N90400 Operations Management

SEMESTER 1 (sep-dec) LOGISTICS:

Logistics is already one of the world’s leading economic industries, leveraging the achievement of companies such as Amazon or Ikea. Today the word “logistics” has a wider meaning than the mere provision of handling and transport of goods. Nowadays logistics has evolved from an operational function to a key business process, the so-called Supply Chain Management (SCM). 

This course is intended to provide students with an overview of the logistics and supply chain topical issues, with the implementation of managerial solutions by means of real-life case studies. In this way, the course offers the possibility to combine an understanding of managerial issues with theoretical and practical knowledge of appropriate methodologies for planning and managing complex projects.

SEMESTER 2 (feb-may) PRODUCTION:

The production part of the course aims to provide a first knowledge base on the problems of operating industrial plants and to provide students with the necessary knowledge, on the one hand, to identify the competitive objectives of a production system and, on the other hand, to orient the choices that characterize the management accordingly, respecting the technological, plant and financial constraints imposed by the context. 

At the end of semester 2 the student will be able to:

measure the efficiency and effectiveness performance of a production system;
choose the alternative investment in production investment looking only at significant revenue and cost items;
calculate the variable unit cost of production in the case of complex production processes characterized by waste;
formulate a sales forecast;
formulate an aggregate production plan;
formulate a MRP plan or give the specifications to those who have to develop a tool to support the generation of the operational plan.

SEMSTER 1 LOGISTICS

• Introduction
  • A definition of Logistics and Supply Chain Management
  • Supply Chain Management processes
  • The principles of Supply Chain Management
  • Using the Supply Chain to compete
• Supply Chain Strategy and Design 
  • Competitive and Supply Chain strategies
  • The Strategic Fit
  • Elements of Supply Chain Design
  • Logistics KPIs: customer service level, OTIF, fulfilment rate, inventory turnover
• Network Design in the Supply Chain 
  • A methodological framework for logistics network design
  • Types of logistics/distribution networks
  • Logistics and distribution costs
  • Design tools and models
  • Optimization Mixed-Integer models: hub & spoke, facility location problem, distribution planning (with Excel)
• Transportation Systems 
  • Key modes of transport
  • Road transportation vehicules
  • Intermodal transporations: Incoterms, freight modes
  • Transportation costs and documents
• Physical Distribution and Materials Handling
  • Types of warehouses: depots, distribution centers, transit points
  • Main warehousing operations, activity flow and functional areas
  • Pallet Retrieval & Pallet Storage Systems
  • Order Picking Systems
• Distribution Requirement Planning
  • The role of inventory in the distribution network
  • The replenishment process
  • The inventory control systems
  • DRP Methodology 
  • DRP Business Game (with Excel)

SEMESTER 2 PRODUCTION

• introduction to production systems and their classification;
• the performance of production systems;
• production flows;
• the costs for decisions and the variable cost of production;
• introduction to planning;
• demand forecast for planning;
• aggregate planning;
• materials management;
• schedluing;
• bases of just in time production.

LOGISTICS

Each class will be composed of a frontal lecture combined with practical sessions represented by real-life case studies, business games and/or experiential laboratories.

Furthermore in-class discussions will be used based on reading assignments. 

PRODUCTION

Each class will be composed of a frontal lecture combined with practical sessions represented by numerical exercises and real-life case studies.

LOGISTICS

The exams will be closed books and closed notes and are constituted by a written test with multiple choice and open questions focused on the topics studied during the classes. 

PRODUCTION

The exams will be closed books and closed notes and are constituted by a written test with exercises and open questions focused on the topics studied during the classes.