• Identify the basic principles of operations and service management and how they can be applied to the maritime, transportation and logistics industries
• Analyse and compare the fundamentals of different concepts
• Identify what analytical tools are most appropriate to solve the problem under consideration
• Identify current IT challenges of the shipping, transportation and logistics industries and analyse how IT can enable decision support, process automation, and business profitability through appropriate IT investments and focused implementation management
• Integrate and resolve identified issues and conclude with a clear structure of understanding

This course focuses on Operations Management and IT in the maritime, transportation and logistics industries.

The first part of the course aims at providing participants with abilities / skills to prioritize and lead specific projects targeted at improving business processes of operations in own or any given businesses. Focus is on training of fundamental Lean-Six sigma principles, methods, tools and techniques through exercises and games. Participants are taught how to work with business process simplification, stabilizing, standardisation and maintenance with the aim of reducing waste and adding value to main stakeholders - often measurable as tangible improvements of costs, inventory, quality, delivery time and dependability of business processes within scope.

The second part of the course explains how IT and integrated applications such as ERP enable competitiveness through business process automation, real-time decision support and business or market intelligence. Also the role of internet in creating new business opportunities and relationships to business suppliers or clients is within scope.

Finally, the third part of the course introduces how Operations Management and IT can contribute to the business mission and the competitiveness of a company. Formulation and implementation of Operations and IT strategies with stretch targets but sufficient level of detail and realism to enable operational benefits and performance improvements are important issues.