Managing the operations of a business provides the context for this course; coordinating demand and supply provides the perspective. In light of that, the primary goal is to master principles and concepts that explain how the right products and resources are at the right place at the right time so as to maximize profit within a business process or supply chain. The “products” could be either goods, services, or both; and the “resources” could be
either material, people, information, money, or any combination of the four.

The purpose of the course is to provide in-depth coverage and analysis of the decisions involved in designing and managing productive operating systems. Put simply, “productive” means both effective – i.e., doing the right things – and efficient – i.e., doing things right. In most industries, some firms are growing and prospering while others are shrinking or failing. Many differences can separate the winners from the losers, but the way operations
are managed is one of them. Indeed, it is rare to find a successful company that is not managing its operations to provide a high-quality good or service at a profitable margin. And very frequently, struggling companies can trace their problems to faltering operations. Thus, effective operations management is a key ingredient of success.