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2013/2014  BA-BHAAV5005U  Operations Management - Enhancing Competitiveness through Operational Effectiveness

English Title
Operations Management - Enhancing Competitiveness through Operational Effectiveness

Course information
Language English
Exam ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Bachelor
Duration One Semester
Course period Spring, Third Quarter
Changes in schedule may occur.
wednesday 8.00-10.35 week 5-6,8,10-12 and
thursday 11.40-14.25 week 5-6,8,10-12
Time Table Please see course schedule at e-Campus
Study board
Study Board for BSc in Economics and Business Administration
Course coordinator
  • Juliana Hsuan - Department of Operations Management (OM)
Main academic disciplines
  • Business psychology
  • Finance
  • Business Ethics, value based management and CSR
  • Globalization, International Business, markets and studies
  • Information Systems
  • Innovation and entrepreneurship
  • Management
  • Supply Chain Management and Logistics
  • Marketing
  • Experience economy and service management
  • Organization
  • Economics, macro economics and managerial economics
Last updated on 13-05-2014
Learning objectives
The course objective is to provide the students with an understanding of how the principles, theories and concepts of Operations Management can be used to improve operational effectiveness and enhance competiveness. The task of managing a firm involves making tradeoffs among a range of interrelated decisions which have a major impact on performance. This task is at the heart of any organization and is what Operations Management is concerned with - the activity of managing the resources of the organization that deliver goods and services. After completing the course the students should be able to:
  • The student should be able to account for the theories, tools, concepts, and methodologies of Operations Management presented in the course
  • The student should be able to identify and analyze concrete issues of Operations Management in firms in order to resolve these by applying the theories, tools, concepts and methodologies
  • The students should be able to define the scope and limitations of Operations Management in relation to related fields in production, services, processes, and innovation
  • The students should be able to evaluate case situations and provide clear recommendations
Examination
Individual oral exam based on synopsis:
Examination form Oral exam based on written product

In order to participate in the oral exam, the written product must be handed in before the oral exam; by the set deadline. The grade is based on an overall assessment of the written product and the individual oral performance.
Individual or group exam Group exam, max. 4 students in the group
The oral exam will be held individually.
Size of written product Max. 10 pages
If the student writes the synopsis individually the student must hand in max 5 pages. If the group consists of 2-4 students the students must hand in max 10 pages.
Assignment type Synopsis
Duration
Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
20 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade, and informing plus explaining the grade
Grading scale 7-step scale
Examiner(s) Internal examiner and second internal examiner
Exam period May/June
Aids allowed to bring to the exam Closed Book
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Course content and structure
In order to achieve efficiency and thereby advantage over the competition, firms need to introduce and operate the most reliable, consistent and repeatable processes for utilizing the organizational resources. To do so you need principles and methods to guide decision making in increasingly complex environments. Such decisions involve, for instance:
  • Directing the organization towards achieving its goals by aligning activities and resources with strategy and innovation
  • Designing the goods and services through which the organization competes in the marketplace along with the processes through which these are delivered.
  • Managing the resources of the organization to effectively meet the demand of its goods and services
  • Improving the performance operation to continually enhance the competitiveness of the firm
The course will provide the students with principles, theories and concrete methods to address the challenges above. The course does not concentrate on a single issue, but discusses various themes and problems involving strategic as well as operational managerial activities such as:
  • Operations Strategy
  • Innovation
  • Supply Networks Design
  • Designing Supplier Relationships
  • Product and Service Design
  • Process Design
  • Managing Capacity
  • Managing Supplier Relationships
  • Managing Demand
  • Planning and Managing Inventory
  • Lean Operations and Just In Time
  • Project Management
  • Performance Management
  • Quality Management
Teaching methods
The course builds on both conceptual frameworks for Operations Management as well as quantitative tools and techniques for solving operations problems. The course will consist of lectures, case discussions and workshops. Active preparation and participation are expected from the students.
Expected literature
Paton, S., Clegg, B., Hsuan, J. and Pilkington, A. (2011), Operations Management, 1st edition, McGraw Hill.
 
Olhager, J. (2003), “Strategic positioning of the order penetration point”, Int. J. Production Economics, Vol. 85, No. 3, pp. 319–329.

Lee (2002), “Aligning Supply Chain Strategies with Product Uncertainties”, California Management Review, Vol.44, No.3, Spring 2002, pp. 105-119.
 
Harland, C.M., Lamming, R.C., Zheng, J. and Johnsen, T.E. (2001), “A taxonomy of supply networks”, The Journal of Supply Chain Management, November, pp. 21-31.
 
Fisher, M.L., Hammond, J.H., Obermeyer, W.R. and Raman, A. (1994), “Making supply meet demand in an uncertain world”, Harvard Business Review, May/June, Vol. 72, Issue 3, pp. 83-93.

Flores, B. and Whybark, D. (1986), “Multiple Criteria ABC Analysis”, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 38-46.
                   
Baggaley, B and Maskell, B (2003), “Value stream management for lean companies”, Part 12, Journal of Cost Management, pp. 24-30 and pp. 23-27.
 
Johnson, H.T. (2002), ”Lean accounting: To become lean, shed accounting”, Cost management, Jan/Feb, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 6-17.
 
Davila, A (2003), “Short-term economic incentives in new product development”, Research Policy, Vol. 32, pp. 1397–1420.

Kallunki, J. and Silvola, H. (2008), “The effect of organizational life cycle stage on the use of activity-based costing”, Management Accounting Research, Vol. 19, pp. 62–79.

Chenhall, R.H. and Euske, K.J. (2007), “The role of management control systems in planned organizational change: An analysis of two organizations”, Accounting Organizations and Society, Vol. 32, pp. 611-637.

Merchant, K. A. (2006), “Measuring general managers’ performances Market, accounting and combination-of-measures systems”, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 19, No. 6, pp. 893-917.
Last updated on 13-05-2014