BA 357: Operations Management – Ecampus Version – Revision Date: 8/30/09

Credits: 4

Instructor’s name: Kenneth Shaw, PhD Faculty Bio

Instructor’s email: shawk@bus.oregonstate.edu

Instructor’s online review times: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during term

Decision making in managing the production of goods and services: product planning, process planning, facility planning, control of quantity, cost and quality. Special emphasis is placed on exponential forecasting, inventory management, work methods, project management, productivity improvement, and international comparisons. PREREQS: BA 275 or BA 276 and junior standing. Completion of BA 302 for College of Business students and a working knowledge of Excel applications is recommended.

Course Content:

Operations are the processes and systems by which an organization transforms inputs (e.g., labor, material, and knowledge) into outputs (products and/or services) desired by its customers. Operations managers and personnel are responsible for selecting, designing, running, and improving the processes and systems to accomplish this production or service efficiently for their organization. While the focus of the course is on operations activities that produce value for external customers, operations management and concepts are applicable to all parts of an organization; including, for example, finance, marketing, purchasing, and logistics.

This course begins with an overview of the strategic importance of operations activities and some basic decision tools used in operations. Students are then introduced to a set of experiential assignments to provide a fundamental understanding of basic operations activities. This includes developing a forecast of future demand for a representative company, using that forecast to develop an annual sales and operations plan, and then developing shorter-term resource plans and schedules to support the annual plan. This is then followed by more in-depth study of the various aspects of operations management such as process strategy, process improvement, quality, supply chain and inventory management, capacity planning and waiting lines theory, lean manufacturing, and an introduction to project management methods.

The application of various decision tools and performance measures are integrated throughout the course and the importance of operations supporting the organization’s strategy and competitive priorities is reinforced.

Purpose of the Course:

This course introduces the student to the different operations management functions and associated methodologies within an organization. Operations usually refer to the part of the company where the primary creation of value for a customer occurs. No matter what occupation or business functional area you choose to work in, it is essential that you acquire a basic understanding of how your organization produces its products and/or services for its external and internal customers. The concepts and tools introduced in this course and how to select the best combination of them for application to a particular business situation can directly affect how successful you are in your future business career.

Learning Objectives:

Students completing BA 357 should be able to:

1. Express an understanding of the main concepts of Operations Management.

2. Apply key tools and strategies used by operations managers and know how they interact with and affect other functions in an organization such as accounting, marketing, research and design, information systems, sales, quality, and upper management.

3. Understand how to select which of these tools and concepts to use, taking into account the effects of cost, quality level, product life cycle stage, competitive priorities, and other organizational and external influences and constraints.

4. Select and execute the most appropriate operations management solution for a given business situation.

Learning Resources:

Required text:

Operations Management: Processes and Value Chains, Ninth Edition, Krajewski, Ritzman, & Malhotra, Pearson/Prentice-Hall, 2010. ISBN-10: 0-13-606576-7

Other materials and references:

Lecture notes, homework solutions, video clips, web links, grade point status, and other supplemental material will be provided through Blackboard at http://my.oregonstate.edu.

NOTE to prospective students: Please check with the OSU Bookstore for up-to-date DVD, course packet, and textbook information for the term you enroll (http://www.osubookstore.com/ or 800-595-0357). If you purchase course materials from other sources, be very careful to obtain the correct ISBN.

Evaluation of Student Performance:

This course requires that you take 2 exams under the supervision of an approved proctor. Proctoring guidelines and registration for proctored exams are available online through the Ecampus testing and proctoring website. It is important to submit your proctoring request as early as possible to avoid delays.

Exams:

There will be two non-cumulative exams, a midterm (100 points) and a final (100 points). Each exam will take about an hour and fifty minutes. Exams will cover the lecture material, the reading assignments and homework, and any other material and exercises covered in class. Exams allow the use of selected open notes and/or the textbook.

Quizzes:

There will be a number of short quizzes given online during the term worth 10 to 20 points each. Each quiz will check student understanding of the reading material, lecture content, and homework discussed since the previous quiz. The overall total points for these quizzes will be 150 points.

Class Assignments:

There will be a three-part business analysis during the term that will be worth 150 points overall. The business model used is a simplified representation of a set of real-life businesses producing more than one product for a global market with seasonal demand.

These three assignments will draw upon the methods and strategies you learn as the term progresses and each will consist of two parts. The first part of each assignment will give students practice in the basic concepts and the second part will involve applying those concepts to the business model. Students may collaborate with their classmates through use of the discussion board as long as there is sufficient evidence of individual contribution in each student’s submissions.

Homework:

Homework will not be graded, but you will be expected to be able to discuss this homework in the course discussion board as part of your learning experience. Problems selected from the homework with their data slightly altered are occasionally included as part of the quizzes and exams.

Accuracy and Organization:

In the business world, managers expect that their employees will check their work. It is critical for operations decisions that the data used in making them is accurate. Grading of the quizzes and exams will take off points for incorrect math even though the approach used is correct.

Therefore, students are expected to check their work for numerical accuracy and to include the proper units for their results. This is easier if students take a neat and organized approach in solving problems.

Participation:

Students are expected to participate in the discussion boards for each week of the term. Refer to the Communications section given below for appropriate protocol and expected behavior in using the discussion boards. Instructor reserves the right for awarding bonus points up to 3% of the overall course points to students who contribute often and positively to class discussions. Instructor also reserves the right to deduct up to 5% of the overall course points from students who are disrespectful or otherwise negatively affect the class discussions.

Final grades will be based on the following distribution (500 points possible):

Quizzes 150 points

Experiential assignments: 150 points

Midterm exam 100 points

Final exam 100 points

Grades will be assigned based on the following scale using your total points earned divided by 500:

A > 92% C 72 - 78%

A minus 90 - 92% C minus 70 - 72%

B plus 88 - 90% D plus 68 - 70%

B 82 - 88% D 62 - 68%

B minus 80 - 82% D minus 60 - 62%

C plus 78 - 80% F < 60%

Grading:

During the course your progress will be reported based on your points earned to date against the total points possible at that time. After the final grades are posted, no requests for grade changes will be accepted per current university policy.

Course Policies:

Exam Policies — Preparing makeup exams requires a significant effort on the part of the instructor. Consequently, makeup exams will be given only for missed exams excused in advance by the instructor. For reasons that can be anticipated ahead of exam time, advance permission from the instructor to miss the exam is required. Excused absences will not be given for airline reservations, family events, mild illness (colds, stomach aches), or other common ailments. Except for very unusual circumstances, excused absences will not be given after the absence has occurred,

Incompletes — Take this course only if you plan to finish it in a timely manner (during this term). An "I" or incomplete is assigned only when there is a strong and compelling case for doing so (e.g., serious health reasons, military commitment). Incompletes are not assigned for any reason unless the individual has completed over 70% of the course tasks (e.g., all work assignments and the midterm). Please note that students receiving incompletes are subject to assignment weight reduction (and consequently may not be eligible for A or A- grades) because some of their work will be submitted late.

Lecture Content: The lectures are designed to supplement the material in the text and will include topics not covered by the text. Lectures will be posted in Blackboard. There will be occasional spreadsheet examples, video clips, and some demonstration exercises. Review of the lecture material is expected and strongly encouraged. Students who do not read the lecture content and other supplemental references should not expect to do well in the course.

Reading and Homework Assignments: Not all of the reading assignment content or homework problems will be discussed in the lecture material or supplemental references, but they will be covered on the exams and quizzes. Content or homework not discussed in the lecture material should be self explanatory; but if you are having difficulty understanding the material or solving a homework problem, be sure to ask for clarification in the discussion boards, or by asking questions via e-mail.

You are expected to do the homework associated with the reading assignment before the associated lecture so that you can gain the most benefit from the lecture material. The homework is designed to give you practice in key methods and prepare you for quiz and exam problems. Students who do not do the homework should not expect to do well in the course.

Each homework assignment ranges from easy to challenging problems. The results for each problem are given with the homework assignment. The detailed solutions to each problem will be available in Blackboard at the end of each week.

Work in business operations is inherently a social and collaborative effort with each person depending on the contribution of others. To this end it is expected that students will work with each other or with other more advanced students when they get stuck on homework assignments. However, each student must ultimately be responsible for their education and try first to do the homework themselves without looking at the solution beforehand. As a general guideline, if you work unsuccessfully on a problem for more than 20 minutes, it would be wise to stop and seek some help through the discussion board or by checking the FAQs. The instructor will monitor the discussion board and if students are not able to resolve homework difficulties, the instructor will post a reply or update the FAQ.

Statement Regarding Students with Disabilities:

Accommodations are collaborative efforts between students, faculty and Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD). Students with accommodations approved through SSD are responsible for contacting the faculty member in charge of the course prior to or during the first week of the term to discuss accommodations. Students who believe they are eligible for accommodations but who have not yet obtained approval through SSD should contact SSD immediately at 541-737-4098.

Expectations for Student Conduct:

Student conduct is governed by the university’s policies, as explained in the Office of Student Conduct: information and regulations.

In an academic community, students and faculty, and staff each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment, whether online or in the classroom. Students, faculty, and staff have the responsibility to treat each other with understanding, dignity and respect. Disruption of teaching, administration, research, and other institutional activities is prohibited by Oregon Administrative Rule 576-015-0015 (1) and (2) and is subject to sanctions under university policies, OSU Office of Student Conduct.

Academic Integrity — Students are expected to comply with all regulations pertaining to academic honesty, defined as: An intentional act of deception in which a student seeks to claim credit for the work or effort of another person or uses unauthorized materials or fabricated information in any academic work. For further information, visit Avoiding Academic Dishonesty, or contact the office of Student Conduct and Mediation at 541-737-3656.

Conduct in this online classroom — Students are expected to conduct themselves in the course (e.g., on discussion boards, email postings) in compliance with the university's regulations regarding civility. Students will be expected to treat all others with the same respect as they would want afforded themselves. Disrespectful behavior to others (such as harassing behavior, personal insults, and inappropriate language) or disruptive behaviors in the course (such as persistent and unreasonable demands for time and attention both in and out of the classroom) is unacceptable and can result in sanctions as defined by Oregon Administrative Rules Division 015 Student Conduct Regulations.

Communications:

Ground Rules for Online Communication & Participation:

· Online threaded discussions are public messages, and all writings in this area will be viewable by the entire class or assigned group members. If you prefer that only the instructor sees your communication, send it to me by email, and be sure to identify yourself and the class.

· Posting of personal contact information is discouraged (e.g. telephone numbers, address, personal website address).

· Online Instructor Response Policy: I will check email frequently and will respond to course-related questions on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM Pacific Time.

· Observation of "Netiquette": All your online communications need to be composed with fairness, honesty and tact. Spelling and grammar are very important in an online course. What you put into an online course reflects on your level of professionalism. Here are a couple of references that discuss

• writing online: http://goto.intwg.com/
• netiquette: http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html.

· Please check the Announcements area and the course syllabus before you ask general course "housekeeping" questions (i.e. how do I submit assignment 3?) If you don't see your answer there, then please contact me. For other questions, first check the Student Assistance resources listed below.

Guidelines for a productive and effective online classroom:

· The discussion board is your space to interact with your colleagues related to current topics or responses to your colleague’s statements. It is expected that each student will participate in a mature and respectful fashion.

· Participate actively in the discussions, having completed the readings and thought about the issues.

· Pay close attention to what your classmates write in their online comments. Ask clarifying questions, when appropriate. These questions are meant to probe and shed new light, not to minimize or devalue comments.

· Think through and reread your comments before you post them.

· Assume the best of others in the class and expect the best from them.

· Value the diversity of the class. Recognize and value the experiences, abilities, and knowledge each person brings to class.

· Disagree with ideas, but do not make personal attacks. Do not demean or embarrass others. Do not make sexist, racist, homophobic, or victim-blaming comments at all.

· Be open to be challenged or confronted on your ideas or prejudices.

♦ Student Assistance:

FAQs: Answers to frequently asked questions by students and demonstration examples are provided here. If you are having difficulty with doing a homework problem or understanding a particular topic, it would be useful if you checked the FAQ list before contacting the instructor.

Technical Assistance: If you experience computer difficulties, need help downloading a browser or plug-in, assistance logging into the course, or if you experience any errors or problems while in your online course, contact the OSU Help Desk for assistance. You can call (541) 737-3474, email osuhelpdesk@oregonstate.edu or visit the OSU Computer Helpdesk online.

Tutoring: Please refer to availability of online tutoring subjects, free to Ecampus students, as described in the tutoring section of the Ecampus website.

Contacting the instructor: Please use the course discussion board for general questions so that other students may be able to help you regarding difficulty with a particular topic or homework problem. I will monitor the discussion and will occasionally post a reply, expand the upcoming lecture material, or add a new entry to the FAQ list when students are unable to resolve a general problem. For personal questions regarding grades and individual course progress, please contact me directly via e-mail.

Course Evaluation:

OSU Student Evaluation of Teaching — Course evaluation results are extremely important and are used to help me improve this course and the learning experience of future students. Results from the 19 multiple choice questions are tabulated anonymously and go directly to instructors and department heads. Student comments on the open-ended questions are compiled and confidentially forwarded to each instructor, per OSU procedures. The online Student Evaluation of Teaching form will be available toward the end of each term, and you will be sent instructions by Ecampus. You will login to “Student Online Services” to respond to the online questionnaire. The results on the form are anonymous and are not tabulated until after grades are posted.

Course Content:

Module	Topic	Assessments	Readings	Homework
Week 1	Operations as a Competitive Weapon and Operations Strategy		Chapter 1 Supplement A, pp. 31-37	HW #1
	Process Strategy		Chapter 3	HW #2
Week 2	Forecasting Methods	Assignment #1A	Chapter 13	HW #3
	Seasonal Considerations and Forecast Selection	Assignment #1B	Chapter 13	HW #4
Week 3	Sales and Operations Planning	Assignment #2A	Chapter 14, pp. 502-518	HW #5
	Constraints, Costs, and Inventory Considerations	Assignment #2B	Chapter 9, pp. 326-332	HW #6
Week 4	Resource Planning, BOM, MPS	Assignment #3A	Chapter 15, pp. 540-550 Chapter 12, pp. 422-434	HW #7
	MRP, Planning Factors, BOR	Assignment #3B	Chapter 15, pp. 550-563	HW #8
Week 5	Decision Tools		Supplement A, pp. 37-47	HW #9
	Supply Chain Design		Chapter 9	HW #10
Week 6		Midterm Exam
	Supply Chain Integration Logistic Considerations Location Selection		Chapter 10 Chapter 11	HW #11
Week 7	Capacity and Scheduling		Chapter 6 Chapter 14, pp. 518-526	HW #12
	Constraints		Chapter 7	HW #13
Week 8	Waiting Lines		Supplement C	HW #14
	Inventory Considerations Lean Systems / Sustainability		Chapter 12, pp. 414-422 Supplement D Chapter 8	HW #15
Week 9	Process Analysis		Chapter 4	HW #16
	Quality		Chapter 5	HW #17
Week 10	Project Management		Chapter 2	HW #18
	Course Review
		Final Exam

For specific dates when assignments are due and exams are scheduled during a given term, please consult the Course Calendar posted in Blackboard with this syllabus.

For details about homework problems from the text or assigned by the instructor, please consult the individual homework documents per week in the Blackboard Assignments folder.