TO 302: Managing Business Operations

Fall 2018
(September, 2018)

Instructor: Feng Tian

Sections: 001, 311

Office Hours: MW 1:00-2:00 pm; W 6:00-7:00pm
Office: R3431
E-mail (@umich.edu) ftor

❖ Schedule:

Class Tues/Thur 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm R0230

Midterm Exam 10/09(Th) 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm R0230

Final Exam 12/19(W) 8:00 am – 10:00 am TBD

Exam Conflicts: If you have another course scheduled during the midterm or another exam that conflicts
with either the midterm or final exam and want to arrange an alternate exam time, you MUST submit the
“Exam Conflicts” form located on the TO 302 Canvas site by September 24th at 11:59pm. In order to fill
out and submit the form, you must be signed into Canvas with your UM unique name. The due date is firm;
requests will not be accepted after that date. The same rules apply to varsity athletes with conflicts. Neither
recruiting nor personal travel are excusable.

Disability Accommodation: see the Disability Accommodation; note the two-week deadline.

❖ Course Description:

Overview: Operations Management studies the processes by which inputs of materials, labor, capital, and
information are transformed into products and services which customers want and are willing to pay for.
This course will provide students with the managerial tools needed to understand and articulate the
impact of an organization’s business processes, and the ability to analyze and continuously improve these
business processes to make things work better, faster and cheaper.

❖ Grading:

Cases (36%)
● 6 Required case reports (3 @ 7%, 3 @ 5%) 36%
Exams (50%)
● Midterm exam 24%
● Final exam 30%
Class participation (10%) 10%

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 ❖ Materials

Required Materials:

Course Pack: Contains supplemental readings and cases to be used throughout the course. See the
end of this syllabus for course pack table of contents. To access your course pack, go to your
section’s TO 302 Canvas site and click the StudyNet link on the toolbar on the left.

Main Textbook: “Operations Management, 1 edition” (ISBN: 9781259148422) by Gerard Cachon

st

and Christian Terwiesch. You are provided access to the textbook through the McGraw-Hill
Connect online platform. To access the Connect platform, go to your section’s TO 313 Canvas site
and click on the McGraw-Hill Connect link on the toolbar on the left.

Recommended Materials:

The following two textbooks contain four chapters related to the course material that are not covered by
the main textbook.

• “Matching Supply with Demand: An Introduction to Operations Management” (3rd

edition) by Cachon and Terwiesch, 2013
• Ch 16: Revenue Management with Capacity Controls
• “Operations and Supply Chain Management” (15th edition) by Jacobs and Chase, 2018
• Ch 16: Global Sourcing and Procurement
• Ch 18: Forecasting
• Ch 20: Inventory Management

These chapters are optional, since the lecture notes and the main textbook are sufficient to study for the
course. If you would like to access these chapters, we provide the following options:
a. You can borrow a copy of both textbooks at the Shapiro Library. Both have been placed
under reserve. Go to the second floor “Askwith Media Library” in Shapiro Library. You can obtain
the textbooks after requesting the reserves for “TO 302”.
b. You can purchase a customized textbook with only these four chapters directly from the
publisher McGraw-Hill. You can choose to purchase an e-book version or printed copies.
i.E-book: Go to the Create eBookstore (https://create.mheducation.com/shop/) and search for ISBN:
9781307320718.
ii.Printed: Ask the bookstore for TO 302 course material (ISBN: 9781307320671)

❖ Cases:

You will be assigned to case groups. All case groups are required to submit a group case report for
each of the 6 case studies.

For each case, you should do the following:

● Read the case. Then ask yourself, “What are the issues here?” That is, what is the
controversy to be resolved and/or what are the decisions or evaluation to be made?

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 ● Answer the questions developed for the case. Go back through the case and develop
analysis needed to respond to the questions. Write your case report using the report
templates on Canvas.
● After answering the questions, ask yourself, “Have I resolved the issues in the case?” In
many cases, the answers are not the end in themselves, but merely the means to help give
you insights into resolving the issues. You may then come to some meaningful conclusion
or recommendation.
● Make notes that would be helpful to you if you are called upon in class to give a brief
synopsis of the case, discuss the case situations, and answer the case questions.

Case submission. Instructions for each assignment will be given before each assignment. All assignments
are due by the midnight before the case will be discussed. No late assignments will be accepted. The
assignments should be submitted on Canvas. Each case submission should be within 5 pages.

TA Office Hours. To help with the case reports, TA office hours will be scheduled on the days
before the case is due. The TA office hour schedule for the semester is posted on Canvas. If you
have questions related to the case, please email TO313Help@gmail.com.

Software. The Caesars Entertainment case will require using regression. To complete this case, you
will need to load the Analysis ToolPak in Microsoft Excel. Students are responsible for ensuring
that they have a computer fully equipped with all requisite software for use during the case
assignments. The software are not required for use during the exams.

❖ Exams:

The midterms and final exam dates and times can be found in the Course Outline section of this
syllabus. The midterm and final exams will consist of both quantitative and qualitative questions
related to the readings, lectures, and discussions of the course. Both exams will be closed book.
Students are responsible for making sure they appear for the exams on time. No latecomers will
be admitted. Students who fail to write any of the exams, without prior permission from their
instructor, will not be given any make-up exams.

Exam Practice Problems. A list of suggested questions and problems (either at the back of some
chapters in the text or additional problems from the instructor) will be posted on Canvas
periodically. Students are strongly advised to work on these questions and problems. This gives
students an opportunity to practice their problem-solving skills on small, well-defined problems,
and will be useful in tackling exam questions.

Exam Conflicts. If you have another course scheduled during the midterm or another exam that
conflicts with either the midterm or final exam and want to arrange an alternate exam time, you
MUST submit the “Exam Conflicts” form located on the TO 302 Canvas site by September 24th at
11:59pm. In order to fill out and submit the form, you must be signed into Canvas with your UM
unique name. The due date is firm; requests will not be accepted after that date. The same rules
apply to varsity athletes with conflicts. Neither recruiting nor personal travel are excusable.

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The Exam Coordinator will respond by email no later than September 28 at 5pm regarding
whether your request has been approved.

If you miss an exam without confirmation of an approved alternative exam from the Exam
Coordinator via this process before your exam, your exam score will be zero. If you are severely ill
enough on the date of the exam that you cannot take it, you absolutely should not take the exam.
In the case of illness, you must supply written medical documentation of your inability to take the
exam to the Exam Coordinator with a cc: to your professor either before the exam or as soon after
as you are able to do so.

If you have questions about this process, please contact the Exam Coordinator via email.

Exam Administration. Expect proctors to be active during the exam to ensure fairness for all
students. In the TO 302 exam students may use calculators that meet the course requirements.
No other technology (including earbuds, headsets, watches with electronic communication
abilities, cell phones, etc.) may be on the desk, used, or viewed during any of the exams. You will
need to leave all of your personal belongings, including cell phones, smart watches, etc. against
the walls of the room. Please plan ahead, you will only be permitted to leave the room in the case
of an emergency. Not following the direction of a proctor will be considered a violation of the Ross
Honor Code, including stopping work on your exam when the proctor calls time. Classroom
recording technology will be used to monitor exams.

❖ Disability Accommodation:

The University of Michigan is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all
programs, services and activities. Students wishing to receive testing accommodations must
register with the UM SSD (Services for Students with Disabilities) as soon as possible. Students
must then submit their Verified Individualized Services and Accommodations (VISA) form via
online web form as early as possible, but no later than two weeks prior to the first test or quiz for
which accommodations are requested.

Requests must be sent using the Accommodations Request Form and must include a scanned or
photographed copy of the VISA form. This form only needs to be submitted once during your
academic career with Ross unless your accommodations expire.

Questions can be directed to the Accommodations Coordinator at

RossAccommodationsCoordinator@umich.edu.

In rare cases, the need for an accommodation arises after the two-week deadline has passed (for
example, a broken wrist). In these cases, the student should still contact SSD and the Ross
Accommodations Coordinator at RossAccommodationsCoordinator@umich.edu, however, due to
logistical constraints we cannot guarantee that an accommodation can be made after the two-
week deadline has passed.

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❖ Class Participation:

To receive full benefit from the class, students must be actively engaged during each class. Class
discussions provide the opportunity to practice speaking and persuasive skills, as well as the ability
to listen. Effective class comments may address questions raised by others, integrate material
from this and other courses, draw on real-world experiences and observations, or pose new
questions to the class. High-quality participation involves knowing when to speak and when to
listen or allow others to speak.

Disruption during class is a sign of disrespect for classmates and the instructor. Leaving the class
during the class is very disruptive for the person speaking along with those listening. There are
some situations where leaving may be necessary. In such instances, please follow the guidelines
below to minimize any disruption and discourtesy to others.

If you know in advance you will miss a class: You should inform your instructor before class. You
can miss up to 3 classes during the semester without it impacting your grade.

If you know you will need to leave class early: Speak to or email the instructor prior to the class. It
is the instructor’s discretion as to whether leaving early will count as an absence; however,
instructors tend to be accommodating when there are valid reasons. Also, please sit near the exit
to minimize noise when you leave.

If you are coming from another class that is far away: Let the instructor know this at the beginning
of the semester. If you need to use the restroom, it is preferable to do this before class and be a
few minutes late rather than getting up in the middle of class.

If you unexpectedly need to leave during class: Do so as quietly as possible and speak to the
instructor after class. While it is expected that you will take care of necessities prior to class, there
is the rare occasion when you need to leave in the middle of the class. When you return, it is
preferable for you to return to a seat near the door (if one is available) to minimize any disruption.

❖ Practice Problems:

A list of suggested questions and problems will be posted on Canvas periodically. Students are strongly
advised to work on these questions and problems. This gives students an opportunity to practice their
problem-solving skills on small, well-defined problems, and will be useful in tackling cases and exam
questions.

❖ Community Values:

The class follows a set of classroom policies that have been designed to foster personal integrity
and respect for all members of the Ross community, including peers, faculty, administrators, and
guests to the Ross campus. The objective is to provide a safe and equitable environment for all by
holding students accountable to the professional and ethical standards that are expected in the
workplace. The entire Ross community benefits when each one of us makes a personal

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commitment to uphold these policies and to expect the same of classmates.

● Cheating is a serious offense that has real negative implications to classmates. All
members of the Ross community are expected to complete their own work on assignments,
exams, and all other coursework, unless instructed otherwise by faculty (e.g., group
assignments). Cheating is viewed as a grave lapse in personal integrity and respect for the
rights of other students. Given the BBA grading curve, cheating is comparable to stealing
from a classmate. Some examples of what constitutes cheating are listed below and should
be reviewed carefully. As cheating has very real consequences for others, ramifications for
cheating are severe and include dismissal from the school. Additional information on
cheating can be found in the Statement of Community Values, Academic Honor Code, and
related resources, which can be found at the following website:
https://www2.bus.umich.edu/MyiMpact/academics/ross-community-values.

● Disruption during class is a sign of disrespect for classmates and the instructor. Leaving the
class during the class is very disruptive for the person speaking along with those listening.
There are some situations where leaving may be necessary. In such instances, please follow
the guidelines below to minimize any disruption and discourtesy to others.

● If you know you will need to leave early: Speak to or email the instructor prior to the
class. It is the instructor’s discretion as to whether leaving early will count as an
absence; however, instructors tend to be accommodating when there are valid
reasons. Also, please sit near the exit to minimize noise when you leave.
● If you are coming from another class that is far away: Let the instructor know this at
the beginning of the semester. If you need to use the restroom, it is preferable to do
this before class and be a few minutes late rather than getting up in the middle of
class.
● If you unexpectedly need to leave during class: Do so as quietly as possible and speak
to the instructor after class. While it is expected that you will take care of necessities
prior to class, there is the rare occasion when you need to leave in the middle of the
class. When you return, it is preferable for you to return to a seat near the door (if
one is available) to minimize any disruption.

● All forms of electronics should be turned off during the class period, unless specified
otherwise by the instructor. Using electronics during class is disrespectful to the person
speaking and is often obvious to everyone around the offender including instructors and
guest speakers. Having even a few students on electronics during a class or speaker
engagement reflects poorly on all students and the school in general. If courtesy to others
is not enough of a reason, it simply is unwise to use electronics during class because there is
no easier way to convey to your instructor that you have chosen to disengage from the class.

Examples of Cheating:

● Using notes, books, or computer during exam, unless specifically instructed by faculty.
● Discussing assignments outside of class with anyone outside your team, unless
specified otherwise by faculty. If you have questions in analyzing the cases, you
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 should come to see the instructor or tutors during their office hours. You should not
seek help on the assignments from any other channels (including other case groups,
any other students, nonclass websites, and compilations such as test banks).
● Rephrasing other groups’ work and including it in your submission.
● Including others’ work in an assignment that has not been be properly cited (i.e.,
plagiarism). This includes any information found on the Internet. For additional
information on what constitutes plagiarism, see
https://www2.bus.umich.edu/MyiMpact/academics/ross-community-values.
● Modifying other groups’ supportive documents, including Excel worksheets, tables
and exhibits and including them in your submission.
● Sending (or receiving) a draft or final version of any portion of work to (from) other
groups.
● Switching from one group to another in the middle of the assignment, thereby
bringing the work across groups.
● Participating in the collection, distribution, online posting, or other sharing of class
materials that may result in use of those materials by people who are not currently
students in the course.

❖ Use and Sharing of Course Materials:

All materials generated for this course, including slides, handouts, review packets, quizzes and
exams (and answers to these materials), any written review materials, group paper handouts or
group papers generated for this class, or any other materials prepared by you or the professor for
this course are intended for use only by current students in this class. You are not permitted to
use materials related to the class that were generated by a professor in previous versions of the
course, such as materials collected in unauthorized files, test banks, or online. A violation of this
policy may be a violation of the Ross Community Values Code and may result in a student being
referred to the Community Values Committee for disciplinary action. It is also a violation of this
policy to participate in the collection, distribution, online posting, or other sharing of class
materials that may result in use of those materials by people who are not currently students in the
course. Finally, any electronic recording of this course, including images, is prohibited except with
the prior written permission of the instructor.

❖ Announcements:

Announcements will be sent via Canvas to provide additional information and to communicate any
schedule changes. You are responsible for viewing these announcements. Please do not disable
notifications in Canvas.

❖ Mac Support:

Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac does not have the same statistical tools that Office 2013 for
Windows has. In particular, it does not have regression tools. Microsoft 2 Office 2016 for Mac has
a buggy Excel Solver. In addition, the Computing Services staff cannot provide technical support
for running Excel features on non-Windows machines. We recommend that students with Mac
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install Microsoft Office for Windows. As a UM student, you are eligible to buy a student-version at
a discounted price: check computer showcase.

Students are responsible for ensuring that they have a computer fully equipped with all requisite
software for use during the case assignments. The software is not required for use during the
exams.

❖ U-M Guidance Regrading Conflicts Between the Academic and Religious Calendars:

Although the University of Michigan, as an institution, does not observe religious holidays, it has long been
the University's policy that reasonable effort should be made to help students avoid negative academic
consequences when their religious obligations conflict with academic requirements. Absence from classes
or examinations for religious reasons does not relieve students from responsibility for any part of the
course work required during the period of absence. Students who expect to miss classes, examinations, or
other assignments as a consequence of their religious observance shall be provided with a reasonable
alternative opportunity to complete such academic responsibilities. In most cases, the work can be
submitted prior to the absence. It is the obligation of students to provide notice within one week of the
dates of religious holidays on which they will be absent.

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 TO 302: Fall 2018 Course Outline

Exams and
Pre-class
Date Topic assignments
preparation
(dates)
Introduction and Process Analysis I:
Sept 4 Read Ch. 2.1-2.3,
1 Lecture: Introduction; What is operations,
(Tu) 3.1-3.5
Basics of process analysis
Sept 6 Introduction and Process Analysis II:
2 Read Ch. 3.1-3.5
(Th) Lecture: Process Analysis
Sept 11 Process Analysis III: Case 1 report Read Kristen’s
3
(Tu) Case: Kristen’s Cookie Co. (Sept 10, 11:59 pm) cookies case
Process Analysis IV:
Sept
4 Lecture: Capacity analysis, Inventory Read Ch. 16.1
13(Th)
buildup, Little’s Law Game: Art game
Sept Process Analysis V: Case 2 report Read National
5
18(Tu) Case: National Cranberry Case (Sept 17, 11:59 pm) Cranberry case
Sept Waiting Time Analysis I: Read Ch. 16.2-
6
20(Th) Lecture: Effect of variability, VUT equation 16.4
Sept Waiting Time Analysis II: Case 3 report Read Logan
7
25(Tu) Case: Logan Airport (Sept 24, 11:59 pm) airport case
Inventory Management I: Read Ch. 13.1,
Sept
8 Lecture: Strategic role of inventory, 13.3, and Vasant
27(Th)
Newsvendor model Farm caselet
Oct Inventory Management II:
9
2(Tu) Lecture: Newsvendor model
Practice
Oct
10 Midterm Review questions from
4(Th)
past exams
Oct
11 Midterm Exam In-class
9(Tu)
Read Ch. 12.1,
Oct Inventory Management III: Lecture: EOQ,
12 and suppl.
11(Th) Periodic review model
textbook
Oct
13 No Class: Fall Break
16(Tu)
Oct Inventory Management IV:
14 Suppl. textbook
18(Th) Lecture: Continuous Review Model
Oct Revenue Management I:
15
23(Tu) PriceinGame
Revenue Management II:
Oct
16 Lecture: Overbooking, Booking limits, Suppl. textbook
25(Th)
Price optimization
9
 Oct30 Inventory Management V: Case 4 report Read Amazon
17
(Tu) Case: Amazon.com (Oct 29, 11:59 pm) case
Quality Management I:
Nov1
18 Lecture: What is quality? Capability Read Ch. 9.2-9.5
(Th)
analysis, Conformance analysis
Nov 6
19 No Class (INFORMS)
(Tu)
Quality Management II:
Nov 8 Lecture: Seven deadly wastes, Toyota
20
(Th) production system
Game: House-building game
Demand Forecasting I:
Nov 13 Lecture: Time series forecasting
21 Suppl. textbook
(Tu) Game: “Beat the instructor” forecasting
game
Demand Forecasting II:
Nov 15
22 Lecture: Multiple regression, Qualitative
(Th)
forecasting
Nov 20 Revenue Management III: Case 5 report
23 Read NYHC case
(Tu) Case: New York Health Club (Nov 19, 11:59 pm)

Nov 22
24 No Class: Thanksgiving Break
(Th)
Nov 27 Supply chain management I:
25
(Tu) Game: Beer game
Supply Chain Management II:
Nov 29 Lecture: Bullwhip effect, Effective vs. Read 11.3-11.4,
26
(Th) responsive supply chains, Supply chain suppl. textbook
contracts
Supply chain management III:
Read TEP (B)
Dec 4 Lecture: Strategic sourcing, Supply chain
27 case, Suppl.
(Tu) sustainability
textbook
Case: The Empowerment Plan (TEP)
Dec 6 Demand Forecasting III: Case 6 report Read Caesars Ent.
28
(Th) Case: Caesars Entertainment (Dec 5, 11:59 pm) case
Dec 11 Final exam
29 Course Wrap-up
(Tu) (Dec 19, 8-10 am)

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 Course Pack (cp) Table of Contents

Course Pack Materials

1(cp). Kristen’s Cookie Company (A)
2(cp). National Cranberry Cooperative
3(cp). Amazon.com’s European Distribution
4(cp). Delays at Logan Airport
5(cp). Caesars Entertainment
6(cp). Personal Training at the New York Health Club

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 Course Structure

Module 1: Process Analysis

SESSION #1 (September 4 – Tuesday): Process analysis I: Course overview and introduction to

process analysis
Learning Objectives:
● Know what to expect from the course
● Understand what is operations and its strategic role in a successful organization
● Know what a process is.

SESSION #2 (September 6 - Thursday): Process analysis II: Process analysis

Learning Objectives:
● Know what a process is and learn how to evaluate a simple process using basic process
analysis

SESSION #3 (September 11 - Tuesday): Process analysis III: Kristen's Cookie Company case
Learning Objectives:
● Discuss how Kristen’s Cookies Company is able to align its operations based on its chosen
strategy
● Apply process analysis for analyzing Kristen’s Cookies Company
● Describe levers for improving throughput rate and flow time

SESSION #4 (September 13 - Thursday): Process analysis IV: Process types, inventory build-up,
Little’s Law, simulation
Learning Objectives:
● Learn the core concepts in process analysis in a dynamic, experiential manner
● Gain intuition regarding the interplay between the various elements of process analysis
through detailed questions, exercises, and via simulation
● Represent through a diagram the buildup and draw down of inventory over time due to
supply and demand mismatch
● Know the relationship between inventory, throughput rate and flow time

SESSION #5 (September 18 - Tuesday): Process analysis V: National Cranberry Cooperative case

Learning Objectives:
● Learn the effects of product mix decisions on process capacity
● Construct a process flow chart for a process with multiple products
● Identify the bottleneck in a multi-flow process
● Compare and evaluate different capacity investment options

Module 2: Waiting Time Analysis

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SESSION #6 (September 20 - Thursday): Waiting time analysis I: Waiting time analysis
Learning Objectives:
● Understand the effect of variability on the performance of a queuing system
● Learn the effect of utilization and resource pooling on waiting time
● Identify different levers to reduce waiting time
● Quantify the expected wait time in a queue using the VUT equation

SESSION #7 (September 25 - Tuesday): Waiting time analysis III: Logan Airport case
Learning Objectives:
● Identify the causes of delays at Logan Airport
● Learn how queuing theory can be applied to model delays at Logan Airport
● Understand how peak pricing works
● Compare the financial impact of different solutions for reducing delays at Logan airport

Module 3: Inventory Management

SESSION #8 (September 27 - Thursday): Inventory management I: Newsvendor model

Learning Objectives:
● Understand the role of inventory in a supply chain and in the U.S. economy
● Learn the tradeoffs of holding too much inventory versus too little inventory
● Use the newsvendor logic to choose the inventory level that maximizes expected profit
with uncertain demand

SESSION #9 (Oct 2 - Thursday): Inventory management II: Newsvendor model

Learning Objectives:
● Use the newsvendor logic to choose the inventory level that maximizes expected profit
with uncertain demand

SESSION #12 (October 11 - Thursday): Inventory Management III: Continuous review model, EOQ
model
Learning Objectives:
● Understand how to use the EOQ model to determine the optimal lot size if there is a fixed
ordering cost.
● Understand how to apply newsvendor logic to determine an optimal order policy under
uncertain demand and with supply lead time, if orders can be placed at any time

SESSION #14 (October 18-Thursday): Inventory Management IV: Recap of EOQ, Continuous
Review Model
Learning Objectives:
● Understand the tradeoff of underage and overage cost in the setting with replenishable
inventory
● Understand how to apply newsvendor logic to determine an optimal order policy under
uncertain demand and with supply lead time, if orders can be placed periodically
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SESSION #17 (October 30 - Tuesday): Inventory management V: Amazon.com case
Learning Objectives:
● Analyze and understand the logical underpinnings of Amazon’s distribution strategy in the
United States and how best practices were transferred to Europe
● Determine how to reconfigure the European distribution network, given that suppliers,
markets, work practices, transportation systems differences across various markets

Module 4: Quality Management

SESSION #18 (November 01 - Thursday): Quality management I: What is quality? Capability

analysis, Conformance analysis
Learning Objectives:
● Understand how to define “quality” in an operational process
● Learn how to measure the capability of a process to conform to quality specifications
● Understand how the six-sigma methodology and the DMAIC framework can be used to
improve process capability
● Learn how to control process performance using statistical process control

SESSION #20 (November 08–Tuesday): Quality management II: Seven deadly wastes, Toyota
production system
Learning Objectives:
● Understand the basic principles of lean production and apply lean principles in various
organizations
● Integrate concepts from inventory management, quality management and organizational
management to increase organizational productivity and efficiency

Module 5: Demand Forecasting

SESSION #21 (November 13 - Tuesday): Demand Forecasting I: Introduction to demand

forecasting, Time series forecasting
Learning Objectives:
● Learn about the different sources of uncertainty in a supply chain or process
● Experience how to predict demand while competing with your classmates in a “Beat the
Instructor” game

SESSION #22 (November 15 - Thursday): Demand Forecasting II: Multiple regression, Qualitative
forecasting
Learning Objectives:
● Learn about qualitative forecasting methods (Consensus, Delphi method, Prediction
markets)
● Learn how to forecast demand given historical data using time-series methodologies

SESSION #28 (December 6 - Thursday): Demand Forecasting III: Caesar’s Entertainment case
Learning Objectives:
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● Develop and interpret various forecasting methods (times series model, multiple regression
model)
● Use demand forecasts to make staffing decisions
● Compare the fit of different models

Module 6: Revenue Management

SESSION #15 (October 23 - Tuesday): Revenue management I: PricinGame
Learning Objectives:
● Experience how a firm can increase its revenues through price management by competing
with your classmates in the PricinGame
● Understand the issues related to revenue management

SESSION #16 (October 25 - Thursday): Revenue management III: Overbooking, Booking Limits, Price
optimization using willingness-to-pay
Learning Objectives:
● Understand why prices fluctuate dynamically in industries such as airline and hospitality?
And how does such practice help firms maximize their revenue?
● Understand how to set booking limits and overbooking in hotel and airlines industries
● Understand how to price optimization from willingness-to-pay data

SESSION #23 (November 20 - Tuesday): Revenue management III: Personal training at New York health
club case
Learning Objectives:
● Effectively identify new business opportunities to apply the principles and techniques of
revenue management and dynamic pricing.
● Conduct basic pricing analytics and apply optimization tools to maximize revenue
● Integrate pricing analytics with market segmentation tools

Module 7: Supply Chain Management

SESSION #25 (November 27 - Tuesday): Supply chain management I: The Beer Game
Learning Objectives:
● Understand the typical structure of a supply chain and the key decisions involved
● Understand the sources of variability that bedevil Supply Chain Management

SESSION #26 (November 29 - Thursday): Supply chain management II: Bullwhip effect, Efficient
supply chain versus responsive supply chain
Learning Objectives:
● Understand the causes and impacts of bullwhip effect on the entire supply chain and each
individual firm in the supply chain
● Integrate lessons from inter-organizational communication with supply chain management
● Understand which supply chain types (efficient vs. responsive) are suitable for which firms,
and how to achieve a responsive supply chain (Zara discussion)

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● Understand how supply chain contracts can be used coordinate separate agents in a supply
chain with potentially conflicting incentives
SESSION #27 (December 4 - Tuesday): Supply chain management III: Strategic sourcing, Supply
chain sustainability
Learning Objectives:
● Understand the opportunities and challenges in global sourcing
● Understand different type of supply chain relationships (arms-length vs. partnership)
● Understand the important role of sustainability in supply chains, and discuss trends and
recent examples

Other Class Sessions

SESSION #10 (October 4 - Thursday): Midterm review

SESSION #11 (October 9 - Tuesday): In-class midterm exam

SESSION #13 (October 16 - Tuesday): No class due to Fall Break

SESSION #19 (November 6 - Tuesday): No class

SESSION #24 (November 22 - Thursday): No class due to Thanksgiving Day

SESSION #29 (December 11 - Tuesday): Course wrap-up

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