Goals:
This course examines what is perhaps the most critical element in managing the supply chain for manufactured products: managing the supply chain that is inside the manufacturing plant, its direct links to suppliers and its indirect links to customers.
Specifically, this course examines a Advanced Planning Systems (APS) for manufacturing companies, with a focus on the three most commonly implemented systems: MRP (material requirements planning), JIT/Lean (just-in-time), and DBR (Drum-Buffer-Rope), also known as constraint-based planning.
Features:
The course focuses on both the theory and practice of managing manufacturing. The course delivery system includes readings, case studies, and computer exercises. In addition recent offerings have included:
- In-class presentations by high-level managers from Dell Computer, Herman Miller (office furniture) Allison Transmission, Intel, Sanford (office supplies), and Delphi Electronics.
- Student team evaluations of various companies manufacturing strategy and the capability of its manufacturing planning and central systems to support this strategy.
- A Student-Team Project to Design and implement a multi-product JIT system.
Job Titles that Involve Topics Studied:
- Manufacturing/Production Manager
- Master Scheduler
- Materials Manager
- Supply-Chain Manager