OSC 5660 - Operations Strategy

What makes some operations succeed while others die a quick or miserable death? Why do some of the best product or service ideas in the world fizzle instead of sizzle? What separates effective and inspiring operations managers from the mass of has-beens and also-rans, especially in times of trial? These are just some of the intriguing questions we will explore in this course on applying strategy development and execution to operations management. This is not a class on quantitative theory, mathematical models, software simulations, or financial analyses of annual reports. It is an honest, non-vanilla look at operations today in our global economy, and what works and what does not from the manager's desks to the front-line trenches. We will examine real companies, real decisions, real constraints and politics, and how people, technology, culture, market segmentation, competition, and metrics combine strategically to drive the success of manufacturing and service operations. Topics of discussion include operational measures of success, product selection, capacity and production planning, technology integration, customer service outsourcing, best practices implementation, CRM, fraud prevention and other contemporary issues. All management majors will be required to complete MGT 5510 or 5660.