vcc.ca
OPMT 3210: Operations Strategy and Supply Chain Integration
Effective date
January 2027
Department
Global Supply Chain Management
School
Hospitality, Food Studies and Applied Business
Description
Operations Management is a cornerstone discipline in business that focuses on the design, management, and continuous improvement of processes to efficiently produce goods and services. This course is designed to provide a deep exploration of the principles, strategies, and techniques used in operations management. It aims to equip students with the capacity to analyze how operations impact an organization's competitiveness, productivity, and overall success.
Students will also examine how operations integrate across the broader supply chain, aligning internal processes with suppliers, distributors, and customers to enhance coordination, responsiveness, and value creation.
Credits
3.0
Year of study
3rd Year Post-secondary
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Evaluate and integrate operations management and quality management principles across manufacturing, service, and supply chain environments.
- Examine strategic decision-making approaches in capacity planning, inventory policy, and production scheduling under uncertainty and demand variability.
- Design and evaluate Lean and Agile operational systems to enhance flexibility, responsiveness, and waste reduction.
- Analyze and formulate operations strategies that align process capabilities with competitive business strategy.
- Evaluate strategic differences between service and manufacturing operations and their implications for process design and capacity management.
- Analyze the impact of organizational structure, workforce capability, and leadership systems on operational performance and execution.
- Examine complex operational challenges under uncertainty and evaluate the role of digital technologies and process innovation in enhancing operational performance.
- Evaluate and redesign transformation systems by analyzing process flow, capacity constraints, bottlenecks, and inventory dynamics.
- Design and evaluate supply chain integration strategies that align internal operations with suppliers, logistics networks, and customer value requirements.
Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)
None
Hours
Lecture, Online, Seminar, Tutorial: 45
Total Hours: 45
Total Hours: 45
Instructional Strategies
Lectures and presentations, Case studies, Group discussions, Problem-solving scenarios, and Group projects
Grading System
Letter Grade (A-F)
Passing grade
D
Evaluation Plan
|
Type |
Percentage |
Assessment activity |
|
Participation |
10 |
|
|
Quizzes/Tests |
10-20 |
Two or more quizzes |
|
Assignments |
20-30 |
Individual and group assignments, case studies |
|
Midterm Exam |
20-25 |
|
|
Final Exam |
25-30 |
|
Course topics
- Introduction to Operations Management Strategic positioning and operational effectiveness Aligning operations with the overall business strategy Operational concepts: capacity, process flow, flow rate and bottlenecks Total quality management and process optimization tools and techniques Inventory analysis and the tools used for optimizing inventory levels Little’s Law and the Theory of Constraints Production planning and scheduling strategies Performance measures Competitive priorities and balancing cost leadership and differentiation Service process design, service quality, and customer-centric approaches Process Analysis and Improvement Operational Excellence Methodologies and Techniques Operations Risk Management Technology and innovation in operations management Green operations and environmental responsibility Workplace performance and managing people
Notes:
- Course contents and descriptions, offerings and schedules are subject to change without notice.
- Students are required to follow all College policies including ones that govern their educational experience at VCC. Policies are available on the VCC website at:
https://www.vcc.ca/about/governance--policies/policies/. - To find out if there are existing transfer agreements for this course, visit the BC Transfer Guide at https://www.bctransferguide.ca.