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.