This course provides a comprehensive understanding for strategically managing and optimizing logistics and operations in today’s markets that are characterized by uncertainty and new disruptive competitors. Students will gain knowledge how logistics and operations can build resilient supply chains as well as how innovations and new technologies can help to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.

Furthermore, the course provides an introduction to the foundations of Operations Management (Process, Quality, Capacity and Supply Chain Management). The strategic objectives and drivers of operations performance as well as the elements of Total Quality Management, Lean Management and pull and push production systems are introduced. Especially, the challenges for the capacity strategy and the benefits of flexibility with respect to operational and demand risks are discussed. A further focus is laid upon the influence of uncertainty on capacities and waiting times in processes. 

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Analyse the principles underlying logistics management and how innovation can help to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
• Evaluate the concept and the different characteristics of resilient supply chains as a response to uncertainty, in particular with a focus on logistics activities.
• Define, analyze and measure the performance of business processes.
• Explain the relationship between different performance measures.
• Perform capacity analysis of business processes.
• Position a process in the Operations Management triangle by reducing workloads and increasing information.
• Make suggestions for process improvement using the principles of quality management.

Attendance is required in all sessions. Absence in one session is tolerated if a reasonable excuse is given before the session. 

• Insights from basic Logistics and Operations Management principles and models
• Best practices from industry
• Experiental learning using software
• Case examples and case studies

Logistics Management:

• Quiz Logistics Management foundations: 5%
  • This quiz tests the knowledge that has been lectured in the preceding bridging course ‘Logistics Management Foundations’.

• Case study Logistics Management (group): 10%
  • A case study about classic logistic management issues will be provided. Students will prepare a video with their solutions, simulating a consulting presentation to company’s CEO. Group videos will be peer-reviewed and evaluated by the lecturer in class.

Operations Management:

• In-Class Assignments: 15%
  • written assignments on the topic of each session during class

• Home Assignments (groups): 20%
  • Case examples to be handed in as management summary. 

Overall:

Final written Exam: 50%

• 90 min. written exam (min. 20 points out of 50 required)

Grading scale:

• Excellent (1): 90% - 100.0%
• Good (2): 80% - <90%
• Satisfactory (3): 70% - <80%
• Sufficient (4): 60.0% - <70%
• Fail (5): <60.0%

Prerequisite for passing the course: minimum performance of 40% in the final examination.

By appointment: sebastian.kummer@wu.ac.at, stefan.treitl@wu.ac.at, alfred.taudes@wu.ac.at, gerald.reiner@wu.ac.at

program's website: www.wu.ac.at/master/scm