Students then take any three of the selectives listed below. The base courses are required for the major, but are not prerequisites for the selectives. The major responsibilities of materials managers, including aggregate planning and master scheduling, inventory management, and scheduling. Major issues and strategies including tactical purchasing methods, techniques for analysis, and Japanese manufacturing philosophies will be discussed. Emphasis on the correct selection and application of an appropriate technique to a specific problem.
Emphasis is on new approaches to managing operations and logistics that promise strategic advantage.
This course provides students with a supervised opportunity to test their problem-solving skills on an actual business problem through developing, executing, and evaluating a research design. Teams of students work with business firms, managing the client relationship and their own projects. Included in the course will be an introduction to lean processes, key methods such as JIT and visual controls, process simulation, process mapping tools, and a real-time critique and reflection of a manufacturing plant guided by an expert. Much of the course material will be presented by top consultants used by Ford. The classroom segment is a prerequisite for the internship, although it can be self-contained.