Lecture Notes

Selected lectures for the course are available below.

SES # TOPICS LECTURE NOTES
Part I: Basic Concepts of Operations Strategy
1 Course introduction; Innovation and operations discipline (PDF)
2 Frameworks for strategy and the decision category approach (PDF)
3 Developing an operations strategy; Application of decision category approach and the capabilities approaches  
4 Value chain dynamics and operations decisions (PDF - 3.5MB)
5 Value chain dynamics: Lessons from the auto industry  
6 Enterprise architecture and operations strategy  
Part II: Key Elements and Decision Categories in an Operations Strategy
7 Vertical integration and outsourcing (PDF)
8 Business processes (PDF)
9 Process technology decisions and multiple plants (PDF)
10 Capacity strategy: How to make decisions on capacity and capacity expansion (PDF)
11 Facilities strategies and globalization; Comparisons of plant productivity (PDF)
12 Summary lecture on facilities strategy and globalization (PDF)
13 Sourcing and supplier management  
14 Information systems and the impacts of the electronic economy  
15 Logistics systems and the fulfillment supply chain  
Part III: Capabilities and Different Approaches to Operations Strategy
16 Competing on quality: Sources of quality and different measures of quality  
17 Competing on cost versus competing on availability (PDF)
18 Competing on cost versus competing on features and innovativeness  
19 Competition in the housing industry: Improving cost, quality  
Part IV: Globalization, Outsourcing and Other Critical Issues in Operations Strategy and Policy in the 21st Century
20 Models for gaining advantage in a global environment; How to position within a value chain  
21 Globalization, joint ventures, sourcing overseas, and macroeconomic effects of off-shoring (PDF)
22 Supplier power and overseas sourcing: Moving up the value chain in outsourcing (PDF)
23 Student presentations  
24 Student presentations and course wrap-up

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