APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2014/2015

GRA 6753 Operations 1

Responsible for the course
Stein Erik Grønland

Department
Department of Strategy and Logistics

Term
According to study plan

ECTS Credits
6

Language of instruction
English

Introduction
Logistics management operations requires a good knowledge of methods and concept for optimising cost and service levels. Through the methods, also an understanding in operational decisions and their impact will be given.
Students participating in this course will gain an understanding of the management of logistics operations. Emphasis will be on various methods for optimising supply chains, and how they can be implemented in the real world.

Learning outcome
A good understanding of logistics operations and outcomes.

Acquired knowledge:
(i) To understand process capacities and evaluation of those
(ii) To understand how to best utilise bottlenecks in processes
(iii) To gain knowledge of forecasting
(iv) To gain knowledge of cycle stock management
(v) To understand safety stock management and optimisation of service levels
(vi) To get some understanding of basic issues in scheduling
(v) To understand aggregate planning of operations

Acquired skills:
(i) Optimisation techniques
(ii) To be able to understand and use logistics models
(iii) To be able to discuss logistics management with other specialists
Reflection:
(i) To understand the role of systems support in Supply Chain Management
(ii) To appreciate and understand possibilities and limitations of optimisation models
(iii) To better understand the day to day challenges of logistics management

Prerequisites
Bachelor degree qualifying for admission to the MSc Programme + A basic logistics course at the bachelor level

Compulsory reading
Books:
Cachon, Gérard, Christian Terwiesch. 2012. Matching supply with demand : an introduction to operations management. 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill
Chopra, Sunil, Peter Meindl. 2013. Supply chain management : strategy, planning, and operation. 5th ed. Pearson

Other:
During the course there may be hand-outs and other material on additional topics relevant for the course and the examination.


Recommended reading

Course outline
1.Introduction:
Models and concepts in logistics operations

2. Understanding the supply process:
Evaluation process capacity

3. Estimating and reducing labour cost:
A process perspective
Batching and flow interruptions:
Optimising the flow through a supply chain:

4. Forecasting
Requirements to forecasting, static forcasting

5.Forecasting
Adaptive forecasting

6.Cycle stock
Inventory management with multiple products.

7.Cycle stock
Discount schemes, joint optimisation for supplier and customer

8.Safety stock

9. Optimal service levels

10. Scheduling

11. Aggregate planning

12. Pricing, coordination, IT and E-business

Computer-based tools
Microsoft Excel., It's learning

Learning process and workload
A course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of 160-180 hours.
Students are expected to actively participate through discussions and excercises. There will be optional evalutions of test assignements.

Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all courses, it is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class that is not included on the course homepage/It's learning or text book.


Examination
A 5 hour written exam (individual) accounting for 100% of the final grade.

Specific information regarding student evaluation beyond the information given in the course description will be provided in class

Examination code(s)
GRA 67531 written exam accounts for 100% of the final grade in GRA 6753.

Examination support materials
All support materials allowed.
Examination support materials at written examiniations are explained under examination information in the student portal @bi. Please note use of calculator and dictionary in the section on support materials.

Re-sit examination
It is only possible to retake an examination when the course is next taught.
The assessment in some courses is based on more than one exam code.
Where this is the case, you may retake only the assessed components of one of these exam codes.
Where this is not the case, all of the assessed components of the course must be retaken.
All retaken examinations will incur an additional fee.

Additional information
Honor Code
Academic honesty and trust are important to all of us as individuals, and represent values that are encouraged and promoted by the honor code system. This is a most significant university tradition. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the ideals of the honor code system, to which the faculty are also deeply committed.

Any violation of the honor code will be dealt with in accordance with BI’s procedures for cheating. These issues are a serious matter to everyone associated with the programs at BI and are at the heart of the honor code and academic integrity. If you have any questions about your responsibilities under the honor code, please ask.