-BUS 172a
Operations Management
COURSE SYLLABUS
(SUBJECT TO CHANGE, ALWAYS CONSULT LATTE FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE
VERSION OF THE SYLLABUS)
Fall 2015
Class Hours: Monday and Wednesday 8:30 am – 9:50 am
Location: TBD
Anita L. Tucker, DBA
Associate Professor of Operations Management
Office Hours: Monday 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
I am happy to meet with you on other days and times, just send me an email request.
Sachar 215
781-736-8542 (office phone)
atucker@brandeis.edu
Teaching Assistant: Simon Romano
simonrom@brandeis.edu
Office Hours and Location TBD
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Revision date: August 21, 2015
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Overview
Operations Management is central to value creation in organizations. It is the scientific study and
optimization of the processes that organizations use to create the products/services purchased by
their customers. To be successful, organizations must have reliable processes that are aligned
with their strategic positioning. They also must effectively design and manage their supply chain.
By taking this course you will gain the knowledge and skills to assess the efficiency of
organizations’ operations and make informed recommendations for improvement. The topics that
we will cover include: forecasting demand, project management, sales and operations planning,
quality management, lean production, inventory management and supply chain coordination.
Learning Goals
In this course, you will learn the fundamentals of operations management.
By the end of the course you will:
 Be able to apply the vocabulary, tools, and formulas used to analyze processes.
 Quantify the impact of variability on system performance, and determine strategies for
reducing variability’s negative impact on performance.
 Be able to identify opportunities for improving the performance of operating systems,
and know a variety of approaches to improvement (e.g., lean)
 Understand techniques used to determine inventory levels and manage supply chains.
 Understand how to manage supply and demand, and techniques for handling imbalances
between the two (e.g, delayed differentiation, flexible capacity).
Teaching Methods
The focus of the course will be on learning and applying fundamental operations management
principles and techniques. In our classes, we will use a variety of formats to deepen our
understanding including lectures, case study discussions and hands-on exercises. We will apply
what we learned in homework assignments and exams.
Course Prerequisites: BUS 1b and BUS 10a
Materials
This course will use the following book, which is required:
Operations and Supply Chain Management: The Core. F. Robert Jacobs and Richard B. Chase. 3rd
edition. 2013. McGraw-Hill Irwin.
ISBN 978-0-07-352523-5
The book may be purchased from Amazon.com, the Brandeis bookstore or any other bookseller
that carries it. There is also an online version of the textbook available.
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There is an optional online program called “Connect” which is a homework website that enables
you to get instant feedback on whether your answers to the end-of-chapter textbook problems are
correct or not. If your answer is incorrect, it gives you hints for where to look in the textbook to
learn how to do the problem correctly. Connect can be purchased in combination with the online
textbook. To register for this go to this webpage
https://connect.mheducation.com/class/a-tucker-fall-2015-2
You will also need to purchase two course packs from Harvard Business Press to obtain the cases
for the course. The first course pack contains the cases for the first week of class, while the
second contains the cases for the remainder of our course.
First case pack:
https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/access/37045827
Second case pack: (You do not need to purchase the optional audio packs)
https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/access/38769920
Grading:
Grades are based on several components.
Class Participation (20%). Class participation is determined by your preparation and active
engagement during class. Class attendance is required. If you are unable to attend class, please
let me know in advance, if possible, including the reason you are unable to attend. You will not
be penalized for one absence, but any unexcused absences beyond that will hurt your grade.
For class discussion, you are expected to actively listen, respond to questions, express your
viewpoints, and respond to comments from your fellow students. I will keep a record of class
participation for each student and assign a grade based on your non-verbal participation and the
quality and quantity of in-class comments. Attendance without participation will result in a C+
participation grade (assuming there is no more than one absence). High quality (e.g., contributing
analysis, synthesis) participation for most classes will be an A. Consistent, although not always
breakthrough participation will be a B.
We often use computers during class to go over problems. You will need to install the data
analysis toolpak and Excel “solver” on your laptop.
Homework Assignments (30%)
Assignments should be turned in via Latte, preferably in excel. Late assignments will be
accepted, but 50% of the score will be deducted if it is a week or more late (unless there are
extenuating circumstances such as illness or death of a close family member). Assignments are
due at the beginning of class. Your submission must be your own, but you can work with other
students while doing the homework. You may not utilize any prior work or notes that may be
available either in hard copy or on line by previous students of my class, or available more
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generally. I realize that sometimes there are solutions available online for cases, but if you copy
these, it will be considered plagiarism and you will receive a zero on that assignment.
To complete your homework, you will need Microsoft Excel. Please install two add-ins: the Data
Analysis ToolPak and Solver.
Exams (50%)
Exams are mandatory and may not be rescheduled. They are open book, open notes.
Communication
We will use Latte for posting course slides and for class announcements. Email usually is the
best way to reach me besides coming to my office hours.
Special Accommodation
If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to
have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class, please see me immediately.
Academic Integrity
It is your responsibility to be familiar with and to follow the University’s policies on academic
integrity. You are expected to be honest in all of your academic work. Examples of behaviors I
will consider dishonest include finding and using online solutions to cases and exercises, looking
at notes and assignments from students previously enrolled in the course or similar courses that
have the same content taught by other instructors, copying solutions from current students,
communicating with and or copying other student’s materials during quizzes and tests. Please
consult Brandeis University Rights and Responsibilities for all policies and procedures related to
academic integrity. Students are required to submit work to TurnItIn.com software to verify
originality. Allegations of alleged academic dishonesty will be forwarded to leadership at IBS, as
well as the Director of Academic Integrity. Sanctions for academic dishonesty can include a
failing grade on the assignment, a failing grade on the course, and/or suspension from the
university. Citation and research assistance can be found at LTS - Library guides (see
http://www.brandeis.edu/global/current-students/academic/integrity/index.html).
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Syllabus for Bus 172a
Date
8/31/2015
Day
M
Class #
1
Topic
Introduction
9/2/2015
W
2
9/7/2015
9/9/2015
M
W
3
9/10/2015
Thu (M sch)
4
Operations Strategy
and Performance
Measures
NO CLASS
Forecasting (Time
series forecasting
models, accuracy of
forecasts)
Forecasting
9/14/2015
9/16/2015
M
W
5
9/21/2015
M
6
NO CLASS
Sales and Operations
Planning
Process Capacity
9/23/2015
9/28/2015
9/29/2015
W
M
Tu (M sch)
7
NO CLASS
NO CLASS
Process Capacity
9/30/2015
W
8
Process Capacity
10/5/2015
M
Material
Case Study: Li and Fung: 2012
(HBS case 312-102)
Chapter 1
Case Study: American
Connector (HBS case 693-035)
Chapter 2
Assignment Due
Read the case before class and prepare
discussion questions posted on Latte
Read Chapter 1 before class
Read the case and be prepared to discuss the
questions posted on Latte
Chapter 3 Forecasting
Read the chapter before class, and the article
on Apple which provides an example of
companies using forecasting.
Chapter 3 Problems 2, 3, 4
(available on Connect)
Use excel solver
Chapter 8
Chapter 4
Chapter 3 Problems 12, 16, 22, 23
(available on Connect)
AE1: Developing an Aggregate Plan for
Bradford Manufacturing (Pages 270-271).
See Latte for more details
Process Analysis: 8007
Little’s Law
Capacity in Serial Production
Line type settings with single
or multiple resources
Case: Our Daily Bread
UV3497-PDF-ENG
Read the note on process analysis
NO CLASS
5
Read the case before class and prepare
discussion questions posted on Latte
10/7/2015
W
9
Material Requirements
Planning
10/12/2015
10/14/2015
10/19/2015
M
W
M
10
11
12
Review
Exam 1
Statistics Review
10/21/2015
W
13
Quality Management
10/26/2015
M
14
Six-Sigma
10/28/2015
11/2/2015
W
M
15
16
Project Management
Project Management
Chapter 10 Process Capability,
Statistical Quality Control
Chapter 10
Case: Ritz Carlton
(ColumbiaCU09)
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
11/4/2015
W
17
Lean Manufacturing
Toyota Case (693-019)
11/9/2015
M
18
11/11/2015
W
19
11/16/2015
M
20
Lean Production
Exercise
Waiting Time in
Service Settings
Inventory
Management: Single
Period Inventory
Model
11/18/2015
W
21
11/23/2015
M
22
11/25/2015
11/30/2015
W
M
23
Safety and Cycle
Stock Calculations
Inventory
Management
No Class
Strategy, Sourcing and
Purchasing
Chapter 9
Read the Brunswick Motors case, we will
complete the exercise in class.
Chapter 9 Problems: 2, 4, 5, 7
Read the case and prepare the discussion
questions.
Chapter 10 Problems: 1, 3, 4, 8, 9, 11, 12
Guest Lecturer: Steve Devaux
Chapter 5 Problems: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 13
(Potential) Guest Speaker
NOTE LOCATION: Hassenfeld Luria
Chapter 7 CT
Chapter 11
Homework problems: CT 6.1, 6.2, 7.3
Case: Scientific Glass (4208)
Chapter 11 Problems: 1, 2, 8-17
Chapter 13
Efficient and Responsive
supply chains, the bullwhip
effect
Larry Strauss Tentative Guest Speaker
6
12/2/2015
W
24
Supply Chain
Case: Barilla (694-046)
12/7/2015
M
25
Location, Logistics
and Distribution
Chapter 14 (pages 460-469)
12/9/2015
TBD
Dec 11-18
W
26
Review for Exam
Final Exam
7
AE: Global Sourcing Decision. Prepare a
short write-up or powerpoint slides that
summarizes your answers to the questions at
the end of the case. Submit your write up via
latte
Chapter 14 Problems: 3, 4, 5