Dirección de Operaciones II (BBA40003)

General information

Type:	OB	Curs:	2	Period:	S semester
ECTS Credits:	3 ECTS

Teaching Staff:

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Sec: A	Miguel Angel Heras Forcada	Operaciones, Innovación y Data Sciences	CAT

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Sec: B	Juan Ignacio Moreu Hasson	Operaciones, Innovación y Data Sciences	ESP
Sec: B	Enrique Herreiz Bordas	Operaciones, Innovación y Data Sciences	ESP
Sec: B	Miguel Angel Heras Forcada	Operaciones, Innovación y Data Sciences	ESP

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Sec: C	Miguel Angel Heras Forcada	Operaciones, Innovación y Data Sciences	CAT
Sec: C	Enrique Herreiz Bordas	Operaciones, Innovación y Data Sciences	CAT

Workload distribution:
Lectures: 20 hours
Participatory sessions: 8 hours
Simulation: 2 hours
Independent study: 35 hours
Tutorials / feedback: 10 hours

Introduction to the course

The term, Operations, has spread worldwide as the name for the function that produces goods and services. ¿Operations¿ includes all the activities required to create and deliver said products and services, from purchasing supplies to distribution. How the different activities are organised determines the different company processes. Amongst all the different corporate areas, Operations is the one that employs the most amount of people and the area primarily in charge of the quality of the goods and services the company sells. As Hammer (2004) argues: "Operational innovation may appear unglamorous or unfamiliar to many executives, but it is the only lasting basis for superior performance. [...] Operational innovation offers a meaningful and sustainable way to get ahead and stay ahead of the pack". At the same time, Operations is increasingly seen as a source of competitive advantage. Correctly managing it is fundamental to make business strategy a reality. Without Operations' contribution, the strategy would run the risk of becoming a mere theoretical exercise.

This course will explore the infrastructural elements, also known as software elements, of Operations strategy, including innovation, planning, quality management, total quality and environmental quality. At the same time, we will examine process improvements via the Lean and Six Sigma focuses.

This course contributes to the programme by helping students to:
1. Develop a basic language related to the corporate world through an in-depth knowledge of the fundamental Operations Management tools and concepts.
2. Develop the necessary skills to gain a holistic and global view of organisations and the environments in which they operate, well beyond corporate functional areas. To achieve this, the course aims to demonstrate the points of convergence between different functional areas, especially Marketing, Finance and Design.
3. Demonstrate rigour, a critical spirit and creativity when applying their knowledge and the skills developed to different areas of professional practice. For this, the course encourages the critical analysis of selected readings and active participation when analysing case studies.
4. Be capable of contributing from the functional area to the company¿s global strategy, all through an international view of the firm. For this the course defines the Operations strategy based on the competitive strategy, a focus students have to adopt when resolving case studies.

FACULTY
Miguel Ángel Heras (miguelangel.heras@esade.edu )

He holds a PhD in Business Administration (Universitat Ramon Llull), an MBA (ESADE) and an undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering (Universidad Politécnica de Barcelona). He is an Associate Professor in the ESADE Department of Operations, Innovation and Data Sciences.

Professor Heras has also held various executive positions in Philips Group companies, ranging from production, logistics, organisation and IT areas, in different EU countries. He was also the Director of the senior management consulting firm, Roland Berger, as well as an Esprit International Research Project analysing balanced scorecards in 200 Spanish companies.

Professor Heras has designed and teaches the "Implementing Strategy: Maps and Indicators" course in the Modular EMBA programme, as well as the "Implementing Strategy: Processes and Indicators" course in the bi-weekly and weekly EMBA in Barcelona and Madrid. He is also in charge of the "Executing Corporate Innovation and Startup Strategies" class in the Master in Innovation & Entrepreneurship, the "Closing the Gap between Strategy and Execution: Permormance Measurement Systems and KPIs" course in the Master in International Management programme and the "Implementing Strategy through Performance Management" class in the Corporate International Master's. He also offers a day-long seminar dedicated to strategy implementation in ESADE's Advanced Management Programme.

His PhD thesis was entitled "Quality and Indicators. A Contribution to Indicator System Implementation." He has also authored numerous articles and presentations on process-based management and indicator systems.

He also serves as a senior-management consultant on strategy design and implementation through performance measurement systems and process-based management. He is the author of a process-based indicator system implementation model. His areas of interest also include applying the Design Thinking methodology to address complex business problems.

- Understand the Operations function as the area of an organisation that transforms certain inputs into the desired outputs (goods and services), thereby generating value for the end client.
- Define the Operations strategy based on the company's competitive strategy.
- Understand the current focus of Operations Management, which encompasses new product and process development, planning, production and quality.
- Evaluate how Operations can generate value in industrial and service companies (through greater efficiency, quality and product and service innovation).
- See the points that Operations Management shares with other areas of the company.
- Apply the quality and process control concepts (through a simulation) as well as the total quality and business excellence concepts.
- Understand why environmental pressures have introduced sustainability concerns within firms and require them to develop appropriate strategies.
- Understand how sustainability strategies in companies imply adapting management systems and influence product and service design as well as technological innovation processes.
- Use the Lean Process Improvement and Lean Startups techniques.

1. Knowledge acquisition, comprehension and structuring

2. Application of knowledge to achieve results

4. Conveying information and/or knowledge

18. Teamwork and collaboration

15. Comprehension of relational networks

1. Operations strategy within the general corporate strategy framework. Globalising Operations.

2. Innovation management and Design Thinking. New product development.

3. Planning in industrial and service companies. Industry 4.0.

4. Quality, quality management and total quality. Environmental management.

5. Lean Manufacturing and Lean Services. Lean Startups.

The following will be used to develop the competencies and acheive the learning objectives defined above:

- Lecture classes and participatory sessions.

- Case study analyses and discussions: The case study method is one of the most effective pedagogical tools to develop students' analytical and decision-making skills since all students are actively involved in preparing the case study conclusions.

- Select exercises and a simulation on process quality control.

- Reading and critical analysis of selected articles: Students are required to read specific articles prior to each class in order to ensure quality discussions in class.

ASSESSMENT BREAKDOWN

Short bibliography:

Krajewski, L., Ritzman, L., Malhotra, M., (2012). Operations Management: Process and Supply Chains. Pearson. 10th Edition.
Heizer, J.and Render, B., (2014).Operations Management. Sustainability and Supply Chain Management. Pearson. 11th Edition.

Group	Teacher	Department
Sec: A	Miguel Angel Heras Forcada	Operaciones, Innovación y Data Sciences

Group	Teacher	Department
Sec: B	Juan Ignacio Moreu Hasson	Operaciones, Innovación y Data Sciences
Sec: B	Enrique Herreiz Bordas	Operaciones, Innovación y Data Sciences
Sec: B	Miguel Angel Heras Forcada	Operaciones, Innovación y Data Sciences

Group	Teacher	Department
Sec: C	Miguel Angel Heras Forcada	Operaciones, Innovación y Data Sciences
Sec: C	Enrique Herreiz Bordas	Operaciones, Innovación y Data Sciences