Operations Management
Fall 2013

rjMoodle, Assignments, Notes & Resources
Syllabus quick links: Course Objectives, Texts, Additional Resources, Basis of Grade

Course Information

Days & Times: Wednesday Evenings, 6:35PM - 9:10PM
Location: McMullen Hall 102 (computer lab)
Credits: 3 hours
Prerequisites: STBE237 (Business Statistics)
Instructor: Dr. Richard Jerz
Contact Information: Email:Rick@rjerz.com
Phone: (563) 447-0180 (voice mail)
Office: 408 Ambrose Hall

Catalog Description

This course is an introduction to the concepts and methods for planning, routing, scheduling, and controlling operations in both manufacturing and service industries. Topics include the concept of competitiveness, use of technology, process measurement, quality, forecasting, waiting lines, human resources issues, project management, supply chain management, just-in-time (JIT) systems, planning, scheduling, and inventory systems.

Course Objectives

There are two objectives of this course:

1. To comprehend what operations management is, terminology, and the context of operations within business.

2. To solve a variety of operations management problems by building and using quantitative models in Microsoft Excel and other software programs.

Course Format

This is designed as a hybrid, meaning that some of our meetings are in class, and some of our meetings are electronic. The in-class meeting are shown in white on the Assignments webpage. This format will be reviewed at our first meeting.

All electronic course materials will be delivered asynchronously, meaning that you do not have to be behind your computer at any specified time (you can work when you are most productive).

You will receive a "Welcome" email from me about a week before class that will provide access to all course materials on Moodle, and explain how the course is conducted. Watch for this email!

This course makes intensive use of lecture videos th

Texts

"Operations Management," by Jay Heizer and Barry Render, 10th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2011. ISBN-13: 978-0136119418.

Additional Course Resources

This course assumes that the student has some computer skills and understands how to use products such as email, browsers, word processing, and spreadsheets.

Computer Software: We will be using Microsoft Excel 2007/2010 for homework. Excel is available on all campus lab computers. It is your responsibility to make sure that you have access to SAU lab computers, and that you can save your work. If you have any problems, you must meet with SAUs IT help department, which is in the lower Library.

We might also use other software products that are available on the campus laboratory computers. Your computer should have Adobe Acrobat Reader and Microsoft Word installed.

Internet: If you work from another location, you will need a computer, access to the Internet via a high speed connection (such as DSL or cable) for playing videos.

Videos: You should have either a browser with Flash installed, or iTunes and optionally, a video iPod.

podcast http://www.rjerz.com/c/opsmgt/Podcasts/OMU.xml

Basis of Grade

Attendance and participation: 10%
Self-Assessments (Concept Questions): 30%
Homework (Problem Questions): 30%
Exams: 30%

A+: 97-100, A: 93-97, A-: 90-93, B+: 87-90, B: 83-87, B- :80-83, C+: 77-80, C: 73-77, C-: 70-73, D+: 67-70, D: 63-67, D-: 60-63, F: 0-60

Attendance: Attendance and participation are required. You get 3 points for each class you attend, 1 point if you are absent but notify me (by email or phone), and 0 points if you are absent and do not let me know.

If you are absent due to illness, mandatory religious obligations, or other unavoidable circumstances or University activities, you will not be able to get participation points for any in-class "clicker" questions.

Participation in forum discussions are always required. Forum grading will be based upon each specific assignment

Self-Assessments (Concept Questions): You must read each assigned textbook chapter. For every chapter, you must complete self-assessments to see how well you understand the assigned readings. These self-assessments are on Moodle, and they must be completed by the due date -- no exceptions. If you do not like your grade, you can redo your homework and your highest grade is what counts. Since you can redo your homework, I encourage you to begin early and complete at least one attempt so that you hopefully will not end up with a zero. Some of these questions will be used in-class for exams.

Homework (Problem Questions): Weekly projects will be assigned using various quantitative computer models. This homework must be completed by the due date, and you can redo project homework only two additional times (i.e., three attempts.)

Exams: Exams occur almost every week during the Tuesday lectures. Questions picked randomly from the self-assessment questions will be given in class. A correct answer is worth three (3) points, an incorrect answer worth (1) point, and no answer worth zero (0) points. These exams cannot be made up, so attendance is important.

Bonus Points: Occasionally, bonus exercises are provided. In the spirit of quality and continuous improvement, whenever you are the first student to identify an administrative error about any component of this course, you will receive one (1) bonus point.

Administrative Items

Make Up Exams: Make up exams are not provided.

Rectifying Scores: During the semester, I will post all your scores on Moodle for you to view. After you get your homework or exam grade, you have a week to complain about your score. Beyond this period, I will not entertain any complaints.

Accommodations: Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact the Student Disability Services office as soon as possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. (SDS Student Handbook)

Classroom etiquette: Please pay a professional courtesy to the instructor and your classmates by turning off all cell phones and pagers during class. The use of laptops is allowed only for lecture-related activities. In general, please avoid behavior that distracts from the learning experience of you and your classmates. In on-line discussions, a courteous tone and politeness is expected. (SAU Student Handbook)

Academic Integrity Policy: For St. Ambrose's policy, please see http://web.sau.edu/registration/documents/AcademicIntegrityPolicy_000.pdf