Introduction to Operations Management

This comprehensive course delves into operations management and process improvement principles and techniques, providing you with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify and eliminate inefficiencies in your organization. You will gain a solid foundation in operations management by analyzing key concepts such as cost-quality trade-offs, the efficiency frontier, and system inhibitors.

Get ready to delve into process analysis, where you'll identify and analyze steps in a process, implementing changes for enhanced outcomes. With practical exercises, including creating process flow diagrams and capacity calculations, you'll strengthen your analytical skills firsthand. Experience the power of optimizing flow within operations as you uncover waste sources and design efficient processes for maximum output, reduced costs, and heightened customer satisfaction. An in-depth exploration of Little's Law will equip you to make informed decisions on capacity planning and process improvements, optimizing inventory levels, reducing lead times, and enhancing supply chain coordination. Additionally, you'll learn to effectively manage variability, laying the groundwork for consistent and exceptional quality standards. Statistical analysis, problem-solving methodologies, and real-time information utilization will empower you to tackle issues, find root causes, and foster continuous improvement. Throughout the course, the focus remains on driving improvements and achieving excellence. Analyze, improve, and reimagine how work gets done, armed with the necessary tools and frameworks to enhance work processes across diverse industries. Join this course to analyze, improve, and reimagine how work gets done and to acquire the necessary tools and knowledge to make meaningful improvements in your organization's operations.

Introduction to operation management and process analysis 

At its core, operations management is about finding and then reducing inefficiencies. We will start by examining key concepts such as cost-quality trade-off, the efficiency frontier, and three system inhibitors. We will also explore process analysis, enabling you to identify and analyze the steps involved in a process and make changes to improve its outcomes. By the end of this module, you will have opportunities to practice these concepts by creating process flow diagrams and calculating the resource with the lowest capacity. Additionally, you'll be able to practice calculating capacity, flow rate, and utilization. You will be able to transfer these skills to initiate process analysis within your organization.

Flow management and lean operations

In operations management, flow focuses on the movement of materials, products, and information through the various stages of a production or service process. Lean operations focus on identifying sources of waste both in terms of resources and processes. Optimizing flow can improve productivity, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction. By learning to carefully observe how work is done, we can become better at identifying waste. The goal is to create efficient and effective processes that maximize output while minimizing waste.

Little's Law

Little's Law, a foundational concept in operations management, helps quantify and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of a system by providing key performance indicators. By understanding the relationship between inventory, arrival rate, and cycle time, managers can make informed decisions regarding capacity planning. Little’s Law also serves as a diagnostic tool for process improvement initiatives and is particularly valuable in supply chain management, where it enables companies to optimize inventory levels, reduce lead times, and enhance coordination among various stages of the supply chain. It helps strike a balance between supply and demand, improving overall responsiveness and customer service.

Quality

Variability can introduce defects and hinder the pursuit of excellence. By recognizing and managing variability, organizations can lay the foundation for consistent and exceptional quality standards. This module introduces frameworks that provide systematic ways to analyze variability. We’ll look at how statistical analysis and problem-solving methodologies can enhance quality. We’ll also explore the power of real-time information and how it fosters continuous improvement. We’ll examine strategies for finding the root cause of an issue and explore how we might develop targeted solutions as we unravel complex problems.