Operations Systems Excellence

Overview

The sole task of organisations is to either deliver customers the services that they require, or design, manufacture, and deliver products that customers are after. How do firms and organisations manage the very tasks that they carry out? How can operations themselves give excellence to organisations to enable them to be competitive? Operations management is concerned with the design, planning and control of operating systems for the provision of goods and services. This course will provide an introduction not only into the development of operational systems but more importantly into the how operating methods can help achieve corporate excellence.

Syllabus

Week 1: What is operations excellence?

This week lays the foundation for your journey into operations management. You’ll discover how organisations transform inputs into valuable outputs and the frameworks used to analyse this process. With the 4Vs model, you'll learn to examine the unique features that shape different types of operations.

Week 2: Operations strategy for excellence

This week focuses on how operations contribute to strategy and competitive advantage. You'll examine how firms develop operations strategies and use models like Hayes and Wheelwright and Hill’s framework to understand how operations support customer needs and drive long-term success.

Week 3: Process design for excellence

This week explores how operations are structured through processes. You’ll learn to classify process types, apply mapping tools, and understand how layouts can be designed to support efficiency. The focus is on how process design directly affects customer satisfaction and performance.