OIM - Operations and Information Management

MBA7604 Special Topics: Entrepreneurship in a Digital World

3 Credits

Digital technologies, processes and business models are impacting all aspects of businesses today, from startups to large organizations that need to practice corporate intrapreneurship. This course will focus on how digital strategies, tactics, and tools can be leveraged by today's entrepreneurial leaders to innovate, grow, and renew initiatives in their organizations. We will study how digital platforms can be used to scale operations, improve decision-making, and enable new business models to grow customers and revenue. Topics will include cloud computing platforms that focus on operations, employee collaboration, customer relationships, and machine-to-machine connections such as the Internet of Things (IoT) to capture, analyze, and share data and insights. New digital business models will be explored that will inform corporate strategy and business opportunities. Students will gain hands-on experience using popular data analytics and visualization tools, such as Tableau, to explore opportunities, gather insights, and make more informed decisions. The course will expose students to emerging technology enablers, such as machine learning and augmented/virtual reality tools, and effectively identify the role they can play in the organization's growth and renewal. Finally, we will discuss digital development and implementation strategies, including agile methods, to deliver digital technologies and gain adoption throughout the organization.

OIM 6610: Scaling Lean Ventures

3 Credits

Operational systems and processes are essential for turning a promising venture into a scalable business. In early-stage ventures, founders must define how work gets done across key areas such as process design, capacity, quality, sourcing, fulfillment, service delivery, and logistics, while building operating models that can evolve as the venture grows. In this course, students explore how to design, manage, and improve operations in ways that support both current execution and future scale. This includes examining how processes move from informal founder-led workarounds to more consistent and repeatable systems, how operating choices affect cost, speed, flexibility, and customer experience, and how technologies and digital tools can support coordination, visibility, and decision making. We will also discuss the operational challenges associated with moving from pilot or limited delivery to larger-scale execution. The course helps students understand how strong operations can become a source of discipline, adaptability, and competitive advantage in a growing business. 

OIM7572 Supply Chain Management
3 Elective Credits

This graduate elective offers an in-depth exploration of supply chain management as a strategic function within modern organizations. Students from all concentrations will examine advanced concepts in demand planning, procurement, logistics, inventory optimization, and supplier collaboration, with a focus on how these elements align to achieve strategic fit & contribute to competitive advantage. Emphasis is placed on global supply chain dynamics, ethical sourcing, and the integration of digital technologies into supply chain design and operation. Case studies from diverse industries will challenge students to critically evaluate real-world scenarios and propose innovative solutions.

Supply Chains have evolved rapidly in the Digital Age and will continue more so in the AI epoch.  In some cases, supply chains function well beyond a commercial utility as geopolitical instruments and catalysts for social change.  This course is designed for graduate students preparing for leadership roles in existing organizations, institutions or new ventures where the supply chain is an instrument of strategic intent & actualization.  As such the course integrates analytical tools, emerging technologies, and quantitative models to support data-driven decision-making.

Students of Supply Chain Management will engage in simulations, team-based projects, and applied research to develop practical skills in designing and managing capital, material and information flows involving multiple, interactive parties. Thus, asymmetric interests & information pooling often govern the Chain’s behavior as it interprets the uncertainty inherent in both supply and demand. As global systems that cross geographic, cultural & regulatory boundaries, supply chains often exhibit adaptive, self-resilient and even goal-seeking behaviors.  By the end of the course, participants will be equipped to assess supply chain performance, lead strategic initiatives, and contribute to organizational transformation in complex, global environments.

Prerequisites:   

1)  NONE for those involved in Specialty Masters Programs (MSBA, MSF)

2)  Completion of OIM 7800 for all other students

OIM7800 Operations and Information Management
2 Credits (Core MBA)

If you have taken and passed OPS7200, you cannot register for OIM7800, as these two courses are equivalent

This course focuses on the role of operations and information in executing a firm’s strategy and delivering the organization’s products and/or services. Within this focus, students learn to apply operations design and strategy in three ways. First, they learn to configure resources and design processes to achieve performance, identify improvement opportunities, and leverage strategic capabilities for sustainable growth. Second, they learn the strategic role of technology and data, and use data for improving the operational model. Third, they study the operational model of innovation to create sustainable value for an organization. With an emphasis on building long-term sustainable models, this course helps managers consider environmental and social impact in their operating models.

OPS7200 Technology & Operations Management

2 Credits

Technology & Operations Management (TOM) - This course introduces students to the fundamental components of a firm’s operating systems, be it a mature enterprise or an early stage company. The course introduces the new methods and models to analyze, diagnose and improve operations activities for both manufacturing and service firms. We examine key issues for competitiveness including operations strategy, innovation, product and process design and development, global supply chain management, quality management, and sustainable operations. Developing a strong appreciation for the contribution of technology and operations to a company's market success is an essential element of effective decision-making for entrepreneurs and leaders of all types of organizations.