MBA 6151, Operations Research

Course Syllabus

Course Description
Introductory examination of operations research with emphasis on applications of network, inventory, scheduling, queuing
decision models for business and management, and basic problems in operations management.

Course Textbook
Schroeder, R. G., Goldstein, S. M., & Rungtusanatham, M. J. (2013). Operations management in the supply chain:
Decisions and cases (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Explain product design and operations management.
2. Describe process design to include process selection, service process design, choosing technology, and
conducting process-flow analysis.
3. Evaluate quality control mechanisms and processes, including operations strategies.
4. Determine capacity and scheduling requirements.
5. Conduct inventory control, materials requirements planning, and scheduling of operations.
6. Describe just-in-time systems, requirements, and procedures.
7. Evaluate operations management situations and provide critical examinations for operations improvement
techniques.
8. Explain project scheduling and forecasting for operations management.

Credits
Upon completion of this course, the students will earn three (3) hours of college credit.

Course Structure
1. Unit Learning Outcomes: Each unit contains Learning Outcomes that specify the measurable skills and
knowledge students should gain upon completion of the unit.
2. Unit Lessons: Each unit contains a Unit Lesson, which discusses unit material.
3. Reading Assignments: Each unit contains Reading Assignments from one or more chapters from the textbook.
Suggested Readings are listed in the unit study guides to aid students in their course of study. The readings
themselves may or may not be provided in the course, but students are encouraged to read the resources listed if
the opportunity arises as they have valuable information that expands upon the lesson material. Students will not
be tested on their knowledge of the Suggested Readings.
4. Learning Activities (Non-Graded): These non-graded Learning Activities are provided in each unit to aid
students in their course of study.
5. Unit Assignments: Students are required to submit for grading Unit Assignments in Units I-VIII. Specific
information and instructions regarding these assignments are provided below. Grading rubrics are included with
each assignment. Specific information about accessing these rubrics is provided below.

MBA 6151, Operations Research

6. Participation-Discussion Assignment: Those students who will be attending the classes taught by Vietnamese
professors are not required to answer the discussion board questions. Instead they will discuss the questions
listed in the discussion board with their professors and peers during class participation sessions. Those students
who will not be attending the classes are required to e-mail the responses to the discussion board questions to
their CSU professor.
7. Final Exam: Final Exams will be administered by the CSU professors while in Vietnam.

CSU Online Library

The CSU Online Library is available to support your courses and programs. The online library includes: databases,
journals, e-books, research guides, and other support services. The eResources are accessible 24/7 and can be
accessed through the Online Portal.
To access the library, log into myCSU Student Portal and then click on CSU Online Library. The CSU Library offers
several reference services. E-mail (library@columbiasouthern.edu) and telephone assistance is available
(1.877.268.8046) Monday Thursday 8 am to 5 pm, and Friday from 8 am to 3 pm. Ask Librarian! is available 24/7: look
for the chat box on the online library page.
Librarians can help you develop your research plan or to assist you in any way in finding relevant, appropriate and timely
information. Reference requests can include customized keyword search strategies, links to articles, database help and
other services.

Unit Assignments
Unit I Essay
Using the CSU Online Library, research the topic of operations management within a real-life company using one of the
following industries: library, hotel, small clothing retailer, restaurant, manufacturing, or airline.
Write an analysis from your findings. Within your analysis, include the specific company and address these questions
based on that company:
1. What are the outputs of the organization?
2. Applying the four operations decisions discussed in Table 1.1 (Operations DecisionsA Framework) on page 10
of the textbook, identify important operations decisions and responsibilities that pertain to the company you
chose.
3. Evaluate your organization based on its overall emphasis on the four objectives of cost, quality, delivery, and
flexibility.
4. Research your organization to determine whether it has an established operations strategy. Does this
organization have a clearly-defined, distinctive competence?
Your response must be a minimum of one page, double-spaced. References must include a minimum of one additional
credible reference other than the textbook. All sources used must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must
have accompanying citations. All references and citations used must be in APA style.
Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.
Unit II Case Study
For this assignment, read the case study, Eastern Gear, Inc. on pages 450-452 of your textbook. Once you have read
and reviewed the case scenario, respond to the following questions with thorough explanations and well-supported
rationale:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Explain the problems, both current and future, that Eastern Gear faces.
Discuss how modification in process selection and advances in technology might affect Eastern Gear.
Compile a process flow analysis on Eastern Gear.
Recommend a course of action for Eastern Gear with respect to solving the problems you identified in question
one.

MBA 6151, Operations Research

Your response must be a minimum of two full pages, double-spaced. References must include your textbook plus a
minimum of one additional credible reference. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased
and quoted material must have accompanying citations. All references and citations used must be in APA style.
Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.
Unit III Case Study
For this assignment, read the case study, Paediatric Orthopaedic Clinic at the Childrens Hospital of Western Ontario, on
pages 459-464 of your textbook. Once you have read and reviewed the case scenario, respond to the following questions
with thorough explanations and well-supported rationale:
1. What is the activity utilization rate at each step in the process of providing care? What is the direct labor
utilization?
2. How is variability affecting capacity at the clinic? Can the sources of variability be controlled or eliminated? How?
3. Where is the bottleneck in the process? What other capacity constraints are there in the clinic?
4. What is the economic cost of wait times? What improvements would you recommend in order to increase
efficiency?
Your response should be a minimum of one page, double-spaced. References should include your textbook plus a
minimum of one additional credible reference. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased
and quoted material must have accompanying citations. All references and citations used must be in APA style.
Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.
Unit IV Case Study
For this assignment, read the case study, Six Sigma at 3M, Inc., on pages 467-475 of your textbook. Once you have
read and reviewed the case scenario, respond to the following questions with thorough explanations and well-supported
rationale:
1. What will be the benefits, costs, and risks of the Six Sigma program, and how will they be tracked and supported?
2. How should the various functional areas in the organization be included in the Six Sigma initiative, and what role
should senior and middle management play in this change initiative?
3. What are the human resource implications for deploying Six Sigma (e.g., employee selection, roles,
organizational structure, and reward systems)?
4. How will Six Sigma affect the innovative culture at 3M? Is Six Sigma enough with respect to the future? Include
thoughtful reflection concerning your recommendations to 3M going forward.
Your response must be a minimum of two pages, double-spaced. References must include your textbook plus a minimum
of one additional credible reference. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and
quoted material must have accompanying citations. All references and citations used must be in APA style.
Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.
Unit V Case Study
For this assignment, read the case study Unsafe for Children: Mattels Toy Recalls and Supply Chain Management on
pages 479-491 of your textbook. Once you have read and reviewed the case scenario, respond to the following questions
with thorough explanations and well-supported rationale:
1. Why do firms contract overseas for production of products they sell?
2. What are the primary causes of Mattels recall problems?
3. What actions were taken, and by whom, to deal with the recall problems? Do you think these actions were the
right ones? Why, or why not?
4. What should Mattel do now? What should China do now?
5. How can accountability be increased with respect to the use of overseas production facilities and suppliers?
Your response must be a minimum of one page, double-spaced. References must include your textbook plus a minimum
of one additional credible reference. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and
quoted material must have accompanying citations. All references and citations used must be in APA style.

MBA 6151, Operations Research

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.
Unit VI Case Study
For this assignment, read the case study, Crocs: Revolutionizing an Industrys Supply Chain Model for Competitive
Advantage on pages 492-503 of your textbook. Once you have read and reviewed the case scenario, respond to the
following questions with thorough explanations and well-supported rationale:
1. What are Crocs core competencies?
2. How do they exploit these competencies in the future? Consider the following alternatives:
a. further vertical integration into materials,
b. growth by acquisition, and
c. growth by product extension.
3. To what degree do the alternatives in question two fit the companys core competencies, and to what degree do
they defocus the company away from its core competencies?
4. How should Crocs plan its production and inventory? How do the companys gross margins affect this decision?
Your response must be a minimum of one page, and APA style must be followed when writing your response. References
must include your textbook plus a minimum of one additional credible reference. All sources used, including the textbook,
must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying in-text citations.
Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.
Unit VII Scholarly Activity
Comprehensive Case Analysis
For this assignment, read the case study, Pyrex, on pages 510-515 of your textbook. You will compile a comprehensive
case study analysis based on this case. This involves a critical review of the company and situation leading to the problem
identification. From there, you will research the company, industry, and competition, leading to the identification of several
viable alternatives, followed by the final recommendation. In summary, the format should include the following:
Company/product overview: Introduce the company and its products/services.
Situation analysis: This requires an analysis of what is occurring in the organization, both internally and externally.
Think about the political/legal environment, economic, socio-cultural, and technological impacts. Using the CSU
Online Library, minimally research the industry and competitors.
Problem: Identify the problem(s) that this company is having or will have in the near future.
Alternatives: Formulate a possible alternative that could solve the problem(s) you stated above. Explain it
thoroughly, with an eye on the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative.
Recommendation: Examine the alternatives, and select the best alternative for this company. Include rationale for
selecting this alternative over others and the implementation process.
Your comprehensive case analysis should be a minimum of two pages, double-spaced (not including the title and
reference pages). The case analysis format should include the five sections described above, each indicated through use
of subheadings within the paper. References should include your textbook plus a minimum of two additional credible
academic references.
Use APA style when writing your case analysis. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced;
paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations.
Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.
Unit VIII PowerPoint Presentation
Compile a PowerPoint presentation, summarizing the results of your comprehensive case analysis completed in Unit VII
(Pyrex, pages 510-515 of your textbook).
Assume that you will be making this presentation to top managers at Pyrex with the goal of selling them on your
recommendation. Include an overview of the case analysis with emphasis on the alternatives and your ultimate
recommendation. Describe just-in-time aspects of your analysis of whether this system would work at Pyrex. Include
detailed rationale for your recommendation, including supporting research.

MBA 6151, Operations Research

Use of speaker notes is required. Your PowerPoint length should be at least six slides, including a title slide and a
reference slide. Title and reference slide do not count towards the minimum slide requirement.
If you require guidance on creating PowerPoint presentations or best practices when creating PowerPoint presentations,
access the following webinars, created by the CSU Success Center:
PowerPoint (best practices)
PowerPoint (how-to)
Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

APA Guidelines
CSU requires that students use APA style for papers and projects. Therefore, the APA rules for formatting, quoting,
paraphrasing, citing, and listing of sources are to be followed. Students can find CSUs Citation Guide in the myCSU
Student Portal by clicking on the Citation Resources link in the Learning Resources area of the myCSU Student Portal.
This document includes examples and sample papers and provides information on how to contact the CSU Success
Center.

Blackboard Grading Rubrics

Assignment Rubrics
One or more assignments in this course utilizes a Blackboard Grading Rubric. A rubric is a tool that lists evaluation criteria
and can help you organize your efforts to meet the requirements of an assignment. Your professor will use the Blackboard
Grading Rubric to assign points and provide feedback for the assignment.
You are encouraged to view the assignment rubric before submitting your work. This will allow you to review the
evaluation criteria as you prepare your assignments. You may access the rubric in My Grades through the Tools button
in your course menu. Click the View Rubric link to see the evaluation criteria for the assignment. Upon receiving your
assignment grade, you may view your grade breakdown and feedback in the rubric.

CSU Grading Rubrics for Papers/Projects and Assessments

The Learning Resource area of the myCSU Student Portal provides the rubrics, and information on how to use them, for
written response questions in Unit Assessments, and Research Papers/Projects.
The course writing assignments will be graded based on the CSU Grading Rubric for all types of writing assignments,
unless otherwise specified within assignment instructions. In addition, all papers will be submitted for electronic evaluation
to rule out plagiarism. Course projects will contain project-specific grading criteria defined in the project directions.
To view the rubrics, click the Student Resources link in the Course Menu or access them through the CSU Grading Rubric
link found in the Learning Resources area of the myCSU Student Portal.

Grading
Unit I Essay
Case Studies (5 @ 9%)
Unit VII Scholarly Activity
Unit VIII PowerPoint Presentation
Participation/Discussion
Final Exam
Total

MBA 6151, Operations Research

= 7%
= 45%
= 15%
= 7%
= 12%
= 14%
= 100%

Course Schedule/Checklist (PLEASE PRINT)

The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule,
you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted.

MBA 6151, Operations Research

MBA 6151, Operations Research

Course Schedule

By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. Please keep this
schedule for reference as you progress through your course.
WEEK 1: 07/20/2015 07/26/2015
Read Professor's Profile - Email your professor and introduce yourself. Read over Course Syllabus.
WEEK 2: 07/27/2015 08/02/2015
Independent Studies.
WEEK 3: 08/03/2015 08/09/2015
Complete Unit I and Unit II and Submit Unit I Essay and Unit II Case Study

Unit I
Review:
Read:
Submit:
Notes/Goals:

Unit II
Review:
Read:
Submit:
Notes/Goals:

Operations & Supply Chain

Unit Study Guide
Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide
Chapter 1: The Operations Function
Chapter 2: Operations and Supply Chain Strategy
Suggested Reading: See Study Guide
Essay

Product Design Process

Unit Study Guide
Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide
Chapter 3: Product Design
Chapter 4: Process Selection
Suggested Reading: See Study Guide
Case Study

MBA 6151, Operations Research

MBA 6151, Operations Research

Course Schedule

WEEK 4: 08/10/2015 08/16/2015

Independent Studies
WEEK 5: 08/17/2015 08/23/2015
Complete Unit III and Unit IV and Submit Unit III Case Study and Unit IV Case Study.

Unit III
Review:
Read:
Submit:

Service Delivery and Process Flow

Unit Study Guide
Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide
Chapter 5: Service Delivery System Design
Chapter 6: Process-Flow Analysis
Suggested Reading: See Study Guide
Case Study

Notes/Goals:

Unit IV
Review:
Read:
Submit:
Notes/Goals:

Lean Systems
Unit Study Guide
Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide
Chapter 7: Lean Thinking and Lean Systems
Chapter 8: Managing Quality
Suggested Reading: See Study Guide
Case Study

MBA 6151, Operations Research

MBA 6151, Operations Research

Course Schedule

WEEK 6: 08/24/2015 08/30/2015

Break Week - Use this week to complete any remaining assignments. Review Units I - VIII to prepare for Final Exam.
WEEK 7: 08/31/2015 09/06/2015
Independent Studies.
WEEK 8: 09/07/2015 - 09/13/2015
Complete Unit V and Unit VI and Submit Unit V Case Study and Unit VI Case Study.

Unit V
Review:
Read:
Submit:
Notes/Goals:

Unit VI
Review:
Read:
Submit:
Notes/Goals:

Quality Control and Supply Chain Management

Unit Study Guide
Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide
Chapter 9: Quality Control and Improvement
Chapter 10: Supply Chain Management
Suggested Reading: See Study Guide
Case Study

Forecasting
Unit Study Guide
Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide
Chapter 11: Forecasting
Chapter 12: Capacity Planning
Suggested Reading: See Study Guide
Case Study

MBA 6151, Operations Research

MBA 6151, Operations Research

Course Schedule

WEEK 9: 09/14/2015 09/20/2015

Independent Studies.
WEEK 10: 09/21/2015 09/27/2015
Complete Unit VII and Unit VIII and Submit Unit VII Scholarly Activity and Unit VIII PowerPoint Presentation.

Unit VII
Review:
Read:
Submit:

Project Scheduling
Unit Study Guide
Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide
Chapter 13: Scheduling Operations
Chapter 14: Project Planning and Scheduling
Suggested Reading: See Study Guide
Scholarly Activity

Notes/Goals:

Unit VIII
Review:
Read:
Submit:
Notes/Goals:

Inventory and MRP Systems

Unit Study Guide
Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide
Chapter 15: Independent Demand Inventory
Chapter 16: Materials Requirements Planning and ERP
Suggested Reading: See Study Guide
PowerPoint Presentation

MBA 6151, Operations Research

10

MBA 6151, Operations Research

Course Schedule

WEEK 11: 09/28/2015 - 10/04/2015

Final Exam and Participation/Discussion.
Final Exam and Participation
Review:
Submit:

All Unit Study Guides and Assessments to prepare for Final Exam
Final Exam
Participation/Discussion

Notes/Goals:

WEEK 12: 10/05/2015-10/11/2015

Final Exam and Participation/Discussion.
Final Exam and Participation
Review:
Submit:

All Unit Study Guides and Assessments to prepare for Final Exam
Final Exam
Participation/Discussion

Notes/Goals:

MBA 6151, Operations Research

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