Week 1: Foundations of Operations Management

Week 1 introduces the fundamental concepts of operations management and the role operations managers play in turning organizational goals into measurable results. Students will examine the differences between strategic, tactical, and operational management while learning how organizational objectives influence day-to-day decisions. Throughout the week, students will explore the Inputs → Processes → Outputs model, productivity and efficiency, capacity management, operational constraints, and the differences between service and manufacturing operations. The week concludes with setting operational priorities and an introduction to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as tools for measuring performance and supporting data-driven decision-making. By the end of Week 1, students should be able to evaluate basic operational performance, recognize constraints and capacity issues, establish priorities, and identify meaningful KPIs that support organizational objectives.