Course syllabus for Operations strategy

• Use manufacturing strategy as a guidance for the organization's operational activities and business strategy improvement. 
• Apply conceptual tools and models for analysing an organisation’s current operations strategy in order to propose changes to enhancing the operations performance and the strategic direction.
• Evaluate the impact of operations on sustainability and how sustainability impacts operations strategy formulation. 
• Assess how digitalization and other technology development may influence the operations strategy and processes. 
• Communicate with various stakeholders and develop their own and others' knowledge, abilities and attitudes. 

The course is built around several different parts. A brief description of these parts is found below.

Introduction to operations strategy. The first part will give students a basic understanding of how strategy can be used to shape the work of production and operations managers. Initially, models of company (corporate) strategy are in focus.

Focused Operations. One of the more powerful types of operations strategies is focused operations. The fundamental idea being that it is better for an operation to focus on a limited set of objectives instead of trying to be everything to everyone. Students will after the part understand the effects of focused operations and ways in which these can be developed.

Designing the operations network. One of the more important decisions taken in operations concerns whether a company should make or buy a product/service, where it should be made and when to extend operational capacity. These are the decisions that can literally make or break the company, since they affect all aspects of the business, most importantly cost, asset base and delivery capability both now and in the future. This part will develop students understanding of the difficulties and consequences of these types of decisions.

Supply Chain Management. In general, only a small part of the cost of any company's final product/service is internal. Most of the cost derives from purchased parts. Managing the supply network is therefore crucial for competitive success. In this lies two parts, which will be addressed during the course. First, to structure the network effectively. Second, to manage the network's behavior. Students will learn to do so both through cases and exercises. Related to this, it is also important to decide where to locate production, close to supply or to market, several smaller units globally or larger units providing economies of scale.

Process technology strategy. In this part, we will take a strategy perspective on the development of process technology. We will focus on the effect on overall ability to compete of investments in operations technology. Students will here learn to evaluate technology using an overall perspective, to complement more detailed technology-based analyses.

Operations Improvement. Improving operations is an integral part of any operations manager's job. Considering the competitive situation, no company can afford to stand still. In this part, students will be exposed to and learn to use several tools that can be used when managing operations improvement.

The process of operations strategy. The final part concerns the process of developing operations strategies. Three aspects will be addressed here, fit, sustainability and risk. Models for formulating strategies will be discussed and the challenges in them developed.

One central dimension, going all through the course, is sustainability in all its three dimensions: economical, environmental, and social sustainability.

Learning activities in the course consists normally of a series of lectures (incl guest sessions), seminars, exercises/case discussions, and study visit.

Compulsory activities are seminars, and guest sessions. 

Slack and Lewis "Operations Strategy" (most recent edition).

Additional articles to be specified later. These will be made available via the course web page.

The examination consists of a combination of examining activities:

• Individual written exam.
• Oral examination to supplement the written examination. Oral examination can replace the written examination, if few students are registered for the exam. In those cases, the registered students will be informed no later than two weeks before the exam.
• Active participation in seminars and guest sessions

Compulsory activities are seminars, and guest sessions.

For a final approved grade, approved results from all examining activities are needed.


The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.