &
course wrap-up
Reading List:
1) Michael E. Porter, “What is strategy?” Harvard Business Review, Nov-Dec
1996.
2) Wickham Skinner, “Manufacturing: Missing Link in Corporate Strategy”
Harvard Business Review, May-June 1969.
3) Steven C. Wheelwright and Robert H. Hayes, "Competing Through
Manufacturing", Harvard Business Review, Jan-Feb 1985.
4) Robert H. Hayes and Gary P. Pisano (1996), "Manufacturing Strategy: At
the Intersection of Two Paradigm Shifts”, Production and Operations
Management, Vol 5, No. 1.
5) Book Chapter: “Operations Strategy: Origins and New Directions” of
Operations, Strategy and Technology: Pursuing the Competitive Edge, by
Robert Hayes, Gary Pisano, David Upton and Steven Wheelwright, John
Wiley & Sons, 2005.
6) McLaughlin, Curtis P., Pannesi, Ronald T., Kathuria Narindar (1991), “The
Different Operations Strategy Planning Process for Service Operations”,
International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 11
Issue 3, pp. 63-76. [optional]
7) Wickham Skinner, “The focused factory”, Harvard Business Review,
May/Jun 1974, Vol. 52, Issue 3, p113-121.
8) Roger G Schroeder and Michael J. Pesch, “Focusing the factory: Eight
lessons”, Business Horizons, Sept-Oct 1994.
9) R Van Deirndonck and G. Brandt, “The focused factory in service
industry”, International Journal of Operations and Production
Management, Vol 8, Issue 3. [optional]
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10) Andrews Bartmess and Keith Cerny (1993), “Building a Competitive
Advantage through a Global Network of Capabilities", California
Management Review, Vol. 35, Issue 2; pp. 78.
11) Kit Fai Pun (2004), “A conceptual synergy model of strategy formulation
for manufacturing”, International Journal of Operations and Production
Management, Vol. 24, No. 9.
12) Swamidass P., Darlow N. and Baines T. (2001), “Evolving forms of
manufacturing strategy development: Evidence and implications”,
International Journal of Operations and Production Management, Vol. 21
No. 10.
13) Book Chapter: “A Manufacturing audit approach to strategy formulation”
by Platts KW and Gregory MJ, Manufacturing strategy- Process and
Content, by Voss CA, (Ed.), Chapman & Hall London, 1992.
14) Fernando C A Santos (2000), “Integration of human resource management
and competitive priorities of manufacturing strategy”, International
Journal of Operations and Production Management, Vol. 20, No. 5.
15) Pisano G and Wheelwright S, "The New Logic of High Tech R&D"
Harvard Business Review, Sep-Oct 1995.
16) Hayes R. and Pisano G., "Beyond World Class: The New Manufacturing
Strategy", Harvard Business Review, Jan-Feb, 1994.
17) Hayes R., "Strategic Planning-Forward in Reverse?” Harvard Business
Review, Nov-Dec, 1985.
18) John M Hobbs and Donald F Heany, “Coupling Strategy to Operating
Plans”, Harvard Business Review, May-June, 1977.
19) Insinga, Richard C., Werle, Michael J. (2000), Linking outsourcing to
business strategy, Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 14, Issue 4, pp.
58-70.
20) S. David Wu (2005), “Managing Capacity in the High-Tech Industry: A
Review of Literature”, The Engineering Economist, Vol. 50, pp.125–158.
21) Jan A. Van Mieghem (2003), “Capacity Management, Investment and
Hedging: Review and Recent Developments”, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 269–302.
22) Porter, Michael E. and Forest L Reinhardt (2007), “A Strategic Approach
to Climate”, Harvard Business Review; Oct2007, Vol. 85 Issue 10, p22-26
23) Michael E Porter, Mark R Kramer (2006), “Strategy & Society: The Link
Between Competitive Advantage and Corporate Social Responsibility”,
Harvard Business Review, Dec 2006. Vol. 84, Iss. 12; p. 78
Pedagogy
The course predominantly is case-based. The participants have to form groups
of size five each. Each group has to submit two case analyses. The groups have
to turn-in the case analyses (both hard copy and soft copy) before the
respective class begins. Also each group has to take up a project / paper for the
term, submit the report and make a presentation at the end of the term. There
are a few projects suggested in the handout “Project proposals for term paper”.
Each group may work on one of these topics or may choose a topic on their
own in consultation with the instructor.
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Instructions on timelines for group formation and project work:
Students are required to form groups of five and inform the instructor by email by nnth June 5:00 pm sharp. Subsequently the group number and
composition would be announced. All the groups are required to decide and
submit their project proposal by nnth July and submit an interim project report
by nnth July. The reports and presentations (hard copy and soft copy) have to
be submitted latest by nnth August.
Communication
All course related correspondence by e-mail should have POM125 in the subject line.
Evaluation:
Case Analyses (2)
30%
Project
35%
End Term Examination
35%
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