MBA 638: Operations Management Master Syllabus
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Course Overview
Operations management (OM) is the set of activities that creates value in the form of goods and services by transforming inputs into outputs. The techniques of OM apply throughout the world to virtually all productive enterprises. Efficient production of goods and services requires effective applications of the concepts, tools and techniques of OM that will be introduced in this course. The scope of operations management decisions is broad, ranging from strategy formulation to short term scheduling and day-to-day control. Several key management concerns will be covered in this course including inventory control, supply chain management, capacity planning, revenue management, retail operations, process analysis and sustainability. Some of the key quantitative models and business analytics techniques such as simulation and queuing theory will be introduced as well.
MBA Program Learning Goals
- Teaming and Leading: Demonstrate the team leadership and interpersonal skills needed to form, lead, and work effectively on diverse organizational teams.
- Knowledge of Functional Business Disciplines: Demonstrate knowledge of all core functional areas of business and an ability to integrate them into a meaningful firm level perspective.
- Analytical Decision Making: Demonstrate the ability to analyze uncertain complex management situations using appropriate tools, techniques and information systems for decision-making.
- Communication: Demonstrate written, oral and presentations skills necessary to explain problems and solutions effectively and persuasively.
- Ethics and Responsibility: Demonstrate knowledge of ethical decision making considerations, corporate social responsibility and sustainability practices.
- Global Awareness: Identify relevant economic, political, and social factors that impact business conducted both within and across national boundaries.
(Goals addressed in this class are in bold)
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Develop an understanding of the tradeoffs among different types of production/operations systems in terms of key characteristics, management tasks, organization and control, and impact on the strategy and direction of the firm.
- Develop a basic competence with the tools and techniques used by operations professionals in managing operations and setting operations policy.
- Understand the strategic production/operations management issues and their relationship to the other functional areas of the firm.
- Select the most appropriate operations to gain competitive advantage.
Grading
The grade will be based on:
| In-class participation and attendance | 15% |
| Quizzes | 20% |
| Case study reports | 25% |
| Final Exam | 40% |
Scale: A= 90-100; B=80-89; C=65-79; F=below 65 (+/- system used)
Class Participation and Attendance
Class discussion is an important part of the learning process. To stimulate a rich-class environment, it is important to come prepared for the class. Active participation is expected throughout the entire class with thoughtful contributions to advance the quality of the discussion. You may contribute to that in various ways:
- You will be assigned several case studies together with some discussion questions for each case. While you are not required to submit a report for all the case studies, I expect all of you to be prepared to discuss them in class. Meaningful contributions to class discussion include any comments, questions or analyses which advance the general class understanding of the case concept or issue. Sometimes I may start a discussion and then call on one of you to lead it.
- In some sessions, we will play games, run a simulation and have in-class exercises after which we will have discussions. I expect all of you to go through the assigned hand-outs, be prepared before class and ready to discuss your experience and observations after these activities.
- As you will notice, I may cover some of the topics by asking questions to understand your points of view, and then use your answers as building blocks to reach a conclusion or get the main message across. Some of those questions may require precise answers, perhaps based on earlier lectures, while others may be quite openended.
- We will also hold discussions based on some of the reading assignments.
Note that class attendance will not automatically translate into perfect participation score. Please refer to the rubric at the end of the syllabus.
Practice Problems
Practice problems are provided on Canvas along with their solutions. In order to do well on quizzes and the final exam, every student needs to devote certain individual effort on practice problems. Students are encouraged to discuss their answers in small groups and/or to stop by office hours to assure full understanding of course materials.
Case Studies
You are required to submit a report for three of the case studies (Case 2, 4 and 5 as indicated below in the course schedule). For these three case studies, you will be working in groups, but will be required to submit only one report, listing all the names. Further details about the format together with some guiding questions will be posted for each of these cases under the ‘Assignments’ folder on Canvas a week before the due date.
For the other two cases (Case 1 and 3), you are required to go through them on your own and be ready to discuss it in class. You will not be required to submit a report for these case studies; yet your preparation and quality of your answers will affect your participation grade; a few guiding questions for these cases will be posted as well (under the ‘Assignments’ folder on Canvas).
Here is a list of all the case studies for this class with detailed information on how to obtain them. You should refer to the “Course Schedule” for the due date of each:
Case 1: “XTM Bike Corporation: An Exercise in Process Analysis” This case is provided by Case Centre (Case Reference no: CCW080206). You can purchase this case directly from their web site after registering and looking for the coursepack created (C4202-463464-STU).
Case 2: “Making Supply Meet Demand in an Uncertain World” This case is provided by Harvard Business School publishing (Case number:94302-PDF-ENG) and is available at the coursepack (named “MBA 638 Operations Management: Case studies) created for you.
Case 3: “Fasten: Challenging Uber and Lyft with a New Business Model” This case is provided by Harvard Business School publishing (Case number:616062-PDF-ENG ) and is available at the coursepack created for you.
Case4: “AmazonFresh: Rekindling the Online Grocery Market” This case is provided by Harvard Business School publishing (Case number:615013-PDF-ENG) and is available at the coursepack created for you.
Case 5: “H&M’s Global Supply Chain Management Sustainability: Factories and Fast Fashion” This case is provided by Harvard Business School publishing (Case number:W93C73-PDFENG) and is available at the coursepack created for you.
Quizzes
There will be four quizzes administered on Canvas. They will be open lecture notes/cases/videos/problems/hand-outs and will be given according to the course schedule at the end. They will be made available three days prior to class that week (i.e. Monday) at 8AM and will be due on Thursday at 8AM and need to be taken during this period. Once started, you have to submit your answers. Out of four quizzes, the highest three will count towards your final grade. The quizzes must be taken on the dates/time periods they are given. There will be no make-up quiz. The quizzes will be based on the material covered in the prior week(s) and there may be some questions on that week’s material, game or case study; details about each quiz will be announced through Canvas.
Reading Assignments, Games and a Simulation
To facilitate your learning and help communicate some of the fundamental concepts for certain topics, we will play games and run a simulation during some of our lectures:
Game 1: “Forecast Sharing Game (FSG)”
This is an on-line game provided by Fathomd, Inc. which we will play in the second half of the second session. You each need to register and purchase (both this and game 2, Newsvendor game). You should read the hand-out (will be posted on Canvas under Lecture 2) and familiarize yourself with the game and its objectives. You are all expected to bring your laptop to class.
Game 2: “Newsvendor Game”
This is an on-line game provided by Fathomd, Inc. as well. You should read the hand-out (will be posted on Blackboard under Lecture 3) and familiarize yourself with the game and its objectives. You are all expected to bring your laptop to class. Game 3: “Customer Valuation Game”:
Game 3: “Customer Valuation Game”:
This is an in-class game we will play at the very beginning of session four. You are just required to go through the brief hand-out and familiarize yourself with the game setup.
Game 4: “Retailer-Mark-down optimization”: This is another in-class game we will play in session five. You should go through the hand-out, familiarize yourself with the game and its objectives and develop your strategy with your group.
Simulation: “Operations Management Exercise: Multiple Server Queues” This is an on-line simulation and is provided by Harvard Business School publishing (Case number: 4386-HTM-ENG)) and is available at the coursepack (named “MBA 638 Operations Management: Online Simulation) created for you. You will run this simulation with your (case) group in class at the end of session six. Only one of the group members should purchase it and bring their laptop to class.
Other than the hand-outs for these games and simulation, for some of the classes, you may have brief reading assignments (such as some articles I may send out on the subject) or short cases. You are required to read them before coming to class which may be used to stimulate further discussion on that week’s topic.
Final exam
There will be a take-home final exam that will be administered on Canvas. It will be open lecture notes/cases/videos/hand-outs/assignments and will be made available between December 10th 8AM EST and December 14th 8AM EST. The exam needs to be taken during this period. More details will be provided via Bb announcement. No makeups will be given without a valid, per university policy, documented excuse and it has to be communicated in advance and confirmed by the professor. Collaboration with other students or use of unauthorized material (not posted on Canvas or mentioned in the class emails/syllabus) is not allowed.
Groups
You have been assigned to a team by the MBA office and you will work on group assignments with your team members. Every team member should contribute equally to its group reports. You are expected to be in constant communication with your team members and be prepared for every team meeting. I will ask you to perform a peer review of your team members at the end of the semester and will make adjustments to the case report grades based on your comments.
Communication
I communicate remotely with students only by George Mason e-mail and via Canvas. For security and confidentiality, I will only reply to George Mason e-mail addresses. Please write your section number on email subjects. Please come and see me during my office hours as soon as you have any questions about the material or the class in general. If you have any questions about your grade, you should contact me within the first week the grades are posted and please bring any other issues you may have to my attention as soon as they arise.
Technology
You will need your laptops for some of the in-class assignments, games and exercises. In the event that we revert to online teaching, we will use Zoom regularly and I expect every student to turn on their cameras as that will be the best way for me to judge the in-class attendance and participation part of your grade. While laptops and tablets are permitted for the purpose of taking notes, following lecture material and playing the in-class games, cell phones are not to be used during class. Engaging in activities not related to the course (e.g., email, chat, etc.) will result in a significant deduction in your participation grade.
Safe Return to Campus
- All students taking courses with a face-to-face component are required to follow the university’s public health and safety precautions and procedures. Similarly, all students in face-to-face and hybrid courses must also complete the Mason COVID Health Check daily, seven days a week. The COVID Health Check system uses a color code system and students will receive either a Green, Yellow, Red, or Blue email response. Only students who receive a “green” notification are permitted to attend courses with a face-to-face component. If you suspect that you are sick or have been directed to self-isolate, please quarantine or get testing. In that case, you should forward this information to the instructor and it is your responsibility to coordinate with a classmate to continue to attend class via Zoom until you receive a green notification. Faculty are allowed to ask any student in class to show them that they have received a Green email and are thereby permitted to be in class.
- Students are required to follow George Mason's current policy about facemask-wearing. As of August 11, 2021, all community members are required to wear a facemask in all indoor settings, including classrooms. An appropriate facemask must cover your nose and mouth at all times in our classroom. If this policy changes, you will be informed; however, students who prefer to wear masks will always be welcome in the classroom.
Disability
Any student with special needs should bring them to the instructor’s attention no later than the second week of class. For students with any disabilities, please also contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at (703) 993-2474. All academic accommodations must be arranged through the ODS.
Academic Integrity
George Mason University shares in the tradition of an honor system that has existed in Virginia since 1842. The Honor Code is an integral part of university life. On the application for admission, students sign a statement agreeing to conform to and uphold the Honor Code. Students are responsible, therefore, for understanding the provisions of the code. In the spirit of the code, a student's word is a declaration of good faith acceptable as truth in all academic matters. Cheating and attempted cheating, plagiarism, lying, and stealing of academic work and related materials constitute Honor Code violations. To maintain an academic community according to these standards, students and faculty must report all alleged violations of the Honor Code to the Honor Committee. Any student who has knowledge of, but does not report, an Honor Code violation may be accused of lying under the Honor Code. All students are expected to adhere to this code. All acts of academic dishonesty will be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of this code. For more information on the University's Honor Code, please visit the Academic Standards website.
For practical purposes, the meaning of the code for this class is:
- When taking the exams or quizzes, collaboration with other students or use of unauthorized material (i.e., material not provided through the course's Canvas or not mentioned on the Syllabus) is not allowed.
- Case reports represent original ideas of the team members.
- You may not present the work, or the opinions of someone else without proper acknowledgement.
Inclement Weather & Campus Emergencies
Information regarding weather related changes in the University's schedule (e.g., closing or late opening) will be provided on the George Mason website and via MasonAlert. Students can sign up for the Mason Alert system to provide emergency information of various sorts. If campus is closed, please check Blackboard for announcements from the professor.
Business Library Liaison Information
Jo Ann J. Henson, MLIS Business and Economics Liaison Librarian Fenwick Library Fairfax Campus: Business InfoGuides
Religion
Students who will miss class for religious reasons should inform me of their anticipated absences as soon as possible.
Counseling Center
George Mason University has a counseling center that can provide assistance if you find yourself overwhelmed by life, want training in academic or life skills, or the like.
| Week | Date | Topics | Quizzes (Thu 8am) |
Deliverable (Thu 7:20om) |
Preparation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 14 | Introduction to Operations Management and Process Analysis: Overview of various operations decisions and challenges; process analysis; bottleneck and capacity management. |
Case 1 “XTM Bike Corporation” |
||
| 2 | Oct 21 | Supply Chain Management (SCM): Various supply chain decisions; bullwhip effect; supply chain incentive issues and contracting; impact of uncertainty and forecasting; supply chain performance issues. |
Quiz 1 | Short reading: Dell Hand-out for game 1 “Forecast Sharing Game” | |
| 3 | Oct 28 | Inventory Management: ABC analysis, inventory models; economic order quantity; newsvendor model. |
Case 2 report “Making Supply Meet Demand in an Uncertain World” |
Video-lecture Hand-out for game 2 “Newsvendor Game” | |
| 4 | Nov 4 | Pricing and Revenue Management: Price differentiation; calculation of protection level for single-leg revenue management problems; overbooking. |
Quiz 2 | Case 3: “Fasten: Challenging Uber and Lyft” Hand-out for game 3: “Customer Valuation Game” | |
| 5 | Nov 11 | Retail Operations: Mark-down optimization; operational challenges of on-line and omni-channel retailing; innovative retail operations models. |
Case 4 report “AmazonFresh: Rekindling the Online Grocery Market” | Hand-out for game 4 “Retailer: Mark-down optimization” | |
| 6 | Nov 18 | Service Operations Management: Introduction to queueing theory; basic queueing concepts and models (single-channel, multi-channel) and discussion of its applications to various industries. |
Quiz 3 | Video-lecture Hand-out for simulation: “Operations Management Exercise: Multiple Server Queues” | |
| 7 | Dec 2 | Emerging Topics in Operations and Supply Chain Management: Sustainability; Digital Transformation of Supply Chain Management |
Case 5 report “H&M’s Global SCM Sustainability: Factories and Fast Fashion” |
||
| 8 | Dec 9 | Guest speaker (TBD) / Review | Quiz 4 | Peer evaluations |
Rubric for Case Study Reports
| Performance Level | |||||
| Criteria | % | 1 (60-69) |
2 (70-79) |
3 (80-89) |
4 (90-100) |
| Situation analysis | 20 | Does a poor analysis of the environment the firm is operating in; no mention of the potential (internal and external) threats and opportunities. | Does a weak analysis of the environment the firm is operating in; limited mention of the potential (internal and external) threats and opportunities. | Does a reasonably good analysis of the environment the firm is operating in; identifies some of the potential (internal and external) threats and opportunities. | Does a thorough analysis of the environment the firm is operating in; successfully identifies any potential (internal and external) threats and opportunities. |
| Identification and clear presentation of the problems and issues facing the company | 20 | Demonstrates minimal understanding of the issues, key problems, and the company’s present situation. | Demonstrates limited understanding of the issues, key problems, and the company’s present situation. | Demonstrates adequate understanding of the issues, key problems, and the company’s present situation. | Demonstrates superior understanding of the issues, key problems, and the company’s present situation. |
| Critical evaluation and analysis of the alternative(s) and recommendation(s) | 40 | Displays poor understanding and assessment of the solution(s) and recommendation(s). | Displays an inadequate analysis and assessment of the solution(s) and recommendation(s); discusses and evaluates only some of the implications and the consequences with weak arguments. Necessary references are generally missing. | Demonstrates an adequate analysis and assessment of the solution(s) and recommendation(s); discusses and critically evaluates the implications and presents the consequences with solid arguments. Occasionally makes the necessary references. | Effectively identifies, analyzes and assesses solution(s) and recommendation(s); thoroughly discusses and critically evaluates the implications and presents the consequences with strong arguments. Makes necessary references. |
| Proper organization and logical flow of the analysis | 10 | No organization and flow of ideas, arguments, analysis and recommendations. | Poor organization and flow of ideas, arguments, analysis and recommendations and a report with minimal structure. | Good organization and flow of ideas, arguments, analysis and recommendations and a well- structured report. | Excellent organization and flow of ideas, arguments, analysis and recommendations and a clearly structured report. |
| Proper writing and grammar | 10 | Grammar, spelling, punctuation, professional writing, and syntax needs significant improvement. | Grammar, spelling, punctuation, professional writing, and syntax needs improvement | Accomplished grammar, spelling, punctuation, professional writing, and syntax | Excellent grammar, spelling, punctuation, professional writing, and syntax |
Rubric for In-class Participation
| Performance Level | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 4 |
|
| 3 |
|
| 2 |
|
| 1 |
|
| 0 |
|
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