Overview
This course introduces students to the tools, processes, and concepts of operations management and their relevance to IT professionals.
Operations refers to most of the activities performed by people in an organization, whether the organization delivers services or creates products. The effective management of operations, through the application of tools and processes to develop competitive strategies, is critical to organizational success. IT professionals are usually involved in the creation of services meant to facilitate operations management goals. Thus, an understanding of this topic is important, particularly in view of globalization.
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:
- understand the project management process.
- learn how to use statistical tools for forecasting and designing operations.
- gain detailed knowledge about the issues and steps in operations planning, implementation, and maintenance.
Evaluation
To pass this course, you must achieve an average grade of at least 60% on all three assessments. Students must also pass the Final Assignment with a grade of at least 60%.
To receive credits toward the Master of Science in IS for Foundation/Core Courses, students must achieve a course composite grade of at least B− (70 percent).
| Activity | Weight |
| Case Discussion Forums (5% for each forum) | 40% |
| Numerical Work (5% for each set) | 20% |
| Final Assignment | 40% |
| Total | 100% |
Materials
Digital course materials
Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
Russell, R. S., Taylor, B. W., Bayley, T., & Castillo, I. (2020). Operations management: Creating value along the supply chain (2nd Canadian ed.). Wiley.
Other Resources
WileyPLUS is a publisher website that accompanies your eText. It is included with your course registration. You are not graded for any of the work you complete in WileyPLUS, but you are encouraged to enrich your learning with the online tools it provides.
The remainder of the learning materials for COMP 505 are delivered through Athabasca University's learning management system (LMS), Moodle. Online course materials include discussion forums, learning materials, and assignments. Assignments will be submitted online.
- Course Orientation
- Study Guide
- Descriptions of the requirements for the assignments
- Course Evaluation form
Course Workload
The course schedule is based on working 15 hours per week. This translates into approximately 12 hours of reading and 3 hours of synthesis and/or exercises each week.
Special Course Features
Computer Science 505 is offered by computer mediated communications (CMC) mode, and can be completed at the student's workplace or home.
Special Note
Students registered in this course will NOT be allowed to take an extension, due to the nature of the course activities.