Study in OLM prepares students for careers in manufacturing, materials management, service operations, merchandising, third party logistics, and management consulting. The curriculum provides an appropriate blend of theory and principles, tools and techniques, and hands-on experience that will equip the student to deal with the challenges of management in this quickly evolving field. The successful manager must clearly understand the interrelated nature of the procurement, production, and distribution activities in order to be able to make intelligent trade-offs in terms of cost, responsiveness, flexibility, and customer service if the firm is to be successful. Our aim in the OLM area is to develop managers with a deep appreciation of the interrelated nature of the management task -executives who will be able to cope with the tremendous changes taking place in their business environments and who will be able to deal creatively and successfully with these challenges. Students pursuing an OLM major take the base Marketing 880 and either Management Science 835 or Marketing 881 as their second base course.
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.