SCM 7325

Process Analysis and Design

Course Purpose

Students explore concepts and techniques used to plan, analyze, design, and improve processes in production, service, and logistics systems. A special emphasis will be placed on quality management. The course examines business processes from a strategic design and operational execution perspective. Organizations that do not continually improve their quality and productivity can rarely keep up with competition. Improvement requires a clear understanding of the business in which the firm competes, how to align its delivery processes such that the company excels on its core competencies, an ability to assess performance, and a plan to ensure continual improvement in the firm’s products and services. The essence of process management is to answer the questions, “How is the process doing?” and “How can it do better?”

Expected Learning Objectives

During the course, students explore how firms seek to create and capture value for its stakeholders through their choice of business strategy and operating processes. Students will explore alternative process types in order to understand the techniques and analytics that are most useful for process analysis and design. Students will explore quality management and process improvement, how firms design processes that meet customer expectations, insure they continue to operate as designed, and techniques for process improvement.

At the conclusion of this course, students will be expected to:

  • Understand business processes and how they should be designed to support competitive priorities in both manufacturing and service environments.
  • Be able to flow chart a business process in terms of inputs, outputs, activities, and related decisions.
  • Recognize opportunities to significantly improve business performance by designing efficient and effective processes.
  • Benefit from further development of critical thinking skills to recognize, formulate, and analyze operational problems.
  • Be able to use analytical tools and methods to effectively model, measure, and compare alternative business processes.
  • Be able to analytically determine a processes’ capability to meet customer specifications and methods for insuring that the process continues to provide an acceptable product.
  • Understand the basics of Six Sigma and its role in continual process improvement.
  • Selection of Topics Covered:
    • Process Fundamentals
    • Process Mapping and Documentation
    • Bottlenecks
    • Process Flowcharting
    • Learning Curve Analysis
    • Process Strategy
    • Product/Process Matrix
    • Introduction to Assembly Lines
    • Assembly Line Analysis and Breakeven Analysis
    • Efficiency and Design Criteria
    • Financial Impact
    • Flow Systems
    • Service Systems
    • Waiting Line Management
    • Just-In-Time and Toyota Production System
    • Lean Supply Chains and Lean Systems
    • Quality Management Systems
    • Process Design and Information Technology
    • Process Capability and Statistical process Control
    • Process Improvement

Course Pedagogy and Immersive/Experiential Activities

Students relate to industry practice through business application videos that illustrate how process analysis and design relates to business strategy, interfaces with other business functions, and provides a competitive advantage.

Students utilize textbook resources, a textbook, case studies, homework, quizzes, and relevant industry readings.

Grades are typically determined by performance in a series of assignments and in-class performance, and three progressively weighted exams.