GSU ROBINSON COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

MBA 8155 - Operations Management

Fall, 2009 - Course Syllabus - Levine

Section #005, CRN #84377: Monday, 4:30 - 7:00pm, Alpharetta Center

Instructor: Dr. Kenneth C. Levine Telephone (cell): (770)-633-9322

Dept. of Managerial Sciences Email: levi15@bellsouth.net
Office Hours: RCB 1047 by appointment
Web Page: http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwkcl (then select MBA8155)

Operations Management (OM) is concerned with the management of resources and activities that
produce and deliver goods and services for customers. Efficient and effective operations can
provide an organization with major competitive advantages since the ability to respond to customer
and market requirements quickly, at a low cost, and with high quality, is vital to attaining profitability
and growth through increased market share. As competition becomes fiercer in an increasingly
open and global marketplace, a company's survival and growth become greatly contingent on its
ability to run its operations efficiently and to exploit its resources productively.

The course focuses on the basic concepts, issues, and techniques for efficient and effective
operations. Special emphasis is placed on process improvement and supply chain management.
Topics include operations strategy, product and service design, process design and analysis,
capacity planning, lean production systems, materials and inventory management, quality
management and six sigma, project management, and supply chain management.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completing this course, students should be able to:
 understand the strategic role of operations management in creating and enhancing a firm’s
competitive advantages
 understand key concepts and issues of OM in both manufacturing and service organizations
 understand the interdependence of the operations function with the other key functional
areas of a firm
 apply analytical skills and problem-solving tools to the analysis of the operations problems

PREREQUISITES TO THIS COURSE: MBA 8000

TEXT (required): Jacobs, Chase, and Aquilano: Operations and Supply Management, 12th ed.,
ISBN#: 0-07-327873-4 (or other 12th edition)

STUDENT GUIDELINES AND PREPARATION: Class attendance is strongly advised. I intend to

start each class session on time, so please avoid being tardy. If an absence is necessary, it is the
student’s responsibility to obtain class notes and material for the class missed. Class participation is
welcomed and encouraged.

Reading assignments for each class and topic is given on the Course Schedule; deviations to this
schedule may be necessary and will be indicated during class. As a preparation for class, please
review the material before the meeting time.
COURSE CONTENT: Problems, Cases Studies, Group Term Project, and Exams:
Problems: The class schedule gives a listing of problems for each section. You will not be asked to
hand in your answers to these problems. During class I will go over these problems or similar
examples. Quantitative problems on exams will be similar in content to these problems.

Case Studies: There are case studies assigned for several class sessions. You do not have to
hand in your write-up of these cases or the questions assigned for homework. We will however go
over these cases in the beginning of the next class (after the material needed has been covered).
The case studies are listed on the class schedule. Please prepare to contribute to the analysis
of these cases, by reviewing the case study before class.

Group Term Project: For this course, a group term project is required. We will form teams during
the second class session. You may select your own team. Every team member is expected to
participate in the group project. Teams can determine how members will contribute. For example,
all members can work on all project tasks or members can be assigned different tasks. That is up to
the group. No "free riders" are permitted: Every group member is expected to participate
equally. Any unresolved problems within a group should be brought to my attention
immediately. Further detail is given in the project description.

Exams: There are two exams. The first counts 40%, and the second counts 40%, for a total of 80%
of your final grade. The exams will be held during the class session as indicated on the course
schedule. The exams are closed book, but one 8.5”x11” two-sided crib sheet may be used for each
exam. You will also need to bring a calculator with a square root button, and scratch paper.

Make-up exams: If a legitimate problem beyond your control prevents attendance for an exam,
contact me as early as possible to schedule a make-up exam. If the situation can be anticipated,
please contact me before the scheduled exam date. Otherwise, contact me no later then the day
after the exam. Note: A make-up exam may be significantly different in format and in the scope and
depth of material coverage. Exams must be made up before the next class session.
Grading: The final grade consists of a weighted average of the following parts:
 Two Exam Scores 80% (1st@40%, 2nd@40%)
 Group Term Project 20%

The grading scale for this class is as follows:

Grade A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D F
Course 93.95 – 89.95 – 85.95 – 81.95 – 77.95 – 73.95 – 69.95 – 64.95 – 59.95 – Below
Score 100% 93.94% 89.94% 85.94% 81.94% 77.94% 73.94% 69.94% 64.94% 59.95%

 No additional projects or extra credit work will be accepted. Your letter grade in the course will
be determined by the above table. No exceptions! For example, a course score of 89.94 is a B+.

2
GROUP TERM PROJECT:
This course focuses on the management of process and supply chain that are used to deliver the
product (either a good or service) to the customer. This group term project requires that a process
or supply chain be identified, flowcharted, and analyzed. Your group may choose one of the
following two options.
Option 1: Choose an existing process for providing a company's goods or services, and then
flowchart the existing process. (For example, a member of your group is responsible for developing
personal financial plans for their customers; map the process of preparing the plans.)
Option 2: Choose an industry’s or product’s supply chain and then document, flowchart and
analyze the supply chain.
The project is centered on a 20 minute presentation of your analysis to the class. Your analysis of
the process should cover the applicable areas of process management. Including such items as:
 A detailed process flow chart including process inputs, process outputs, activities, activity
times, processing and labor requirements.
 Capacity analysis of the process, including the strategies used to address expected
customer demand.
 Suggested metrics used to measure the process or supply chains performance, and how a
changed process may improve them.
 Address other relevant issues as appropriate, such as:
1. Customer demand and process capacity relationships
2. How production is planned, from customer demand to production schedules
3. Quality Management issues
4. Product delivery issues
5. Collaboration and coordination issues
6. The interfaces of the process with both the external and internal customers
7. Waiting line issues and related staffing decisions
8. Other applicable process or supply chain management issues or concerns

Each group is expected to:

1. Provide a short written midterm report (one or two paragraphs with SIPOC including high
level flowchart) stating the option the group chose and the process they have chosen to
analyze or design. Included should also be a preliminary project plan (what each team
member is planning to do!), and any concerns that the group may have at that time (e.g.,
AWOL members). Due dates are on the course schedule.
2. Make a 20 minute (with an additional 5 minutes for questions) presentation of the project to
the class. Your group will be given no more than 20 minutes for the presentation, so it is
very important to plan what information you want your audience to receive. Present the big
picture – DO NOT read your slides to the class. A good rule of thumb is plan for 2 minutes
per PowerPoint slide. Your presentation will be terminated after 20 minutes have passed!
3. Turn in PowerPoint slides (printed six to a page) plus full size process flow charts and tables.
Please - no report covers (binders)! Bring enough copies (in black and white only) for each
class member and the instructor. Your must also send a soft copy to the instructor on or
before the day of your presentation.

3
Project Grading:

4
The grade for the group project will be based on:
 Process Choice (not too technical or too trivial, clear process flowchart, SIPOC,
measurement, improvement opportunities identified, project plan described (what the team
actually did!)
 Process Analysis (correctness of analysis, appropriate recommendations justified by logical
analysis and use of appropriate MBA8155 and other improvement methods and tools,
thorough analysis, appropriate measures collected and analyzed - or at least carefully
planned, and originality of the analysis)
 Presentation (participation by multiple team members, within 20 minute time limit, logical
flow, clarity and ease of understanding, interest in presentation by audience, and originality
of presentation)

Note that all team members should be able to explain at a high level what was done, and be able
to answer questions posed by the instructor and the class! It is unacceptable to simply present a
project from work that was done by others. The presentation should make clear what was
actually accomplished by each team member!

The student's project grade will be the group's grade with adjustments based on peer evaluations.

*** Note: Any project that is being used or has been used for credit in another class and is being
used in whole or in part for this project needs to receive approval from the instructor. If it is
currently being used as part of a project in another course both instructors must approve. Please
ask if you are in doubt about the applicability of this note to your project.

Peer evaluation:
At the end of the course (attached to the back of your second test) you will be asked to evaluate
yourself and the other members of your group. You will be asked to assign a value between 0
and 10 (10 = Best) on each of the criteria. A reason needs to be given for each score below 5.
These ratings are gauging each team member’s contribution.

Participation Ability to work Finished Total

in group Quality of Quantity of as a team assigned Points
Group Member's Name activities work work member work on time Given
Self:

EXAMPLE
NOTES:
 If GSU is closed for any reason on a scheduled class day, you should be prepared to
adjust the schedule accordingly. Material/exam to be covered on the day in which GSU was
closed will be typically be covered in the next class meeting. The instructor will provide
direction as to further changes to the schedule.
 Students are responsible for the information contained in the Academic Honesty policy found
in the GSU Graduate Bulletin.
 COURSE SCHEDULE:
The following is the tentative schedule of topics to be covered during the Semester. It is possible that there
will be changes in the schedule as the course progresses. Changes to this schedule will be announced
during class in advance of the class periods that will be affected.

Date
Sub-Topic Readings Problems
(Monday)
Course Overview Course Syllabus
Class 1
Introduction to Operations Chapter 1; Fast Food Feast Case Chap.2: FF Feast: Questions 1-7
8/17
Operations Strategy Chapter 2: Lazik Vision Case Chapter 2: Problem 2
Product Design Chapter 4; IKEA Case IKEA Case: Q1-4
Class 2
Service Design Chapter 7
8/24
Form Teams
Class 3 Process Analysis Chapter 5 Chapter 5: Problem 4
8/31 Manufacturing Process Analysis Chapter 6 (pp.218-220) Chapter 6: Problem 3
Job Design and Measurement Tech. Note 5; Levi’s Jeans Case TN5: Problem 8; Levi’s Case: Q1-4
Class 4
Business Process Reengineering Chapter 9 (pp.389-392);
9/14
Quality Management and 6
Class 5 Quality Management and 6
Chapter 8; Hank Kolb Case Hank Kolb Case: Q1-2
9/21 (cont’d)
Class 6 Statistical Process Control Technical Note 8 TN8: P2,P6,P8
9/28 Review for Test#1
Class 7 Test #1; Project Midterm
10/5 Report Due!! ; Team Time
Go over Test#1`
Class 8 Capacity Planning Chapter 11
10/12 Aggregate Planning Chapter 14 (pp. 559-565, 576-578)
Enterprise Resource Planning Managerial Briefing (pp. 498-509)
Class 9
Lean Production Chapter 12; Quality Parts Case Quality Parts Case: Question 1
10/19

Class 10
Inventory Management Chapter 15 Ch. 15: P5,P20,P30
10/26

Class 11
Waiting Line Analysis Tech. Note 7 TN7: Problems 1,22
11/2

Class 12
Project Management Chapter 3 Ch. 3: Problems 2, 7
11/9
Supply Chain Strategy Chapter 10
Class 13
Materials Requirements Planning Chapter 16 Ch. 16: P18
11/16
Review for Test#2
Class 14
Test #2
11/23
Class 15 Go over Test#2;
11/30 Group Presentations
Class 16
Group Presentations (cont’d)
12/7