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Operations Management Concentration MBA Courses

BQOM 2017—Simulation—1.5 credits
The purpose of the course is to provide an introduction to the concepts, methodologies, and particularly the applications of simulating in operation management, finance, and marketing. The advantage of simulation lies in its ability to model any appropriate assumptions about a problem or system. It is the most flexible tool available for understanding the problems and for generating better and quick results. The application includes queuing, capacity planning, factory operation, corporate financial planning, bidding, and market share. We use special-purpose simulation language and spreadsheet add-in software as the principal means to illustrate simulation models and computational issues. Through considerable hands-on experience, students will learn practical decision-making and problem-solving techniques by example.
Prerequisites: BQOM 2411.
BQOM 2039—Six Sigma: Theory, Practice and Certification—3.0 credits
A wide range of companies have found that when Six Sigma and Lean Thinking philosophies are fully embraced, the enterprise thrives. Several definitions have been proposed for Six Sigma and Lean Thinking. The threads common to these definitions are:
  • Use of teams that are assigned well-defined projects that have direct impact on the organization's bottom line.
  • Training in 'statistical thinking' at all levels and providing key people with extensive training in advanced statistics and project management.
  • Emphasize the DMAIC approach to problem solving: define, measure, analyze, improve, and control.
  • A management environment that supports these initiatives as a business strategy.
The purpose of this course is to provide the in-depth knowledge behind Six Sigma and Lean Thinking. Also there will be an emphasis on the ability of the students to 'transform' the knowledge to solve/do real life projects. Also based on the performance of the students (projects and the written test), we will award the students a Green Belt certification from Katz and/or partner companies.
BQOM 2060—Independent Study in Management Science and Operations Management—variable credits
An independent course of study in management science and operations management may be arranged with a faculty member and a student advisor.
Prerequisites: BQOM 2411.
BQOM 2061—Independent Study in Operations Management—variable credits
An independent course of study in operations management may be arranged with a faculty member and a student advisor.
Prerequisites: BQOM 2401
BQOM 2401—Statistical Analysis: Uncertainty, Prediction, and Quality Improvement—3 credits
This course provides students with a set of integrated statistical tools and methodologies useful in a managerial environment. The emphasis is on the use of real data for modeling and solving problems in the areas of marketing, finance, human resources, and operations management. Topics covered include data analysis and modeling, simple and multiple regression (estimation, testing, and prediction), analysis and design of experiments, nonparametric statistics, and statistical quality control.
Prerequisites: none.
BQOM 2411—Decision Technologies in Manufacturing and Operations Management—3 credits
This course provides a foundation in the use of decision technologies for solving complex management problems in a variety of functional areas. Emphasis is given to the utilization of optimization and simulation.
Prerequisites: BQOM 2401.
BQOM 2421—Decision Technologies in Manufacturing and Operations Management—1.5 credits
This course provides a foundation in the use of decision technologies for solving complex management problems in a variety of functional areas. Topics covered include optimization, simulation, project management, queuing, and inventory management.
Prerequisites: BQOM 2401
BQOM 2516—Project Management—1.5 credits
Project management is a term-oriented planning tool that makes use of computer software to support the planning and coordination of a project or projects. It is one of the most powerful planning tools that can be used in today's business environment. In the course, we introduce the basic concepts of project management and demonstrate the utilization of these concepts utilizing Microsoft Project. Special emphasis will be given to the application of decision technologies in scheduling, in allocating resources, in speeding up a project, and in dealing with risk.
Prerequisite: BQOM 2411 or permission of instructor.
BQOM 2521—Decision Making in a Complex Environment—1.5 credits
This course examines in detail the thought processes of the decision maker when faced with social, personal, business, or contemporary political problems. Through the analytic hierarchy process, decision makers use a framework to organize thoughts in a consistent way and to compare elements and criteria which weigh most heavily in arriving at the best alternative among given options.
Prerequisites: none.
BQOM 2523—Process Engineering—1.5 credits
This course studies the design and engineering of the business processes—the way businesses organize "work" in service as well as manufacturing operations. The interrelationships among design parameters, market/demand variability, and performance measures will be studied. The principles learnt here are critical in engineering and/or reengineering of the business processes.
Prerequisites or corequisites: BQOM 2401, BQOM 2411.
BQOM 2524—Production Management and Process Improvement—1.5 credits
This course is concerned with the continuous improvement principles involved in the production of goods and services. We provide procedures for an efficient management of the flow of materials within an organization characterized by multiple products and uncertain demand conditions. The examples discussed relate to manufacturing context as well as to service environment.
Prerequisites: BQOM 2523.
BQOM 2530—Distribution Networks—1.5 credits
Distribution Networks is the first of a two-part course sequence in the domain of supply chains that focuses on critical issues associated with multi-facility supply and demand network management, and discusses not just its underlying tactical and operational aspects but also touches upon its strategic implications. The course emphasizes the creation and maintenance of value in the supply network, an activity critical to the survival of all organizations. Value creation can be accomplished by increasing revenue (e.g. by making the delivery system more flexible and responsive to the customer) and/or by decreasing cost (e.g., by eliminating unnecessary activities and efficiently managing the others, from the distribution channel). The topics covered include network design and location logistics decisions, alternative distribution models, hierarchical network planning, and managing supply and demand. Using case studies and software packages, we examine the intricacies of demand network management and the underlying tools, methodologies, and decision support systems.
Prerequisites: BQOM 2411.
BQOM 2531—Supply Chain Management—1.5 credits
This course will focus on the operational and tactical aspects of multi-facility supply and demand network management and also briefly touch upon its strategic implications. We will emphasize creating and maintaining value in the supply network, an activity critical to the survival of all organizations. Value creation can be accomplished by increasing revenue (e.g., by making the delivery system more flexible and responsive to the customer) and/or by decreasing cost (e.g., by eliminating unnecessary activities from the distribution channel and efficiently managing the others). Using real-life case studies and software packages, we will examine these intricacies of supply and demand network management, learning about the underlying tools, methodologies, and decision support systems.
Prerequisites: BQOM 2411
BQOM 2533—Global Supply Chain Management
This course will consider multi-facility supply and demand network management from all three perspectives: operational, tactical and strategic. We will emphasize the creation and maintenance of value in the supply network, an activity critical to the survival of all organizations. Value creation can be accomplished by increasing revenue (e.g., by making the delivery system more flexible and responsive to the customer) and/or by decreasing cost (e.g., by eliminating unnecessary activities, and efficiently managing the others, from the distribution channel). Topics covered will include those in the shorter version of the course buy in more detail. In addition, network design in uncertain situations, inter-organizational partnerships for effective inventory control, and revenue management will be covered. Using real-life case studies and software packages, we will examine these intricacies of supply and demand network management, learning about the underlying tools, methodologies and decision support systems.
Prerequisites or Co-requisite: BQOM 2421 - Decision Tech in Manufacturing and Operations Management.
BQOM 2537—Forecasting—1.5 credits
This is a short course in forecasting methodologies and their applications in business. This course will cover traditional forecasting methodologies along with an overview of the state-of-the-art of forecasting with methodologies ranging from judgmental to statistical knowledge sources. Forecasting should not be confused with planning. The former is about what the future will be, while the latter deals with what the future should be. Most statistical packages (e.g., Statgraphics, SPSS, SAS) have some modules to do forecasting, but the user needs to know the principles of the models to use them. Dedicated forecasting packages provide some advice to the user about the forecasting method they should use (e.g., ForecastX, Forecast Pro). This course will focus on forecasting methodologies using statistical knowledge. By the end of the course students should know how to collect data and analyze them with a suitable computer program, and ultimately generate forecasts by selecting and fitting an appropriate model. We will also discuss some of the managerial issues surrounding the use of forecasting models in business. The student will select an area of interest (e.g., finance, marketing, operations, accounting, general planning) within which he/she would like to apply and some of the forecasting methodologies we study, and develop a forecasting model.
Prerequisites: BQOM 2401.
BQOM 2549—Strategic Cost Analysis—1.5 credits
This course deals with the acquisition and use of financial information, particularly cost and revenue driver information, in value-based management. The quality, timeliness, and credibility of financial information used in corporate internal decision making can have a significant impact on value creation. This is because cost and revenue driver information is important not only in strategy formulation and in the development and implementation of action plans that link strategies to value creation, but also because such data serve as measures of financial performance for products, processes, organizational subunits, and managers. In particular, product and service cost estimates have a major influence on corporate strategies such as pricing, resource allocation, product development, and customer-focused management. In addition, product costs can be informative signals of operational efficiency. Therefore, they constitute financial measures of the success of management actions such as continuous improvement, total quality management, and business process reengineering. Over-aggregate or obsolete cost systems can have a significant adverse impact on overall corporate strategy and competitiveness. The objective of this course is to develop an integrated approach to analyzing these issues. In particular, we will study (a) how product cost measurement affects strategy in general and resource allocation decisions in particular; (b) how to be sophisticated users of cost feedback and how to understand the strategic distortions that are induced by flaws in cost systems design; (c) the strategic role of value-driver information and the relationship between process improvement and cost reduction; and (d) the use of financial and non-financial measures of performance to evaluate process efficiency. This course is listed as BACC 2549 for accounting majors.
Prerequisites: BACC 2401 and BACC 2528 or permission of instructor.
BQOM 2578—Data Mining—3 credits
Data mining is the process of extracting useful information and knowledge from a set of data. Mining is typically done on data sets too large to be analyzed by hand, but the same techniques are applicable to small, complex data. This course is an introduction to the most popular methods used in managerial data mining, and provides you with experience in using commercial software to explore real data sets. Models considered include those from statistics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, such as discriminate analysis, logistic regression, clustering, neural nets, tree/rule induction, and association rule modeling. This course is methods oriented, as opposed to being methodology oriented, so you'll learn about when and how to use techniques and how to interpret their output rather than the details about how those techniques work. A laptop computer is required.
Prerequisites: BQOM 2401.
BQOM 2904—Creativity and Problem Solving—1.5 credits
There are numerous books and articles written on creativity and problem solving nowadays. Reading them provides information on how other people were able to do their things and be successful. The course will attempt to help students enhance their creativity, which will be done by participation and full involvement by the members of the class for the duration of the term.
Prerequisites: none.