Click on one of the subjects below to access our comprehensive database of European institutions that offer Manufacturing/Operations Management related MA and MSc programmes taught in the English language:
Production/Operations
Supply Chain/Logistics
Manufacturing of course refers to a process that converts raw materials into finished products. Operations, on the other hand, refer as readily to the production of a service as it does to production of a product. Thus, operations management is generally concerned with the analysis, design, and management of those operations that produce goods and services. Modern operations management tends to rely on structured, highly quantitative techniques for this analysis and design.
At one time, few organisations apart from those in the traditional manufacturing and distribution sectors applied such techniques. Now, however, supply chain managers for restaurant chains, managers in charge of insurance claim processing, hospital surgery co-ordinators, and so on are likely to rely on the techniques and tools of operations management. Operations management can be applied to many elements in many organisations.
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Numerous substantial trends continue to drive this field, including:
• reduced product life cycles
• rapid technological change
• complex manufacturing strategies
• worldwide supply chains
• heightened (global) competition
• a shift to quality- and time-based competition
• mass customisation
• increased environmental concern and regulation
• outsourcing
• a shift in power to consumers (and retailers).
Operations management courses are generally one year in length. Although many look to integrate engineering and management knowledge, and thereby attract many engineers, they are not designed for those wishing to do engineering research. Most are designed to look at the planning and control of operations in both manufacturing and service firms. Topics covered generally include forecasting, capacity planning, material requirements planning, just-in-time manufacturing, scheduling, facility layout, facility location, and quality management concepts.
A typical programme offers courses on:
• operations strategy
• materials management
• manufacturing planning and control
• capacity planning and scheduling
• project management
• supply chain management
• purchasing process and methods
• management of technology
• quality control
• information systems (integration) management
• workforce management
• ergonomics and human factors.
Oddly, given the increasingly global nature of firm supply chains – and the frequent outsourcing of manufacturing, few operations management programmes offer an international exchange possibility.
Some programmes require an undergraduate degree in engineering or engineering technology. Some will also accept those with engineering, hard science, computer science, or mathematics degrees. Others require only a bachelor’s degree with a substantial quantitative component. A few programmes accept those with a business degree.
Many programmes also look for:
• business coursework
• internships in engineering, operations, or business.
The increasing need to perform each of an organisation’s operations effectively and efficiently – and to combine them to fullest effect – has provided enormous scope for those who combine business and operations management skills and knowledge. As a result, operations management capabilities are valued in marketing, sales, finance, human resources, and other departments – not just in production or distribution departments.
Typical job titles
• Manufacturing engineering manager
• Procurement and logistics professional
• Demand planner
• Quality engineering officer
• Process engineering manager
• Assistant plant manager
• Product engineer
• Application consultant
• Supply logistics manager
• Global operations officer
• Supply chain manager
• Assistant plant manager
• Operations researcher
• Process (re)engineering manager
• Process improvement specialist
• Outsourcing quality manager
• Manager of engineering and capital programmes
• Labour health and safety manager
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Search for the perfect pre-experience postgraduate business programme for you using our course search. You can search a database of programmes on offer at European institutions by country, subject and study mode.
You can also find out more about the universities and colleges offering the courses using the A–Z institution listing.
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• Material systems engineer
• Optimisation planning analyst
• Transportation project manager
• Institute of Operations Management (UK)
• Society of Manufacturing Engineers (US)
• National Association of Manufacturers (US)
• Association for Manufacturing Excellence (US)
Those wishing a traditional introduction to operations management can try Jack R Meredith and Scott M Shafer’s Operations Management for MBAs (John Wiley & Sons). It covers the full range of issues seen in a first operations course, including quality management, mass customisation, benchmarking, enterprise resource planning, and business process design. (It is particularly good at showing how an understanding of operations matters for those planning careers in finance, marketing, and other fields.) Another possibility is David Barnes, Operations Management: An International Perspective (Thomson Learning), which is also easy to read.
Those wishing to avoid even a stripped-down version of a production and operations textbook, but still wishing to become familiar in a general way with the main issues have a fine alternative available. Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation, by James P Womack and Daniel T Jones (Simon & Schuster), presents an interesting view of American, German, and Japanese practices, traditions, and strengths and weaknesses. It provides a good overview of the three systems and along the way illustrates many important issues in manufacturing (and non-manufacturing) management, with in-depth examples drawn from half-a-dozen industries. The book is quite good in discussing the relevant evidence in a readable fashion, and is of particular value in introducing new master’s degree students to methodological matters in a painless manner.
Supply chain management and MIS overlap substantially with manufacturing. See the discussions of these two fields for further information.
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Click on one of the subjects below to access our comprehensive database of European institutions that offer Manufacturing/Operations Management related MA and MSc programmes taught in the English language:
Production/Operations
Supply Chain/Logistics
