SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Title
Course Number
Semester Offered

Operations Management
IMBF-510
FALL 2016 (4 week module)

Instructor
Phone Number
E-mail
Office Location
Office Hours

Jaideep T. Naidu
(215) 951-2816
naiduj@philau.edu
Gibbs Hall Room 106
Mutually agreed upon time for a telephone conversation or a
personal meeting if needed. Otherwise, I respond to e-mails
quickly, usually within 24 36 hours.

Credits
Course Type
Prerequisites

1.5
Online: http://philau.learninghouse.com/
Graduate or Pre-MBA status, or permission of the program
director.
MBF508 or equivalent undergraduate course.

Course
Description

This introductory level course provides students with an

understanding of the latest quantitative tools for corporate
decision-making. Topics include quality-control applications,
optimization techniques (including linear programming), the
simplex method, the transportation model, and the
assignment model. Other topics include time-series analysis,
queuing theory and an introduction to total quality
management. Computer applications, case analysis and
problem-solving sets are used throughout the course.

Additional
Descriptors

This course emphasizes on quantitative techniques and

models used in operations management and hence includes a
significant number of problem solving exercises. In addition,
students will read a highly acclaimed and celebrated
book/novel titled The Goal that is considered to be a must
1

read for every prospective MBA student and manager.

How this Course

Works & Course
Success Tips

This is a quantitative online course. Some assignments will

require reading the topic/chapter to understand the basic
concepts and going through the solved problems to
understand the mathematical tools and techniques. This
upfront work is critically important if students are to ask the
kind of precise and specific questions that will help them to
succeed in the course. Only after these steps have been
completed should students attempt to solve the assigned
homework problems or to answer assigned multiple-choice
questions.
It is important for students to understand that it may not be
possible for the instructor to respond to last minute questions.
Questions about assignments should be posted at least 36
hours prior to assignment due dates.
Students are expected to check emails on a regular basis. All
deadlines for turning in assignments/reports are clearly stated
below. Failure to meet deadlines will result in penalties (please
see the section below on late assignments). Please be aware
that time management is very important in this course
if deadlines are to be met.

Relation to
Curriculum

Must be taken or waived before taking iMBA courses.

Course Outcomes

Primarily course outcomes, upon course completion, students

will be able to:
1. Explain the relationship of operations and supply chain
management to a firms strategy
2. Utilize a variety of quantitative decision analysis
techniques
3. Articulate the importance of good quality, the cost of
poor quality, and the magnitude of six sigma quality
and ISO certification
4. Formulate basic Linear Programming optimization
models and appreciate its various business
applications
5. Use scheduling heuristics and optimization models that
can be applied in manufacturing as well as in the
service sector
6. Explain the relevance of Inventory models in supply
chain management

Overview of
expectations for
the course,
including major
assignments or
projects

Assignments
See additional
information about
assignments below.
Assignment 1
Assignment 2
Assignment 3
Book Report
Goal
Total Weight

Grade Distribution

Required
Reading(s)

on

The

Weigh
t

Evaluates which
Course Outcomes?

20%
35%
15%
30%

1, 3, 6
2, 5
4
All

100%

x 90 A ; 87 x 89 A- ; 83 x 86 B+ ; 80 x 82 B ;
77 x 79 B- ; 72 x 76 C+ ; 67 x 71 C ; 60 x
66 C- ; x 59 F
where x is the score you obtain at the end of the final
exam. In the case of a decimal score like 89.5 for instance,
your score will be rounded up to your advantage.
1. Operations Management: Creating Value along
the Supply Chain
by Roberta Russell
ISBN: 9781119285786
The above is an eBook and a custom edition. The link
for this eBook is
provided on the course webpage as well as given
below:
https://www.vitalsource.com/student-etextbooks
Enter: 9781119285786 into the search box.
2. The Goal - a process of ongoing improvement (3rd
revised ed. or a later edition) by Eliyahu Goldratt
(Publishers: North River Press)
ISBN #: 9780884271789 or later edition

Integrity Policy

Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a policy about ethical behavior at
Philadelphia University regarding ones intentions, decisions,
and actions while conducting academic work. It includes
values such as avoidance of the following: cheating;
plagiarism; copying; the fabrication of information; and
facilitating, or denying others access to information. It
expects honesty and rigor in research, course work, writing
and publishing. Academic Integrity is taken seriously in this

course. Any student violating the Universitys academic

integrity policy will be subject to appropriate sanctions. The
Universitys complete academic integrity policy is available in
the 2012-13 Academic Catalog and Universitys Student
Handbook. Academic resources, including information on
citation and documentation for all written work, projects, and
presentations, are also available on the Learning and
Advising Centers website:
http://www.philau.edu/learning/writingguidelines.html.
Policy on Late
Work

For medical leave requests, please see:

http://www.philau.edu/catalog/UniversityAcadPolicyProcedures/CommonPolicies/inde
x.html#LOAmed

Failure to turn in assignments by the date indicated will result

in penalties. If an assignment is turned in within TWO days
of the deadline, the grade will be decreased by 20%. No
credit will be given for assignments turned in two days past
the deadline.
Information
regarding the
Collection of
Student Work
for Assessment

Philadelphia University is committed to providing excellent

and innovative educational opportunities to its students. To
help maintain quality academic offerings and to conform to
professional accreditation requirements where relevant, the
University and its programs regularly examine the
effectiveness of the curricula, teaching, services, and
programs. As Philadelphia University sees appropriate, it may
retain representative examples or copies of student work
from all courses. This might include papers, exams, creative
works, or portfolios developed and submitted in courses or to
satisfy the requirements for degree programs as well as
surveys, focus group information, and reflective exercises.

Information on
Digital
Resources

Available on the course (philau.learninghouse.com) site.

Academic
Support Services

Gutman Library (www.philau.edu/library)

Gutman Library is a gateway to a variety of information
resources. The homepage of the library provides 24/7 access
to online databases of articles, e-journal collections, e-books,
and specialized information to support your coursework. The
library building is wireless, has 80 available workstations (PCs
and Macs), printers, scanners, and copiers; as well as
individual and group study spaces.
Business related databases, which might be of assistance
are: ABI/Inform and Business Source Premier. Business

newspapers that are available include: Wall Street Journal,

Wall Street Journal Asia, Financial Times, New York Times
and Philadelphia Business Journal. Links to the online
versions of these are found through the Journals by Title
link on the librarys homepage. Refer to the Research
Guides http://libguides.philaU.edu/start for more
information, and see especially specific guides for:
Business, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Management,
Company Information, and Industry Information. Contact
the Reference Desk directly Reference@philau.edu for more
specialized help in identifying sources, or stop by the
Reference Desk when the library is open.
The Academic Success Center (www.philau.edu/learning)
The Academic Success Center provides assistance for
writing, study strategies, and specific Philadelphia University
courses*. To make an appointment, students should stop by
the Academic Success Center in Haggar Hall or call (215)
951-2799. Academic resources, including information on
citation and documentation, and study strategies are
available on the Centers website. This may be useful if you
need help on the Book Report during Week 4.
Technology Resources
For general assistance with technology or your password
contact the university's Technology Help Desk at 215-9514648 or via email at helpdesk@philau.edu.
For assistance with your Moodle online course please contact
the Moodle support line at 1-800-985-9781.
Weekly Course Outline (the course is designed to take 5.25 hours per week, excluding
reading and homework assignments)
Assignments Due
Topics Covered
Readings
Week
Assignment 1
Introduction to
Chapter 1
1
Due: Sunday
Operations and
September 25, 2016 by
Supply Chain
11:59 pm
Management

The Operations
Function.
Productivity and
Competitiveness.
Strategy and
Operations.
Positioning the Firm.
Competing on Cost,
Speed, Quality, and
Flexibility
Competing on Speed.
Competing on Quality.
Balanced Scorecard.

Chapter 2
Week 1 introduces you to the
basics of Operations and
Supply Chain concepts in
addition to understanding

Quality issues in
manufacturing and the service
sectors.

Quality Management

What is Quality?
Dimensions of Quality
for Manufactured
Products.
Dimensions of Quality
for Services.
Quality Tools.
Quality Management.
The Cost of Quality.

Scheduling

Chapter 17

Objectives in
Scheduling.
Loading.
Sequencing.
Gantt Charts.
Theory of Constraints.
Employee Scheduling.

Decision Analysis

Linear Programming

Decision Analysis With

and Without
Probabilities.
Expected Value
concepts.
Decision Trees.
Model formulation
Graphical solution
method
LP model solutions
Slack and surplus
variables
Solving LP problems
using Excel

Extended Discussion:
The Goal: a process of
ongoing improvement

Supplement to
Chapter 1

Supplement to
Chapter 14

Supplemental Book

Assignment 2

Due: Sunday October

2, 2016 by 11:59 pm

Week 2 involves TWO

important quantitative topics
of the course: Scheduling and
Decision Analysis. Reading
these topics and solving
various types of problems will
enable you to understand the
broad applications of these
tools in business.
Assignment 3

Due: Sunday October

9, 2016 by 11:59 pm
Week 3 covers the most
important mathematical
business tool: Linear
Programming. This is the most
widely applied technique in the
real world.
Assignment 4 (a book report)

Due: Sunday October

16, 2016 by 11:59 pm
Week 4 provides an excellent
understanding of the
Operational aspects in the
business world.

More about
Assignments

Assignment 1 (Graded Quizzes 1, 2): Multiple choice questions

based on Chapter 1 (but does NOT include Supplement to Chapter 1)
and Chapter 2 respectively. A total of 20 multiple choice questions need
to be answered on each Quiz. Each question is worth a point. It is
very important for you to read the two chapters carefully and also take
the practice quizzes (Practice Quizzes 1, 2). The practice quizzes will
have fewer questions and will not cover all aspects of each chapter.
However, these will certainly help you do better on the Graded Quizzes.
Only a careful reading of the two Chapters will enable you to do well on

the Graded Quizzes.

Assignment 1 is worth

20 points.

Assignment 2 (Graded Quizzes 3, 4 + Problem Solving

Exercises 1, 2): Multiple choice questions and problem solving
assignments based on the following two topics: Scheduling (Chapter 17)
and Decision Analysis (Supplement to Chapter 1).
Graded Quizzes 3, 4 will each have 10 multiple choice questions ( a
point each). The course site will have Practice Quizzes 3, 4 which must
be taken prior to taking the Graded Quizzes 3, 4. You are expected to
carefully read the Chapters in order to do well on the Graded Quizzes.
Problem Solving Exercises 1, 2 combined will have a total of FIVE
problems (5 points each). You will solve them manually by showing all
your work and submitting them as attachments. As for preparing yourself
for these exercises, you must familiarize yourself with the math in these
chapters by carefully going through the solved examples provided in
these chapters. You will also have access to Help Files provided by me
for some problems on these assignments.
Assignment 2 is worth 35 points.

Assignment 3 (Graded Quiz 5 + Problem Solving Exercise 3):

Multiple choice questions and problem solving exercises based on the
following topic: Linear Programming (Supplement to Chapter 14).
Graded Quiz 5 will have a total of 10 multiple choice questions ( a
point each). Just as before, you will have access to a Practice Quiz 5.
You are expected to carefully read this topic in order to do well on the
Graded Quiz 5.
Problem Solving Exercise 3 will have a total of TWO problems (5 points
each). Other information provided for Assignment 2 above also holds
here in terms of help files, etc.
Assignment 3 is worth 15 points.

Assignment 4: A book report based on The Goal a process of

ongoing improvement. The book report will consist of your summary,
your thoughts and insights after reading this book. If you are a slow
reader like me, I suggest you start reading it well in advance and not plan
to read only during this time window. However, book reports are of much
better quality when a book is read cover to cover in 3 days or less
which is very feasible in this case.
Assignment 4 is worth

30 points.