3 credits
Fall 2025 Lecture Upper DivisionThis course examines the management challenges posed by the growth in worldwide manufacturing capabilities, markets, and competition and by rapid advances in technology and the concomitant decline in product life cycles. The manufacturing function is considered within a broader context encompassing design, engineering, purchasing, marketing, and customer service in an effort to assess the degree to which existing management structures successfully meet the challenges arising from the changing manufacturing environment.
Learning Outcomes1Identify the tradeoffs made between operations flexibility and cost.
2Identify proper alignment between manufacturing strategy and business strategy.
3Identify the pros and cons of different types of plant network strategies.
4Identify the behavioral issues associated with implementation of rigid project management tools.
5Identify the potential long term implications of outsourcing on the development of competition.