MAN 3504 - Operations Management Syllabus
Adjunct Instructor: Carol Ritchie
Contact Information:
Email: Ritchie.carol@spcollege.edu (use MyCourses for course related emails)
Instructor Web Page: http://www.spcollege.edu/instructors/id/ritchie.carol
Availability: Contact via email at any time. Available early mornings and evenings and will return emails typically within
24 hours (max. 48 hr.).
Background:
I have recently joined St. Petersburg College as an Adjunct in the College of Business. I received both my B.S. in
Industrial Engineering and my MBA at Southern Illinois University. I have over 18 years of experience in operations
management for a variety of organizations including the following industries: steel, household & laundry, food &
beverage and government. In addition, I have over 13 years of experience consulting for small businesses focusing on
operational excellence. I have a passion for teaching, motivating and helping others while concentrating on
improvement and exceptional results.
Communication Policies:
Students should always practice professional communications not only with their professor, but also with college
administration and their peers in the course (disrespectful and disruptive students may be removed from the course and
even suspended or expelled from the college). Blended students should silence or turn off all electronic devices during
class meetings. Professional communications should be used at all times which includes using an appropriate subject in
the title, as well as a greeting or salutation and closing signature in emails (not doing so is only suitable for family and
friends). Please understand employers are asking SPC to work with students on netiquette to help students grow better
communication skills needed for a successful career (see link for more tips).
Attendance Policies:
As the syllabus addendum states, instructors will verify and report student attendance in the first two weeks. Students
will be classified as ‘No Show’ if blended students do not attend their physical meeting or if online students do not
provide any submissions for each week. Students with attendance issues in both Week 1 and 2 will be administratively
withdrawn from the course and will receive a grade of W. As the syllabus addendum further states, students with
financial aid will be responsible for paying for the class if they have attendance issues these first two weeks.
Please understand skipping any of the assigned actions items and submissions as shown in the syllabus schedule may
result in students not being successful (earn 0 points) in the course. However more importantly students will not learn
the week’s objectives skipping these requirements. Later week lessons build upon prior week lessons typically leaving
students struggling if they skip the action items in a course.
Further in the week following the last date to withdraw with a W (see academic calendar), instructors will report
students who are not actively participating in the course. Students that have not completed the majority of the assigned
graded submissions in Week 3 through Week 5 (i.e. must complete at least two of the three assigned submissions, i.e.
Study Plan, Homework, and Quiz each week) will be reported as not actively participating in the course and will receive a
grade of WF in that following week. As the syllabus addendum states, students may withdraw themselves prior the last
date for a W (before completing 60% of the class), however if students receive any form of federal financial aid they will
be required to repay a portion (please speak to a financial aid counselor, see www.spcollege.edu/getfunds). Students
should review this college-wide policy further to understand GPA and financial consequences.
No late submissions will be accepted unless the student provides a documented excuse (i.e. family death certificate,
doctor's note, etc.). After verification of this documentation a late submission may be accepted as long as completed
within one week from the due date. Advance notice should be given to the instructor whenever possible to arrange for
further alternatives. Please note computer problems, travel, and lack of planning do not constitute an acceptable excuse
for not meeting a deadline. Students should review the syllabus schedule and plan their time (minimum 15 hours per
week per course) to complete the action items on-time (all deadlines are by 11:55PM EST).
Grading Policies:
Students should review the instructions and grading assessment rubrics included with assignments. Grading
assessment rubrics will be used for corresponding submissions and the instructor will send additional remarks or
feedback for all submissions within 7 days after the due date.
A grading curve may be applied at the instructor’s discretion. Incomplete grades fall under the Incomplete Grades and
Procedures of the college. Per SPC policy, for an incomplete grade to be assigned, the student must provide
documented evidence of the reason(s) or circumstance(s) for the extension, have a minimum of 80% of the course
completed, be considered in good standing in the course (i.e. C or better), and acknowledge in writing the plan to finish
the necessary work. In the event of an “I”, the instructor will provide the terms for all required work to be completed;
no later than the end of the sixth week of the next semester. After that time, a grade of “F” (or higher if the work that
has been submitted is adequate to justify the higher grade) will be assigned. Students with anything less than 80% of
the course completed will result in the appropriate letter grade being recorded.
Final Grade Distribution:
(total points earned)
A=
370.8 to
412.0
B=
329.6 to
370.7
C=
288.4 to
329.5
D=
247.2 to
288.3
F=
<
247.1
Course Overview:
This course helps students understand the entire enterprise and the role that operations management decisions play in
the tactical and strategic performance of the enterprise. Operations Management focuses on the activities or processes
used to create our products and services through the transformation of inputs to outputs across the value chain.
Students will understand key operating decisions and analytical tools which represent many growing career
opportunities in this core class.
Course Description from Catalog:
This course helps the student understand the decision science used to tackle problems across the entire enterprise in
order to improve productivity and quality across complex and dynamic systems. Students learn ten strategic operations
management decisions and the role of operations management has in creating a competitive advantage in service and
manufacturing organizations. Students will understand how to identify key factors impacting decisions and will be
exposed to analytical tools to aid in decision making.
Prerequisites:
CGS 1100 and admission to the Banking BAS, Business Administration BS, International Business BAS, Management and
Organizational Leadership BAS, Sustainability Management BAS, Technology Management BAS, Business Technology
Education BS, or Educational Studies BS program. 47 contact hours. A working knowledge of algebra is required, while it
is encouraged that students know some probability and statistics (will be reviewing during course).
Weekly Learning Objectives:
Week 1: Evaluate the tactical impact that operations management decisions have in implementing an organization’s
strategy by:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
discovering the role operations have in services and goods
analyzing the variables associated to productivity and how it is measured
examining strategic options for a competitive advantage through operations
describing the ten key operations management decisions
critiquing key success factors and core competencies that are enabled through the execution of operations management decisions
synthesizing supply chain strategies and using factor rating to evaluate key decisions
examining case studies to compare enterprise applications of operations management decisions and strategies
Week 2: Analyze how project management and forecasting tools are used to better manage operations by:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
differentiating how to plan, schedule, and control projects across operations.
applying Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) to define a work breakdown structure (WBS) and develop a Gantt chart
schedule that illustrates relationships between activities in a project.
assessing the critical path across a network diagram for a project to determine slack time and project crashing needs.
evaluating trade-offs, risks, and estimates to time and/or cost project objectives, as well as probability and confidence levels for project
completion.
specifying the importance of forecasting, as well as the types, steps, and approaches used across supply chains.
evaluating problems and examining case studies.
Week 3: Examine product/service design, sustainability in the supply chain, and quality management strategies by:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
comparing various design and process strategies, as well as the product life cycle.
analyzing how products and services are designed to create value for the customer by integrating diverse expectations, technology, and
sustainability needs.
demonstrating decision making tools creating decision trees and evaluated Expected Monetary Value (EMV).
synthesizing corporate social responsibility and sustainability practices and the impact on operating decisions.
differentiating probability distributions and attributes versus variables to understand statistical quality control and customer service
levels.
examining cost of quality, quality certifications, continuous improvement, benchmarking, taguchi loss function, service
warranty/guarantee and recovery, and other quality management strategies.
using quality tools to analyze variation and quality issues for prioritization and improvement needs, as well as for idea generation and
team building needs.
determining process capability and control chart limits for statistical process control, as well as building spreadsheet models to analyze
quality.
evaluating problems and examining case studies.
Week 4: Examine process management and assess layout and location strategies by:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
assessing methods to define processes using flowcharts, process maps, value stream maps, process charts, and service blueprinting.
demonstrating process capacity, utilization, efficiency, and bottlenecks to improve product, service, and process decisions.
determining the importance and factors that affect location decisions.
discovering methods used to evaluate location alternatives and strategies.
evaluating layout types, servicescapes, software modeling, cellular design, work load balancing, and efficient flow strategies.
evaluating problems and examining case studies.
Week 5: Assess human resources decisions and examine supply chain management and inventory management
strategies used to create value for the customer by:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
integrating labor planning, scheduling, policies, job design, ergonomics, methods analysis, visual workplace, labor standards, and other
human resource strategies.
evaluating sourcing, risks, ethics, vendor selection, logistics (transportation and distribution), performance measurement, economics, and
other supply chain strategies.
analyzing issues and strategies to integrate supply chains across complex systems.
developing transportation models to minimize shipping cost.
recognizing types, functions, importance, and models used to manage inventory.
applying queuing theory to understand waiting line systems and performance.
evaluating problems and examining case studies.
Week 6: Examine planning and scheduling strategies used in various operations, as well as how information technology
enables operating decisions by:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
distinguishing sales & operations planning (S&OP), chase versus level strategies, and yield management strategies.
critiquing the role, importance, and impact that information technology has on enabling and integrating various operating decisions.
examining dependent vs. independent demand, master production schedule (MPS), bill of material (BOM), inventory management,
purchase/work orders, lead-time, lot-sizing, and other operating system requirements.
classifying material requirements planning (MRP), capacity planning, distribution requirement planning (DRP), warehouse management
systems (WMS), and other extensions (i.e. MRPII) in closed-loop feedback systems.
explaining how enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are used to support supplier relationship management (SRM), customer
relationship management (CRM), financial and accounting needs, and other operation decisions to integrate enterprise-wide resources.
analyzing short-term scheduling importance, issues, assignment, sequencing, input-output control, and capacity decisions.
identifying emerging technology, modeling, and simulation systems used to enable operation decisions and enhance value chain
performance across the enterprise.
8.
9.
describing advantages and disadvantages of modeling with simulation.
evaluating problems and examining case studies.
Week 7: Assess how lean operations, maintenance, and reliability, as well as other tools enable operating decisions by:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
specifying waste and variability issues to resolve in order to support just-in-time and lean operations.
recommending layout, human resource, supplier partnerships, performance metrics, inventory and setup reduction, pull/kanban
systems, standard work, and other strategies for continuous improvement.
identifying the importance of maintenance and reliability, as well as techniques used to enhance it.
formulating linear program problems with solution methods and sensitivity analysis.
defining and computing learning curves understanding the strategic implications they have on operation decisions.
evaluating problems and examining case studies.
Week 8: Connect and integrate lessons learning on Operations Management through a comprehensive final exam.
Required Materials
Required Textbook:
Operations Management: Sustainability and Supply Chain Management
by Jay Heizer and Barry Render (11th edition, 2014)
MyOMlab Access Code
by Pearson MyLab & Mastering
*The publisher offers this textbook in several formats*. The eText or Student Value Edition (unbound pages, 3 hole
punched) with MyOMlab access code is bundled together at the SPC bookstore. Students may also purchase MyOMlab
with an eText online during the registration process that will follow the syllabus in the course introduction. This
Brightspace (MyCourses) course will require students to use (or create) a Pearson username and password to complete
the purchase and/or registration process for MyOMlab (no Course ID is required to complete the MyOMlab registration
process in this MyCourses system). In the MyOMlab Kiosk under Course Home (after registration), students may order a
print option (Student Value Edition) for $55 which includes free shipping (typically 3 days for delivery from Pearson).
Students that purchase a used text must make sure they have MyOMlab access too (may purchase MyOMlab separately
during the registration process). During the MyOMlab registration process note that Pearson does offer a free
temporary access to MyOMlab for 14 days (includes eText).
Students may take further classes that use the concepts in this course (i.e. ETI 3116, ETI 3647, MAN 4570, QMB 3200,
Capstone, and other COB courses). This textbook and its supporting decision science software may be useful in these
other classes (so plan your course schedule and needs accordingly).
Computer Requirements:
Students should have regular access to a computer that is connected to the Internet. It is strongly recommended that
students have a broadband (high-speed) internet connection such as DSL or a cable modem. When viewing online videos
or taking online quizzes/tests and doing homework, students should have an internet connection that is stable and will
not drop their connection. Students without a stable high-speed internet connection should consider making
arrangements to use alternative means (i.e. St. Petersburg College library or a similar facility) where a stable high-speed
internet connection is available. Please note student computer problems do not constitute an acceptable excuse for
missing a submission deadline (procrastinating until the due date increases risks that students may miss or do poor on
required submissions).
Students are responsible for making sure their computers are compatible to the system requirements. Internet browser
use and settings, security and virus protection software settings, necessary plug-ins and software requirements, and
other computer requirements today require students to assure the computer they are using for their studies will
appropriately support these systems and course needs to be successful. Students should contact SPC Technical Support
if they need further assistance to get anything in this course to run appropriately on their computer.
SPC Technical Support Desk Call Center
http://www.spcollege.edu/helpdesk/
A standard file format applies to submissions in the College of Business to support file compatibility, sharing, and
commenting needs. Students are required to submit all assignments in Microsoft Office formats (Word, Excel,
PowerPoint, and other Microsoft formats). Other formats may have compatibility issues or instructor feedback in
comments may not be viewable by students. Students can access MySPC (under Resources tab) to get MS Office
(FREE, see http://www.spcollege.edu/microsoft).
ExcelOM and POM for Windows are available to students in the Download Center of MyOMlab. This decision science
software may support students with study plan and homework submissions. ExcelOM is offered for both Windows and
Mac users (must have Excel on the computer for this Add-in to function). Mac uses may also download Windows (FREE)
through MySPC (under Resources tab) to use POM for Windows. Students also have their Live@edu accounts which
offers MS Office (won't enable use of ExcelOM Add-in), SkyDrive, and other resources
(see http://www.spcollege.edu/pages/dynamic.aspx?id=1204) that may be helpful in classes.
It is required that students must have access to a web camera and headset microphone to support video submissions.
Students should arrange for the necessary equipment if they intend to earn full credit for those submissions or plan to
attend the blended class in-person. Students may have other options (see instructor, i.e. Skype) or be able to schedule a
physical presentation at another time period (i.e. office hours) as an alternative.
Schedule
Students should use the MyCourses Calendar for specific dates. This schedule covers the weekly action items all
students need to complete (at a minimum, additional study resources are not listed on this schedule*). All submission
deadlines are 11:55PM EST and each week plans the minimum 15-18 hours for learning standards. Students are
encouraged to print and follow this schedule over the course as restrictions on course content will prevent some items
from showing on your MyCourses Calendar until students have completed the requirements. Alterations may be made
as the need arises in the judgment of the professor.
*
Additional study resources include; Study Plan pencast and videos under Course Content in Watch Tutorials (as
needed), Lectures under the Course Content, Dynamic Study Modules for each chapter in the MyOMlab Kiosk (access
through MyOMlab Course Home, can download mobile ap), Study Plan concept questions for each chapter in the
MyOMlab Kiosk (must do at least 2 problems), Flashcards in the MyOMlab Kiosk MyOMLab Multimedia Library for each
chapter, Chapter Case Videos in Multimedia Library, Other Resources under the Course Content (i.e. math, etc.), Sample
Tests for each chapter in the MyOMlab Kiosk Quiz/Test, and more. Students struggling with submissions should review
their studying practices to plan further time with these study resources to enable improvement .
Syllabus Addendum:
http://www.spcollege.edu/addendum/index.php
College-wide polices are strictly enforced including expectations regarding enrollment, financial obligations, attendance,
disability resources, student conduct, MyCourses use, academic honesty, safety and security, student concerns, and
other support services in this course. All students are expected to apply these standard requirements in every course.
This syllabus addendum is located in the Additional Resources on the MyCourses My Home page, as well as the SPC
Resources on each Course Home page. This addendum specifically focuses on How to Be A Successful Student.
The instructor has the authority to remove disruptive students and delete any inappropriate posts or materials. Students
with continued issues based on these topics may face disciplinary action. All materials in the course are subject to
copyright law and are only available to students for use in their studies and should not be copied or shared outside the
course. Students should first speak to their instructor to resolve any concerns they may have on the course.
Academic Honesty:
http://www.spcollege.edu/academichonesty/
College-wide polices that all students agree to adhere to upon enrollment at SPC in every course. Students should
closely read the policies and examples as violations regarding cheating, plagiarism, bribery, misrepresentation,
conspiracy, fabrication, collusion, duplicate submission, academic misconduct, improper computer/calculator use,
improper online, TeleWeb, and blended course use, disruptive behavior, and confidentiality will not be accepted in this
course. This academic honesty policy is located in the Additional Resources on the MyCourses My Home page, as well as
the SPC Resources on each Course Home page.
As highlighted in the syllabus addendum, failure to meet this honor code will result in academic and disciplinary action.
This may mean a zero on an assignment (reported to the Dean), an F in the course, or even expulsion from the College.
As members of the College community, students also have an ethical obligation to report violations of the SPC academic
honesty policies they may witness. In addition, students that receive assistance from a tutor must ensure that any work
submitted in class is the student’s own.
Course Content:
The course is broken down into 8 weekly modules designed to provide the student with an overview of operations
management. This is a survey class to introduce students to the key operations management decisions and analytical
tools. A variety of learning activities are designed for the student to gain an understanding of the core concepts
used for effective operations management that every organization must execute to support their strategic ability to
compete in today's global marketplace. Regardless of whether an organization is public vs. private or service vs.
manufacturing, operations management is vital for success.
1. Lectures/Tutorials – Video produced online lectures (optional) will supplement the textbook reading with a case
study to help students understand the weekly modules. Additional tutorials will support completing study plan
problems (analytics similar to homework problems). Online students are required to watch these tutorials while
it is encouraged for blended students (students may NOT have time to cover everything in the blended class
meeting). Hands-on activities (simulations), classroom discussions, other problems, etc. are used in blended
classes to help students further understand and apply the lessons each week.
2. Textbook – Students are assigned weekly readings from the textbook (be sure to follow the scheduled chapters,
supplements, and modules listed in the syllabus schedule with the page numbers each week). Blended students
should complete the assigned reading prior attending their in-class meeting.
3. MyOMLab Kiosk - MyOMlab access is bundled with the textbook at the bookstore (see required
materials). Students need to follow the Pearson registration instructions to enable this kiosk after successfully
completing the Introduction Quiz. Additionally a MyOMLab Tutorial (required) is provided which illustrates how
to use MyOMlab for the requirement of this course. Students will use MyOMlab to complete study plans,
homework, and quizzes/exam submissions.
4. Study Plans - Students need to complete at least two study plan problems (math/analytics) successfully in each
chapter, supplement, and module in MyOMlab for this grade category (study plan sub-sections are marked with
1 point possible). There are learning aids in MyOMlab to help students solve these problems, along with
textbook examples and further study plan tutorials under the Course Content. The 'Watch Tutorials (as needed)'
resources will demonstrate solving select study plan problems both manually (pencasts) and with POM for
Windows/ExcelOM (videos). Students are encouraged to complete these study plan problems first after their
textbook readings to learn and practice the decision analysis methods before attempting homework
problems. Additionally in the Multimedia Library are the ExcelOM textbook example data files and additional
practice problems. Students have unlimited attempts to complete study plan problems (getting an algorithmic
variation with other data). Study plan points are not posted in MyCourses until after the due date. Further study
materials are available to support quiz questions to learn terminology and key concepts in MyOMlab in other
study plan sub-sections, as well as in the Dynamic Study Modules, and Multimedia Library chapter flashcards
or PowerPoint summaries.
5. Quizzes/Exam – Students will take weekly quizzes in MyOMlab to assess their knowledge gained from their
reading. The quiz questions focus on the key terms and concepts in the assigned reading for each
week. Students have 50 minutes to answer 25 questions on each quiz. Students may retake a quiz 3 times
(getting different questions each time) to improve their grade. The maximum score at the end of the week is
used for the grade book after the due date. Students should review weekly quizzes after the due date for errors
to prepare for the final exam. In Week 8 there is a comprehensive Final Exam that will open after students finish
Quiz 7 and Homework 7. This Final Exam will close at the end of Thursday in Week 8 to support final grade
reporting needs. This Final Exam has one-third study plan/homework type problems and two-third
terminology/concept type questions. Students get one attempt for this Final Exam (max. 3.5 hr.).
6. Homework - Students will complete assigned homework problems in MyOMlab each week. Students should
practice problems in study plans first to learn the decision analytics similarly required for these homework
problems. Students have the ability to redo a homework problem once (getting an algorithmic variation with
other data) to improve their grade (total of two attempts per problem). If students use a learning aid for
homework problems it however reduces the number attempts available by one. The maximum score at the end
of the week is used for the grade book.
7. Case Studies - Students (online) will complete case studies that are graded in Week 3 and Week 7. This is
designed to help the student relate the operating management concepts and analytics to actual businesses. The
textbook includes case studies (videos on cases are in MyOMlab Multimedia Library) which will be used with this
submission. Students will also have to complete additional company/industry research for this
assignment. These case studies may be completed over the course however students will have to meet specific
Week 3 and Week 7 submission deadlines. These case studies are required for online students. Blended
students will not complete these case studies but these students will earn the same points through blended
class participation instead for this grade category.
Additional Notes:
1. Office of Disability Resources - students with a documented disability should follow up with their professor on any
accommodation needs by the first day of class. For additional assistance, please see Disability Resources at:
http://www.spcollege.edu/dr/.
2. Tutors – available online and on-site at the Learning Centers: http://www.spcollege.edu/tutoring/. These resources
are FREE may be helpful with writing (including APA format), math, and computer skills needed for this
course. Students should talk to their professor if they need additional assistance (or plan to take this class blended).
3. Computer Labs – available on most campuses for course needs: http://www.spcollege.edu/computerlabs/.
4. Financial Assistance – services to guide students on grants, scholarships, employment, and loans at:
www.spcollege.edu/getfunds.
5. Libraries – available online and on-site at 8 campuses: www.spcollege.edu/libraries/.
6. Academic Advising – assist with academic planning for course sequencing, selection, registration, transfer and other
requirements: http://www.spcollege.edu/advising/.
7. Student Services – other business, academic, and campus services are available:
http://www.spcollege.edu/services/. This includes a variety of services available with links on offerings for veterans,
counseling (3 FREE sessions per year, see http://www.spcollege.edu/referrals/), English classes, student ID, career
services (includes internships) and other assistance.
8. Academic Calendar - plan the year: https://www.spcollege.edu/calendar/.
9. Campus Safety –information on emergencies and other policies: http://www.spcollege.edu/safety/. Blended
students that need an escort to their car or to report an issue on any campus, call Campus Security at 727-791-2560.
10. SPC Students - further questions, services, and student life information: http://www.spcollege.edu/students/.