Operations Consulting: An Experiential Approach

Catalog description

This is an experiential course in operations consulting. Students will learn the foundational consultant frameworks for addressing operations problems for real organizations. The basic approach begins with problem identification, followed by data analysis, solution evaluation, and the proposal of final recommendations. For any business, the production of products and the creation of services require processes that optimize the strategic objectives of the business. Students will analyze the connections between a firm’s operations and organizational strategy. Then, during company site visits, students, in the role of consultants, will talk with operations executives to uncover the capabilities required of the firms to employ their operations on location. They will observe, first-hand, the operations processes for services and manufacturing. In an elite, behind-the-scenes view students will study the processes that underlie systems of production, distribution, transportation, logistics, fulfillment, service, and product development for an array of organizations. In context, students will explore the intersection of technology, process, and strategy that enable a competitive advantage in today’s global markets. Finally, through a culminating final project, students will identify a business to serve as their consulting project and produce a set of recommendations.