MGT 305
Northern Kentucky University College of Business

 

 

Courses:
MGT 305
MGT 307
MGT 415
MGT 490

Research

MV9

Service

Photos

Student Resources:
Memos
ModelMemos
Resumes
% Diff
Tables
Graphs
Citations
QC .xls
QCformulas
UMV
InfoSources
CommentKey
BookBorrow

Home

News & Info (Updated 11/18/2009 09:27 PM)

Study notes for week 14 and week 15 have been posted.  On Monday the day sections will complete JIT and briefly tour TQM.  Then it's on to Thanksgiving Break!

An extra credit opportunity related to what it takes to be great is now available.  Worth up to 2 points of extra credit toward the final exam.  Due Wednesday, December 2nd.  You can work in groups of two if desired.

Practice problems related to layout (#3 only) and inventory/MRP have been posted.  You'll be responsible for doing similar on the final exam.

Here's the inventory:sales data shown in class. What do recent data suggest about the state of the economy?

For those thinking about the end-of-term project option, here are some thoughts on content and format.  I've also posted a couple example projects that earned high marks (I also have plenty of hardcopy examples in my office that you can look at).  If you're wondering about whether a particular organization would be appropriate, come see me.  As a general rule, any organization (for profit/not for profit, big/small, public/private sector) works.  The challenge for some is narrowing the scope to something manageable.  For example, analyzing the operations of all of Procter & Gamble would be very difficult, while assessing the operations of P&G's customer service division in downtown Cincy is a much more doable scope.  Should you do the project, it's due the final day of class, Wednesday December 9th.

Baffled by how to calculate the percentage difference between two values?  You'll need to learn how to be a better manager.  Click here for a tutorial.

Fall 2009 potpourri (archives)Interesting recount of the Fall 2008 financial meltdown...Inside the auto bailout...Projecting unemployment trends a decade forward...Mr P opines on the current market situation...China buys the world (slide show)...Is getting laid off better than being retained?...China's innovation deficit...Refiguring retail operations for slow economic times...How Dr Pepper is competing against Big Soda...Focusing operations at Timken...Lower world industrial output and capacity utilization...Dell's extreme makeover...Pitfalls of clipping coupons...Examining elements of deflation...Trying to revive a factory in decline...Alternative beer goes mainstream...Current multinational company financial may not necessarily be good for the economy...The art of hyperinflation...Clutch time for GM...Which currency is most likely to spawn a crisis?...Overconfidence bias and the financial crisis...JetBlue's strategic operating decisions...Are we in a recession or a depression?...The growing industry of car sharing...The senseless recovery...Banks are shying away from lending...What must occur before we see sustainable economic recovery...Two sides of big government spending...Is the Dollar really doomed?...Mapping various investment styles...Arguing in favor of a double dip recession...Mr P explains the monetary system mechanism...The paradox of 'optimisim bias'...Remembering 9/11...Interesting data on oil & gas...Issues with China's economic structure.

Memo Center  
General thoughts on memo writing Prototype memo with comments
Model memos written by students Key to my abbreviated comments written on your memos
Making great tables Making great graphs
Citing your work Gathering credible information

Due dates for upcoming assignments appear below.  Assignments must be submitted in memo format and stapled.  No late work will be accepted.

Due Date Assignment Topic
9/9/09 Shingle Sense A1 Productivity
9/23/09 Fixing GAP A2 Strategic Operations
9/30/09 Building Burgers A3 Process Choice
10/7/09 The Car Wash Problem A4 Capacity
10/28/09 *REVISED*

DC Location A5

Location
10/28/09 Hospital Layout Analysis A6 Layout
11/4/09 Packing Crate Inventory A7 Inventory Policy
11/11/09 Positrol Workholding A8 Job Process Scheduling
11/18/09 Making Scissors A9 MRP
12/2/09 NKU's Quality System A10 Quality Mgt
12/9/09 Trek Bicycle A11 Supply Chain Mgt

Here is the US capacity data shown in class.  What do current levels of capacity utilization suggest about the current state of economic activity?

Here is the U.S. productivity data shown in class.  What is a good rule of thumb for the long term average annual productivity improvement in the U.S.?  Has long term (e.g., 50 yr) productivity improvement in the U.S. been going up, going down, or basically stationary (no up or down trend)?  Since about 1980, which as generally shown higher annual productivity improvement: manufacturing or non-farm business?  What does this imply?

LinkedIn is one way to structure to your professional network.  Friend me if you'd like.

One problem with going 'textbook free' is that students may be in need of books for citations, help on problems, etc.  Check out the Book Borrow.  These are some textbooks and other reference materials you might find useful.  Dates on some books are older but they can still serve as perfectly good references for memos, problems, projects.  Stop by my office if you'd like to borrow one of these...

Here's the Fortune subscription info.  Looks like the student rate is $10/yr.  Could be worth a look...

The MGT 305 Wall of Achievement has been updated.  Could be a worthy goal this semester...

Interested in learning more about financial markets?  Check out Minyanville (it's free!).  Minyanville was founded by my Wall Street friend Todd Harrison to help people learn more about markets so that better financial decisions can be made.  There is a University of Minyanville section designed to help newcomers learn about financial markets while remaining connected to the current flow (important for learning).  Minyanville also features audio and video about business and markets.  Hope to see you and your friends at the 'Ville. 

In case you're interested, here's a useful site for tracking commodity prices (something that operating managers involved in supply chain mgt routinely do).  Commodities are broken into various categories including energy (e.g., crude oil, natural gas, heating oil, unleaded gasoline), grains (e.g., corn, soybeans, wheat), softs (e.g., sugar, cotton, coffee), industrial metals (e.g., copper, aluminum), and precious metals (e.g., gold, silver).  There is also the Commodities Research Bureau Index (CRB).  What has been the overall direction in commodity prices over the past few years?


Operations Management in Business

MGT 305

Fall 2009

Matt Ford
414 BEP
Office hours: 12 noon - 1:30 pm; 5-6 pm MW
fordmw@nku.edu                        
(859) 572-1319
(859) 572-5150  (fax)
(859) 572-6559  (department)
http://www.nku.edu/~fordmw/mgt305.htm 

Our Vision

The Haile/US Bank College of Business at Northern Kentucky University will be the preferred choice of students, faculty and organizations in our region, known for excellence in practical instruction, applied research, and public engagement.

Our Mission

Our primary mission is to prepare our students to contribute positively to their organizations and communities. We educate future leaders to perform effectively and ethically in a global environment as professionals in business, public, and social enterprises. Our programs are strengthened by diversity among our students and faculty.

Our faculty and students actively engage in scholarship that is relevant to our academic programs and to the business community. We value all types of rigorous scholarship, with a primary focus on applied and pedagogical intellectual contributions.

We leverage partnerships between students, faculty and the community to continuously improve the educational experience and to enhance the integration of scholarship and public engagement to classroom learning. Our public engagement efforts are designed to enrich our communities.

Assurance of Learning

The College of Business has established learning outcomes for all its majors.  All business majors share some learning outcomes, and some learning outcomes are specific to the majors.   

MGT 305 is designed so that graduating business majors can demonstrate achievement of the following learning objectives:

  • Identify operations-related issues in analysis of general business problems

  • Understand and adequately address the interdependency between operations and other organizational functions

  • Identify operations-related decisions and assess their effectiveness

Course Objectives

This is a “survey” course, designed to introduce the student to the concept of operations management (OM) and how it fits into business.  Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:

  • Identify the parts of an organization included in “operations.”

  • Address a number of long-range and short-range decisions that operations managers face.

  • Perform techniques used by operations managers to help them make better decisions.

  • Identify some “hot topics” and benchmark organizations in the field of OM.

Catalog Description           

3 credit hours.  Concepts of operations in production and service organizations; application of quantitative and qualitative techniques to quality, human resources, forecasting, inventory, and process improvement problems.

Prerequisites: MAT 111, MAT 212; junior standing

Text (Optional)

Stevenson, W.J. (2009). Operations management, 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. (older versions ok)

Course Policies

a) Grading Components and Determination 

Exam I

30%

Exam II or Project

30%

Assignments

30%

Professionalism

10%

Exams.  A combination of short answer, essay, and problems.  You’ll have some choice.  Bring bluebooks.

Project.  Alternative to final.  Strategic assessment of an operation.  Choose an organization.  Define and classify the organization’s operating processes.  Identify key operating decisions made by management.  Assess the effectiveness of these decisions in supporting the business’s ability to compete.  Will coalesce as the term unfolds.  A way to demonstrate connection with classroom concepts.

Assignments.  Choose 3 of the assignments posted during the term (selection criteria to be discussed in class).  Memo format (to be discussed).  Some choice permits selection of topics that interest you.  You’ll also get feedback on business writing style.  Work in groups of two or more on each assignment.

Professionalism This portion of your grade is my assessment of your engagement in class.  It is termed 'professionalism' since it is meant to evaluate mannerisms that you should exhibit as an effective manager. 

 Extra Credit.  Will be possible as term unfolds.  More later.

b) Attendance

Attendance will not be formally taken.  However, your attendance and participation will impact your professionalism mark.  Moreover, due to the nature of our class discussions, you WILL struggle if you miss class.

c) Student Rights and Responsibilities

Maintenance of academic standards and integrity includes the obligation not to cheat or plagiarize.  A student who uses a dishonest or deceitful means to obtain a grade is guilty of cheating; a student who submits another’s work as one’s own without adequate attribution is guilty of plagiarism.  Identical work will earn a grade of zero.

Students are fully responsible for learning the course content and material disseminated in the class.  Absences do not release you from this responsibility. 

Please see the NKU Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities at www.nku.edu/~deanstudents

For cheaters, I will enforce school policies to the fullest extent possible.

d) Syllabus Changes and Current Information: Class Website

Dates and assignments documented in this syllabus are subject to change at my discretion, meaning that this paper version of the syllabus will become outdated as the term progresses.  While I’ll try to announce significant changes to our syllabus during class meetings, the electronic version of the syllabus posted on the class website will be constantly updated and provides a definitive reference.  Indeed, our class website is your best source for current course information.  Refer to it often…

e) Guiding Policies/Principles

  • You are training to be effective managers.  Be responsible for your development.

  • Manage conflicts and deadlines like the workplace.  Plan and notify ahead.  Avoid surprises.

  • No grades given over phone/email.  You'll have to see me.

  • My role is to help you achieve your goals.

Schedule

Week

Topic Readings Assignments and Links

8/24

History of OM; OM & the org chart A Look Backward at the Future of Work

Brave New Rat Race

Company OM Tours

Plant Tours on the Internet

Study note guide 

memo tips

Professionalism tips

calculating % difference

model memos

GDP rankings

Syllabus pdf

8/31 Essence of OM; Productivity The End of Work as You Know It

Cog or Co-worker?

Couch Potato Nation

ILO Productivity Study   Related AP article

Exxon's Exodus

Productivity Practice Problems

BLS Productivity

US Productivity data

NKU Blackboard

MV9

9/7

Product vs service based ops

 

The Heavy Duty of the Factory Man (slide show)

The CEO Mayor (slide show)

 

FORTUNE 500 EC

memo tips; Sample memo

Dean's thoughts

Productivity Reporting EC

Shingle Sense A1
9/14

Strategic operations

Wal-Mart's Midlife Crisis

America's Best Car Company

Paul Pressler's Fall from the Gap

Why Costco is So Addictive

How Target Does It

Nothing Blue About JetBlue

Key OM Decisions

Intel chip production tour

Fortune subscription info

9/21

Process & product choice 

 

BMW's Dream Factory

McDonald's 24/7 (slide show)

Boeing's Big Dream

Fixing GAP A2

US capacity data

Student resource page

 

9/28 Process & product choice (cont'd) Inside Honda's Brain

Big Mac's Local Flavor

Can This Car Save Ford?

Chipmakers on the Edge

Building Burgers A3

Capacity Practice Problems

Location & Layout Practice Problems

Network Building EC

10/5

Capacity What is Intel CEO Craig Barrett Up To?

Here Comes $500 Oil

The Car Wash Problem A4

EC Productivity; EC Process Choice

10/12 Location; Exam I

 

The High Cost of Wooing Google

The World's Most Expensive Streets

Getting the Most Out of Every Shopper

The Other Mexico: A Wave of Investment

Book Borrow

Commodity Prices

10/19

Layout; HR & OM

 

Simply Irresistable

How to Heal a Sick Office

After the Layoff, The Redesign

Inventory:sales graph

DC Location A5

Inventory Practice Problems

Career Choices

Business Week top undergrad b-schools

EC Credit Markets

10/26 Inventory management

 

Retailing Icon Mickey Drexler is Doubling Down

The Genius Behind Steve

 
Hospital Layout Analysis A6

Planning & Scheduling Practice Probs

NKU CEO

Global Ops EC

11/2 Planning & scheduling

 

Caterpillar: Big Trucks, Big Sales, Big Attitude Packing Crate Inventory A7

JIT EC

11/9 Material requirements planning (MRP)

 

Can Anything Stop Toyota? Positrol Workholding A8

Toyota Georgetown video 

11/16 Just-in-time (JIT) operations

Extreme Lean Manufacturing

Making Scissors A9

Resume thoughts

 

11/23 Quality management 3M's Innovation Crisis

Six Sigma: So Yesterday?

A Dynamo Called Danaher

Rubbing Customers the Right Way

EC Greatness

Online Course Evals

11/30

Supply Chain Management

Where Dell Sells with Bricks & Mortar

Outsourcing Shops Feel the Street's Pain

Zara Thrives by Breaking All the Rules

The Genius Behind Steve

NKU's Quality System A10
12/7 Asset mgt; Global operations The Real Cost of Offshoring

A Big Windows Cleanup

Broken China

A Guide for Multinationals

McDonald's Footprint in Asia

China's Factory Blues

Chinese Counterfeiters Thrive in Africa

Trek Bicycle A11

Dell asset management

Projects due

 

12/14 Exam II  

Campus exam schedule

MGT 305 WOA

Potpourri Archives

 

Copyright© 1999-2009 Matthew W. Ford.