Syllabi

INSTRUCTORS

Professor Vahid Lotfi
Information Technology Services
(810) 762-3123
email: vahid@umflint.edu

Professor Fred Williams, Dean
School of Management
(810) 762-3160
email: tedwill@umflint.edu

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

Demonstrate an awareness of many critical decisions of Operations Management (OM)
Demonstrate familiarity with various issues surrounding productivity, service operations, designing operations, managing operations, and certain quantitative models Demonstrate familiarity with model formulation, computer solution, and interpretation of computer output
Correctly identify the appropriate model, state the assumptions, develop formulation, and use a computer software to solve several OM models including
- quality assurance
- time series forecasting
- capacity planning
- location and layout analyses
- inventory management
- aggregate planning
- materials requirement planning
- maintenance and reliability

Correctly use vocabulary appropriate for discussing the stated OM models
Engage in positive and meaningful dialogue with classmates concerning class projects as well as OM Express interest in pursuing further study in OM

General Policies
Prerequisites:
BUS 211 - Business Statistics
BUS 313 - Management Science

Course Requirements:
Reading the unit chapter summary, learning objectives, and assigned chapter from the text.
Completing each unit homework assignment. Logging on to the course site three on average three times per week. Participating in the unit threaded discussions and responding to discussion questions. Completing and submitting ten short assignments and two group projects. Completing the three online exams.

Online Exams
There will be three online exams, consisting of multiple-choice, true/false, and fill-in-the-blank type questions. Exams are in units 5, 10, and 15 and they must be taken during their scheduled periods (see below). The time allotment for each exam is two hours.

1.Exam I (Unit 5) - Opens at 12:01 AM Wednesday 10/10/2001 and closes at 12:00 midnight on Friday 10/12/2001.

2.Exam II (Unit 10) - Opens at 12:01 AM Wednesday 11/14/2001 and closes at 12:00 midnight on Friday 11/16/2001.

3.Exam III (Unit 15) - Opens at 12:01 AM Wednesday 12/19/2001 and closes at 12:00 midnight on Friday 12/21/2001.

Please note that the times are Eastern Time and that there will be NO MAKE UP exam.

Also, in an event you experience any type of technical difficulty with the course site, dial-up, etc., you must notify your
instructors and/or teaching assistant within 48 hours (use either e-mail or voice mail). Claims of lost work made after this
grace period will not be honored.

Required Resources:
Access to a computer system with minimum (please see Technical Information at the online.umflint.edu web site), a Java enabled
browser, and the following software applications:

Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft PowerPoint

Please note that the video clips on the CD ROM that is included with your textbook, require QuickTime software. This software is
included in the CD ROM. You must first install QuickTime on your PC in order to view the video clips.

You must also install Excel OM that is included in the CD ROM on your PC. To install Excel OM follow the instructions on Excel OM in
the start.html.

Course Outline
This course is offered online in 15 units. Students are able to access course materials, complete assignments, and interact with
classmates and the instructors via their computers.

The units are instructor-lead rather than self-paced. Units are made available to students sequentially throughout the semester (please
see the outline below). Each unit will take approximately one week. Three of the 15 units (5, 10, and 15) are reviews and exams.

Outline
Unit 1: Introduction to the course, Orientation, and coverage of Chapter 1 - Operations and Productivity.
Unit 2: Covers Chapter 2 - Operations Strategy for Competitive Advantage.
Unit 3: Covers Chapter 3 - Operations in a Global Environment.
Unit 4: Covers Chapter 4 - Forecasting.
Unit 5: Review and Exam 1.
Unit 6: Covers Chapter 6 - Managing Quality and Supplement 6 - Statistical Process Control.
Unit 7: Covers Chapter 7 - Process Strategies and Capacity Planning.
Unit 8: Covers Chapter 8 - Location Strategies.
Unit 9: Covers Chapter 9 - Layout Strategies.
Unit 10: Review and Exam 2.
Unit 11: Covers Chapter 12 - Inventory Management.
Unit 12: Covers Chapter 13 - Aggregate Planning.
Unit 13: Covers Chapter 14 - Material Requirements Planning.
Unit 14: Covers Chapter 17 - Maintenance and Reliability.
Unit 15: Review, Exam 3, and course wrap-up.

Grading Policy
Your grade will be based upon three types of assessments as follows:

1.Three exams, each worth approximately 14% of the grade. Each exam is worth 104 points. Total exams, then, account for 312
points or roughly 42% of the grade.

2.Completing 10 of 12 unit assignments and two group projects. Each unit assignment is worth 20 points, and the highest 10 of 12
scores will comprise the assignments score. The group projects are worth 40 points each and both group projects count toward
the group project score. The unit assignments and group projects, then, account for 280 points or approximately 38% of the
grade.

3.Postings to 10 of 12 threaded discussion topics in the twelve units with threaded discussions. Each posting to the original topic
is worth 6 points, and each response to others' postings is worth 8 points, for a maximum of 14 points per unit. The threaded
discussion postings, then, account for 200 points, or approximately 19% of the grade.

TOTAL BASE POINTS = 312 (exams) + 280 (assignments & group projects) + 140 (threads) = 732

Extra Credit Work
There will be one extra credit assignment as follows:

Researching the Internet and posting the URL address of a relevant Web site will receive additional extra credit worth 3% of the
grade. The details for this extra credit assignment will be posted at a later date.

Academic Honor
Participants in this course are expected to observe the standards of academic integrity set forth in the Student Rights and Responsibilities section of the University of Michigan-Flint Catalog. These standards are critical because intellectual integrity is the most fundamental value of an academic community.

At the same time, we believe it is helpful to clarify the role of collaborative learning and its relationship to these standards of academic integrity. We believe it is clear that much of the richness in any organized learning activity occurs in a variety of collaborative settings - among and between learners - both in and outside of formal classroom settings. We encourage and support such collaborative learning and believe it can be completely consistent with these standards of academic integrity.

What that means, in succinct operational terms, is that we encourage collaboration among BUS 371 learners. Unless explicitly stated to the contrary - and we will clearly identify those circumstances where collaboration is not acceptable - we encourage and expect collaboration among learners. Feel free to discuss assignments, issues, and questions with other students. However, when it comes time to submit written work for grading, we expect, indeed we insist, that the submitted work must be your individual work product.

See also list of students