Course Instructor:
The business environment across the world has become increasingly
turbulent because of shorter product life cycles, disruptive technologies,
hyper-competition, and globalization. This course focuses upon how firms
build and use their operations capabilities and resources to compete
successfully in such turbulence.
There can be many bases for competing – cost, quality, speed, variety &
flexibility, innovation, etc. Firms essentially make choices. We will look at
how organizations, both in the manufacturing and services sectors, make
this choice; what tradeoffs they willingly accept to create their value
propositions and positioning. Making these choices has implications for
their operations related decision variables. In this course we will take a
look at how make these decisions.
Learning Outcomes:
This course will enable a student to understand:
• What is operations strategy? What are its key elements? What is its
role in enabling firms achieve competitive advantage in the
market?
• How do organizations develop and deploy various operations
strategies?
• How do organizations help structure their value chains and what
role do they play in the value chain?
Pedagogical Methods:
The course will primarily use case studies, readings, lectures and
presentations.
Primary Teaching Book & Reading Material:
Slack N & Lewis M. Operations Strategy: second edition; Pearson.
Other Suggested Readings(Books):
1. Walters D. Operations Strategy; Palgrave Macmillan.
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING FOR MANAGERS
Operations Strategy
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Course Outline
[Pick the date]
Other Study Material
Students should revise Operations Management course. Cases have been
listed in the course outline but they will be solved as group assignment.
Not more than four members in a group.
Quiz
There will be three quiz tests and best two of the three will be counted for
the evaluation.
Other Course Policies:
< Any specific policies to be followed during the course>
Exams: Mid Term of 1:30 Hrs and End Term of 2:00 Hrs. Both mid term
and end term will be closed book exams. There may be a case in Mid Term
but in the end term exam a case is expected.
Class Participation: The students are expected to participate in the case
and class discussions.
System of Evaluation
Case write-up:
QUIZ:
Mid Term:
Final Exam:
20%
20%
20%
40%
Topics to be covered:
Session
No
1
2
3
4
Session-wise Plan
Reference Chapter/ Case
Course introduction; what is operations
strategy; how does it fit with the firm’s
overall strategy; competitive positioning and
the value chain; operations strategy decision
areas.
Chapters 1 & 2
Resources and core capabilities
Chapter 2
‘Do Trade-offs Exist in Operations
Strategy?’ Mark Pagell, Steve
Melnyk, and Robert Handfield.
(This reading will be separately
given to students)
‘BYD Company Ltd.’ (HBSP Case)
2
[Pick the date]
5
6
Location and capacity strategy
Chapter 3
7
8
Vertical integration and outsourcing
Chapter 4
9
10
Process technology strategy;
‘Flextronics International,
(HBSP Case)
Chapter 5
11
12
Information technology and operations
Chapter 5
13
14
Product development strategy
‘Zara: IT for Fast Fashion’ (HBSP
Case)
Chapter 7
15
16
Service development strategy
‘Ideo Product Development’ (HBSP
Case)
Chapter 7
17
18
Implications for the organization
‘Shouldice
Hospital
(HBSP Case)
Chapter 7
19
20
Implementation issues
Wrap up
Ltd.’
‘American Connector Co. (A)’
‘Maruti Udyog Ltd.’
Chapter 10
3
Limited’