SES # | TOPICS / ACTIVITIES | READINGS / SUPPORTING FILES | KEY DATES |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Introduction and Course Overview; Supply Chain Challenges |
n/a | Students should start reading “The Goal”. |
2 |
Supply Chain Dynamics: Beer Game We will conduct a supply chain simulation in class. |
Sterman, J. D. “Teaching Takes Off: Flight Simulators for Management Education.” OR / MS Today, October 1992, 40–44. Beer Game Video Part 1 — Aduartevi. “Business Cycle Part 1.” February 22, 2010. YouTube. Accessed July 2, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFyXrFKt5Gw Beer Game Video Part 2 — “Business Cycle Part 2.” February 22, 2010. YouTube. Accessed July 2, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVI-8k2QOTM |
Write-up of SC example due |
3 |
Supply Chain Dynamics; Beer Game Debrief We’ll spend half the class learning about and reviewing the possible candidates for your term projects. We’ll initiate process to form groups and match to projects. |
Beer Game report due | |
4 |
Supply Chain Examples and Challenges Demand Management and Forecasting (Start) |
Bass, F. M. “A New Product Growth for Model Consumer Durables.” Management Science 15, no. 5 (1969): 215–27. Winter, P. R. “Forecasting Sales by Exponentially Weighted Moving Averages.” Management Science 6, no. 3 (1960): 324–42. |
n/a |
5 | Demand Management and Forecasting (Finish) | Problem set 1 out | |
6 |
Capacity Planning and Production Flow Control Preparation: Read The Goal and be prepared to discuss. |
n/a | Report on “The Goal” due |
7 | Process Analysis Case Discussion: Kristen’s Cookie Company | Case will be distributed prior to class. See Bohn, Roger, K. Somers and G. Greenberg. “Kristen’s Cookie Company (A).” Harvard Business School Case. Harvard Business School Publishing. Case: 9–686–093, July 15, 1990 for further reference. | n/a |
8 |
Students will make presentations on projects: Background for enterprise; what’s its goal? What’s the problem? And what’s the plan to address? Introduce OPT Game |
n/a | OPT Game out |
9 |
Process Analysis: In class we will conduct a hands-on line design exercise in which you will build paper airplanes. |
“I Love Lucy: Candy Factory” video — Wells, Greg. “I Love Lucy Candy Factory Video wmv.” October 17, 2010. YouTube. Accessed July 2, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnbNcQlzV-4 | Problem set 1 due |
10 |
Process Analysis: OPT Game Debrief |
n/a | OPT Game report due |
11 |
Process Analysis Case Discussion: PATA Massachusetts General Hospital’s Pre-admission Testing Area (PATA) |
Case will be distributed in class. See McCarty, Kelsey, J. Gallien, and R. Levi. “Massachusetts General Hospital’s Pre-Admission Testing Area (PATA).” MIT Sloan School of Management. Case: 11–116, January 3, 2012. |
Problem set 2 assigned |
12 |
Process Analysis Case Discussion: Beleza Natural |
Case will be distributed prior to class. See Besbes, Omar, et al. “Beleza Natural.” Columbia CaseWorks, Spring 2012, Case ID: 110206. |
n/a |
13 | Deterministic-demand Inventory Models |
n/a |
n/a |
14 | Stochastic-demand Inventory Models | Problem set 2 due | |
15 |
Inventory Forecast Supply Chain Game in Class Exercise Case Discussion: Inventory Management Case |
Case will be distributed prior to class to read and prepare. See Wheelwright, Steven, and William Schmidt. “Scientific Glass, Inc.: Inventory Management: Brief Case No: 4208.” Watertown, MA: Harvard Business Publishing Case, 2011. |
Problem set 3 assigned |
16 | Inventory Management Application | n/a | n/a |
17 |
Supply Chain Contracts Introduce Supply Chain Game |
n/a | Supply Chain Game starts |
18 |
Supply Chain Contracts (cont.) Updates on Projects — Mid-term report and individual meetings with teams. |
n/a | Problem set 3 due |
19 | Supply Chain Game Debrief | n/a |
Game Report due Problem set 4 assigned |
20 |
Lean Production System In preparation for class watch: Jiro Dreams of Sushi; and read assigned readings on TPS. |
n/a | Jiro Dreams of Sushi report due |
21 |
Lean Process Improvements & Value Stream Mapping Case Study: Lean Process Improvements at Cleveland Clinic |
Case will be distributed prior to class. See Augustine, Grace, B. Duncan, and I. Duenyas. “Lean Process Improvements at Cleveland Clinic.” Tauber Institute for Global Operations, University of Michigan Case. Published by GlobaLens, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan. Case: 1–428–795. May 14, 2009 for further reference. Lean Process Improvements at Cleveland Clinic Preparation Questions |
n/a |
22 | Supply Chain Improvement |
Case will be distributed prior to class. See Goentzel, Jarrod, and Jayashankar M. Swaminathan, “UNICEF RUTF Supply Chain (B): Developing a Global Supply Network.” UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Case, January, 2015 for further reference. |
n/a |
23 | No Class: Individual meetings on projects. | n/a | Problem set 4 due |
24 |
Network Design Introduce case study: Designing a Malaria Intervention Supply Chain |
Griffin, J., P. Keskinocak, et al. “Case Study: Designing a Malaria Intervention Supply Chain.” Georgia Health and Humanitarian Tech Systems. |
n/a |
25 |
Network Design (cont.) Case Study: Designing a Malaria Intervention Supply Chain (cont.) |
Case assignment due | |
26 | No Class: Students work on projects and meet with staff. | n/a | n/a |
27 | Project Presentation & Class Wrap-up | n/a | n/a |
Calendar
Beleza Natural Assignment Questions:
In preparation for the class, read the case carefully and think about the following questions. Be prepared to discuss your answers.
- What are the key elements of Beleza natural’s business strategy?
- How does the firm structure its processes to support this strategy?
- Consider the Madureira Institute. Ignore the evaluation step for new customers. Draw a process flow map associated with the operations of the institute. Then calculate the following quantities for a Saturday:
- The capacity of each step
- The bottleneck, and the capacity for the system
- The utilization of each step
- What improvement measures would you suggest to increase the process efficiency and to enhance the performance of the institute. How would you prioritize these?
Preparation Questions for Scientific Glass, Inc.: Inventory Management case
Note: Assume that production orders are placed once every two weeks, and there is a one-week transit time on most products.
Questions:
- What are the problems facing SG in January 2010?
- How does the number of warehouses affect inventory levels?
- What alternatives are available to deal with the inventory problems? How would you evaluate them?
- What actions should Ava Beane propose to Eric Gregory and Melissa Hayes?
Preparation Questions for Lean Process Improvements at Cleveland Clinic case
Questions:
- What happens when there is inefficiency in the use of equipment in the clinic?
- How do the philosophy, concepts and tools of the Toyota Production System apply to Cleveland Clinic?
- What is different in the implementation, compared to a manufacturing firm?
- In addition to surgical equipment, where else might the Clinic use these approaches to get improvements?
Massachusetts General Hospital’s Pre-Admission Testing Area (PATA)
Preparation Questions:
Please carefully read the case. Indeed, you likely will need to read it several times. And pay attention to the footnotes, as often important information is contained therein.
In preparation for the class, consider the following questions:
- What is the perspective of the key stakeholders involved in PATA’s current operational performance?
- Draw a process flow diagram of the PATA patient visit process. Calculate the capacity and utilization rate for each key resource involved. Where is the clinic’s bottleneck?
- Evaluate the three task force diagnoses: 1) not enough time between appointments; 2) not enough rooms; and 3) not enough physicians. Are these diagnoses valid? If so, are they the primary contributors to long patient wait times? Why or why not?
- What factors contribute to variability in PATA process flow and what control, if any, does the clinic have to eliminate it?
- What changes would you recommend to improve PATA?