Courses Bachelor Display 2024-2025

Course Description To PDF
Course title Management of Operations and Product Development
Course code EBC2022
ECTS credits 6,5
Assessment Whole/Half Grades
Period
Period Start End Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
5 14-4-2025 8-6-2025 X X
Level Intermediate
Coordinator Stan van Hoesel, Veerle Timmermans
For more information: s.vanhoesel@maastrichtuniversity.nl; vm.timmermans@maastrichtuniversity.nl
Language of instruction English
Goals
Students will practice managerial skills and mathematical/statistical methods necessary to optimize the decisions involved in product development and management of operations.
Description
Every year, companies launch thousands of new products. Many firms consider innovation of their business although failure rates of up to 80% are not uncommon. In this course we study what it takes to successfully bring products to the market. Specifically, we discuss how companies can produce and supply the new products in a cost-efficient yet customer-oriented manner. The course addresses the operational decisions that lie at the core of this process. Students will practice the mathematical and statistical methods necessary to optimize these decisions. This course follows up on the courses Fundamentals of Supply Chain Management and Quantitative Methods I-III, and has Operations Management as a follow up. There are no formal requirements but basic knowledge of calculus, statistics and Excel is strongly recommended. International Business students at Maastricht University have studied these topics in courses such as Quantitative Methods I-III.
Literature
You need to have the following book, in digital or hardcopy form (you can order it at Studystore or the publisher).
* Operations Management, 14th edition (2020), William J. Stevenson, McGraw-Hill Custom Publishing, ISBN 9781260575712.

Furthermore:
* In this course, we make use of Excel, which is available on all UM computers. Please make sure that the Solver add-in is installed. You can find this tools in the Data menu, if they are already installed. If not, choose Options in the File menu (For Mac systems, from the Tools drop-down menu choose Excel Add-ins...). Then select Add-Ins and Manage Excel Add-ins. Click on Go... and select the Solver Add-in). Make sure to get access to the required software before the start of the course.
* We extensively use linear programming techniques. Therefore, it would be good to reread the linear programming reader from the course Quantitative Methods II. In addition, it can help to refresh your memory of Chapters 2, 3 and 6 from Cliff T. Ragsdale (2008) "Managerial Decision Modeling Revised Edition", Thomson South-Western.
Prerequisites
Basic mathematics and statistics, general marketing concepts, basic finance.
An advanced level of English.
Teaching methods (indicative; course manual is definitive) PBL / Lecture / Assignment / Groupwork
Assessment methods (indicative; course manual is definitive) Attendance / Participation / Written Exam / Assignment
Evaluation in previous academic year For the complete evaluation of this course please click "here"
This course belongs to the following programmes / specialisations
Bachelor International Business - Emerging Markets Year 2 Core Course(s)
Bachelor International Business Year 2 Compulsory Course(s)
SBE Exchange Bachelor Bachelor Exchange Courses
SBE Exchange Master Bachelor Exchange Courses
SBE Non Degree Courses Bachelor Courses