Basic Operations Management

OSCM 373
Course Syllabus

Instructor Contact Information

Eyran Gisches, PhD
eyran@arizona.edu
520.621.4546
https://eller.arizona.edu/people/eyran-gisches

Global Lecturer Contact Information

Jorge Alvarado Percovich
jealvarado@arizona.edu

Course Overview
Operations management is concerned with designing, controlling and improving the processes used to produce
goods and/or provide services. This course serves as an introduction to the field of Operations
Management. The course will provide you with an understanding of the implications of the many decisions
faced by operations managers and will introduce you to quantitative and qualitative tools used to facilitate the
decision-making process.

Prerequisite Requirements
No prior knowledge is assumed in this course. As such there are no prerequisite requirements for OSCM 373.

Course Learning Outcomes

• Describe the role Operations plays in an organization.
• Observe how operations can be used for strategic competitive advantage.
• Discuss best-practices, tool and techniques that may be applied to improve operations.
• Identify key Operations issues and opportunities for improvement.
• Examine the nature of tradeoffs that must be made in operations
• Apply analytical tools useful in managing manufacturing, service and administrative operations.
• Evaluate Operations Management practices.
Course Readings and Materials
Please note that, in order to successfully complete this course, you are responsible for purchasing the required
readings listed below. Note that in order to complete the assignments in this course you will have to purchase
an access code to MyOMLab (the ISBN below is for the textbook and MyOMLab package). Please carefully verify
the ISBN number when purchasing the readings below.

Supplementary readings are provided should you be interested in additional information related to specific
topics covered in the courses.

Required Readings:
• Operations Management Sustainability and Supply Chain Management with MyOMLab, Heizer, Render
& Munson, Pearson, 14th edition, 2014. ISBN-13: 978-0-13-747622-2)
o You will access the full version of the electronic textbook from the Table of Contents -> Online
Textbook area of D2L (on the left of screen) through the Inclusive Access program. Important:
Access will be activated on Monday, May 15th.
o You automatically have access to the course materials FREE through Sunday, May 21st. You must
take action (even if you haven’t accessed the materials) to opt-out if you do not wish to pay for
the materials, and choose to source the content independently. The deadline to opt-out is
Sunday, May 21st. Please refer to the Inclusive Access FAQs at shop.arizona.edu/inclusive for
additional information.

Important: It is critical that you purchase the textbook if you have not already. Succeeding in this class requires
you to read the textbook and complete the MyOMLab assignments.

Course Workload Expectations

This course is structured around 7 weeks. Given this condensed time-frame, you should expect a heavier than
normal workload. The course workload is estimated as follows:

Course Item Estimated Hours

Readings 3 hrs. / week
Online Video Lectures 3 hrs. / week
Assignments 9 hrs. / week
Reports & Online Discussions 4 hrs. / week

This averages to approximately 19 hours/week. These estimates will vary depending upon your existing
knowledge level and/or time commitment. Preparing for exams will require additional time.

Course Schedule
The expected weekly progress and deliverables are outlined in the course schedule. Please see the course
schedule as posted on D2L.

There is a considerable amount of material covered in this class. It is essential that you stay current with all
reading and homework assignments. Note DUE Dates on course deliverables.

Working Ahead of Schedule

To maintain the integrity of the group learning environment, this course is not structured to allow students to
work ahead.

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Office Hours and Communications
Please use the Ask the Instructor discussion forum on D2L to contact me for content related questions. All
students can then benefit from my response. I will respond within 24 hours of your post Monday through Friday
and 48 hours on Saturday and Sunday. If you have a question regarding your personal performance in the
course, please email me directly using the address above. I will provide feedback on course work that needs to
be manually graded (e.g., essay papers, projects) within 3-5 days of submission. You will be able to see results
for automatically graded course work (online quizzes and exams) after the specified deadline.

Office Hours
Please contact the Global Lecturer for any question you have about the content or format of this course. If
necessary, the Global Lecturer will contact me to obtain additional information.

Course Time Zone

All dates and times mentioned in this course represent Lima time.

D2L Course Management System

This course uses the UA D2L learning management system. You are required to use D2L with this class and are
encouraged to check our D2L class course space daily.

You are also encouraged to have D2L email forwarded to your primary email account. The instructor will use D2L
for course assignments, quizzes, exams, content distribution, and important announcements. The UA D2L
system is available at: https://d2l.arizona.edu/.

Assignments and Assessments

News Reports & Online Discussions
Most weeks you will be asked to find a recent business news article that is related to one or more of the
concepts covered on that week, describe it and participate in a discussion about it (e.g., why is this an
interesting example, how the topics discussed in class apply to it etc.). You are also required to express your
opinion on articles presented by other students the discussion. Full details, including grading rubrics and
submission instructions are available in the Table of Contents -> Learning Modules area of D2L (located on the
left of the screen).

Exams
This course has 2 proctored exams. Exams are comprised mostly of multiple choice questions and some essay
(open-ended) problems. Questions are both quantitative, where you have to apply the models and techniques
presented in the course, and qualitative, which test your understanding of the different concepts and principals.

Exam Format Time Limit Special Instructions

Midterm Proctored 90 minutes
Final Proctored 90 minutes
• You are allowed to use a white hand-held dry erase board
and eraser, and a dry erase marker. The white board must
be wiped clean before exam submission.
• You may use a calculator – any type. You may not use your
cell phone or tablet in place of a calculator.
• You are allowed to use a white hand-held dry erase board

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 and eraser, and a dry erase marker. The white board must
be wiped clean before exam submission.
• You may use a calculator – any type. You may not use your
cell phone or tablet in place of a calculator.

Exams for this course will be proctored by the Global Lecturer.

MyOMLab Homework
Every week you will be assigned a set of exercises, problems and video questions on MyOMLab that will give you
additional opportunities to use the tools and apply the concepts discussed in the course. Full details, including
grading rubrics and submission instructions are available in the Table of Contents -> Learning Modules area of
D2L (located on the left of the screen).

Simulations
In several of the modules (topics) you will get to experience applying the tools introduced and make “real-time”
operational decisions by running (MyOMLab) simulations. Full details, including grading rubrics and submission
instructions are available in the Table of Contents -> Learning Modules area of D2L (located on the left of the
screen).

Video Lecture Exercises

While watching the lectures you will occasionally be prompted to complete exercises and answer questions.
Please be sure to watch the entire video and answer all the questions. Full details, including grading rubrics and
submission instructions are available in the Table of Contents -> Learning Modules area of D2L (located on the
left of the screen).

Extra Credit Presentation

For some additional learning and extra credit you may independently study one Operations Management topic
not covered in the course and present it using a short 10-15 minute PowerPoint presentation with audio
(narration). Full details, including grading rubrics and submission instructions are available in the Table of
Contents -> Learning Modules -> Week 7 area of D2L (located on the left of the screen).

Turning in Assignments
All graded assignments and assessments will be submitted electronically through D2L. Specific submission
instructions are provided for each assignment in the Table of Contents -> Learning Modules area of D2L.

Late Assignment Policy

Late assignments will not receive points. Please allow yourself time to mitigate any computer glitches. In order
to earn a passing grade in the course you will need to complete and submit every assigned assessment by the
end of the course, even if this implies submitting an assignment late and earning no points toward the final
grade.

Course Grading
Course grades will be determined based on the items listed on the next page.

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 Course Work Percentage
Exam #1 32%
Exam #2 32%
Weekly MyOMLab Homework (7 at 2% each) 14%
Weekly OM in the News Reports (6 at 1% each) 6%
Simulations (3 at 1% each) 3%
OM in the News Report Discussions (6 at 1% each) 6%
Weekly Video Lecture Exercises (7 at 1% each) 7%
TOTAL 100%
Extra Credit: Exam Review Quizzes (2 at 0.5% each) 1%
Extra Credit: Presentation 5%
Extra Credit: Best Simulations Results (3 at 0.5% each) 1.5%

The approximate final course grade breakdown will be as follows:

Percentage Letter Grade

90%-100% A
80%-89% B
70%-79% C
60%-69% D
59% or below E

Incomplete Policy
If you experience extraordinary circumstances beyond your control, which prevent you from completing the
course within the scheduled 7-week timeframe, you must request an incomplete by emailing the Instructor
before the end of the course. Please clearly explain the reasons for the request and provide relevant
documentation. Please be aware that you must be receiving a passing grade at the time of the request. If
granted an incomplete, you should review the related policy stipulations at
https://www.registrar.arizona.edu/grades/incomplete-i-grade

Academic Policies and Institutional Resources

Academic Policies and Procedures
As a University of Arizona student, you are expected to become familiar with and abide by the university-wide
policies and procedures. You can find complete, up-to-date information at:
https://www.eller.arizona.edu/academic-programs/policies/online-ugrad

Academic Integrity
Upon accepting admission to the University of Arizona, you immediately assumed a commitment to uphold the
Code of Academic Integrity. Complete copies of these policies can be found online at:
• The University of Arizona: https://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/policies/code-academic-integrity
• Eller College of Management: https://eller.arizona.edu/programs/undergraduate/advising/policies-
expectations/integrity-guide

Any instances of academic dishonesty will result in a grade of E for the course.
While it is our sincere hope that you will not engage in academic misconduct, it seems prudent to clarify in
advance the policy on dishonest behavior.
Reminder: this course has a zero-tolerance policy on cheating, including undeclared or deceptive use of
artificial intelligence systems for document and content production.

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Online Collaboration/Netiquette
In Eller Undergraduate UPC courses, you will primarily communicate with instructors and peers virtually through
a variety of tools such as discussion forums, email, and web conferencing. The following guidelines will enable
everyone in the course to participate and collaborate in a productive, safe environment.

• Be professional, courteous, and respectful as you would in a physical classroom.

• Online communication lacks the nonverbal cues that provide much of the meaning and nuances in face-
to-face conversations. Choose your words carefully, phrase your sentences clearly, and stay on topic.
• It is expected that students may disagree with the research presented or the opinions of their fellow
classmates. To disagree is fine but, to disparage others’ views is unacceptable. All comments should be
kept civil and thoughtful. Remember that this course abides by university policies regarding disruptive
behavior.
• Violations of the instructors’ copyright violate the Code of Academic Integrity and may result in course
sanctions.
• Compose your messages and posts in a word processing tool, and check your spelling and grammar
before submitting your post / email.
Students who are uncooperative, rude, abusive to a TA, instructor, staff members, or other students,
whether in class or outside class, will be penalized.

UA Eller UG UPC Student Support

The instructor is available to assist with content-related issues. You may, at any time, email the instructor. This
course also provides an Ask the Instructor discussion forum. You are encouraged to post content-related
questions to this forum at any time. The instructor monitors this forum on a regular basis and will respond in a
timely fashion. It is common for other students to participate in answering questions posted in the Ask the
Instructor forum. You should feel free to contribute to the solution if you can provide knowledge or guidance
related to the question.

The following are guidelines for requesting support:

• General Course Questions: Use the Ask the Instructor discussion forum for questions regarding course
materials or policy.
• Personal Course Questions: Email the instructor to discuss grades or personal concerns.
• Course Registration & Curriculum Questions: Please refer to the
https://ugrad.eller.arizona.edu/online/contact web site for the appropriate contact information.
• D2L Support Questions: Click on https://help.d2l.arizona.edu/content/contact-d2l-support-1 to submit
your tech support request.

Technology Requirements & Technical Support

Please ensure that your equipment and Internet connection meet the criteria specified on the Technology
Requirements website located on the left of the screen in the Technical Requirements & Support area of the D2L
course space. Also, information on how to contact technical support is available on the Technical Support
website located on the left of the screen in the Technical Requirements & Support area of the D2L course space.

Disability Accommodations
At the University of Arizona, we strive to make learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or
experience barriers based on disability or pregnancy, please contact the Disability Resource Center (520-621-
3268, https://drc.arizona.edu/) to establish reasonable accommodations.

Library Support
The University of Arizona Libraries is dedicated to providing the research tools you need at any time. For an
abbreviated list of resources directly related to a specific course, select the Library link (located in the Table of

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Contents on the left of the screen). If you need any assistance, please contact the library using the Chat or Ask
Us tools on the https://new.library.arizona.edu/ website.

Student Resource Center

For the duration of the program, you will have access to the Student Resource Center at
http://ugrad.eller.arizona.edu/online where you can find comprehensive, up-to-date information on a wide
variety of topics, including the Eller UPC Undergraduate program learning outcomes, academic advising,
financial aid, and other topics to help you succeed.

Workload and Course Requirements Subject to Change

Workload and Course Requirements are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor with proper notice
to the students.

Errata
The instructor reserves the right to revise the syllabus as necessary to correct typographical errors, factual
errors, omissions, or other material included herein as needed to correctly reflect the requirements of the
course.

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