The following course Operations Management is provided in its entirety by Atlantic International University's "Open Access Initiative" which strives to make knowledge and education readily available to those seeking advancement regardless of their socio-economic situation, location or other previously limiting factors. The University's Open Courses are free and do not require any purchase or registration, they are open to the public.

The course in Operations Management contains the following:

• Lessons in video format with explaination of theoratical content.
• Complementary activities that will make research more about the topic , as well as put into practice what you studied in the lesson. These activities are not part of their final evaluation.
• Texts supporting explained in the video.

The Administrative Staff may be part of a degree program paying up to three college credits. The lessons of the course can be taken on line Through distance learning. The content and access are open to the public according to the "Open Access" and " Open Access " Atlantic International University initiative. Participants who wish to receive credit and / or term certificate , must register as students.

Lesson 1: What is Operations Management

Every business is managed through three major functions: finance, marketing, and operation management. The vice presidents of each function report directly to the president or CEO of the company. Other business functions—such as accounting, purchasing, human resources, and engineering—support these three major functions. Finance is the function responsible for managing cash flow, current assets, and capital investments. Marketing is responsible for sales, generating customer demand, and understanding customer wants and needs. Most of us have some idea of what finance and marketing are about, but what does operations management do?

Lesson 2: Historical Development

Business did not always recognize the importance of operations management. In fact, following World War II the marketing and finance functions were predominant in American corporations. The United States had just emerged from the war as the undisputed global manufacturing leader due in large part to efficient operations. At the same time, Japan and Europe were in ruins, their businesses and factories destroyed.

Lesson 3: Developing an Operations Strategy

The role of operations strategy is to provide a plan for the operations function so that it can make the best use of its resources. Operations strategy specifies the policies and plans for using the organization’s resources to support its long-term competitive strategy. The operations function is responsible for managing the resources needed to produce the company’s goods and services. Operations strategy is the plan that specifies the design and use of resources to support the business strategy. This includes the location, size, and type of facilities available; worker skills and talents required; use of technology, special processes needed, special equipment; and quality control methods.

Lesson 4: Operations Strategy and Competitiveness

Over the last decade we have seen an unprecedented growth in technological capability. Technology has enabled companies to share real-time information across the globe, to improve the speed and quality of their processes, and to design products in innovative ways. Companies can use technology to help them gain an advantage over their competitors. For this reason technology has become a critical factor for companies in achieving a competitive advantage.
In fact, studies have shown that companies that invest in new technologies tend to improve their financial position over those that do not. However, the technologies a company acquires should not be decided on randomly, such as following the latest fad or industry trend. Rather, the selected technology needs to support the organization’s competitive priorities, as we learned in the example of FedEx. Also, technology needs to be selected to enhance the company’s core competencies and add to its competitive advantage.

Lesson 5: Product Design and Process Selection

The term topology, or more specifically, network topology, refers to the arrangement or physi Network Topology cal layout of computers, cables, and other components on the network. "Topology" is the standard term that most network professionals use when they refer to the network's basic design. In addition to the term "topology," you will find several other terms that are used to define a network's design:
 Physical layout
 Design
 Diagram
 Map

Lesson 6: Technology Decisions

An important decision in designing processes is whether the firm should automate, to what degree, and the type of automation that should be used. Automation is the use of machinery able to perform work without human operators and can involve a single machine or an entire factory. Although there are tremendous advantages to automation, there are also disadvantages. Companies need to consider these carefully before making the final decision.
Automation has the advantage of product consistency and ability to efficiently produce large volumes of product. With automated equipment, the last part made in the day will be exactly like the first one made. Because automation brings consistency, quality tends to be higher and easier to monitor. Production can flow uninterrupted throughout the day, without breaks for lunch, and there is no fatigue factor. However, automation does have its disadvantages.

Lesson 7: Supply Chain

A supply chain is the network of activities that delivers a finished product or service to the customer. These include sourcing raw materials and parts, manufacturing and assembling the products, warehousing, order entry and tracking, distribution through the channels, and delivery to the customer. An organization’s supply chain is facilitated by an information system that allows relevant information such as sales data, sales forecasts, and promotions to be shared among members of the supply chain.
At the beginning of the chain are the external suppliers who supply and transport raw materials and components to the manufacturers. Manufacturers transform these materials into finished products that are shipped either to the manufacturer’s own distribution centers or to wholesalers. Next, the product is shipped to retailers who sell the product to the customer. Goods flow from the beginning of the chain through the manufacturing process to the customer. Relevant information flows back and forth among members of the supply chain.

Lesson 8: Total Quality Management

The definition of quality depends on the point of view of the people defining it. Most consumers have a difficult time defining quality, but they know it when they
see it. For example, although you probably have an opinion as to which manufacturer of athletic shoes provides the highest quality, it would probably be difficult for you to define your quality standard in precise terms. Also, your friends may have different opinions regarding which athletic shoes are of highest quality.
The difficulty in defining quality exists regardless of product, and this is true for both manufacturing and service organizations. Think about how difficult it may be to define quality for products such as airline services, child day-care facilities, college classes, or even OM textbooks.

 

Lesson 9: Statistical Quality Control

Total quality management (TQM) addresses organizational quality from managerial and philosophical viewpoints. TQM focuses on customer driven quality standards, managerial leadership, continuous improvement, quality built into product and process design, identifying quality problems at the source, and making quality everyone’s responsibility. However, talking about solving quality problems is not enough. We need specific tools that can help us make the right quality decisions. These tools come from the field of statistics and are used to help identify quality problems in the production process as well as in the product itself. Statistical quality control is the subject of this chapter.

Lesson 10: Just-In-Time & Lean System

The just-in-time (JIT) philosophy in the simplest form means getting the right quantity of goods at the right place and at the right time. The goods arrive just-in-time, which is where the term JIT comes from. Although many people think that JIT is an inventory reduction program or another type of manufacturing process, it is far more than that. JIT is an all-encompassing philosophy that is founded on the concept of eliminating waste. The word waste might make you think of garbage, or paper, or inventory.

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