Mastering Operations Management is a unique learning tool designed to engage students in the realistic problems encountered by operations managers in a typical e-commerce company. The growth of retail e-commerce has renewed the importance of studying operations management by shifting some attention away from the overwhelming importance of location and store appearance to an emphasis on backroom efficiency. With competitors "just one click away," it seems increasingly likely that price competition and delivery performance are the standard-bearers by which e-commerce organizations must measure their chances for survival.

Strategic Approaches to e-Commerce

This Mastering Operations Management series examines various strategic approaches to e-commerce and how those approaches affect the operations management function. Various episodes examine specific methodologies for mastering process improvements, while others explore conceptual and practical possibilities as e-commerce continues to develop. For example, an episode on supply chain management examines the effect that e-commerce may have on "shortening" the supply chain, while also looking at possible alternatives for increasing communication efficiencies among members of the supply chain. Information technology is emphasized throughout the episodes so students can see how dramatically operations management capabilities are moving forward in this "new economy."

Topics include operations strategy, process and technology choice, supply chain management, quality control, location, and layout, as well as a whole host of planning tools like forecasting, aggregate planning, workforce scheduling, inventory management, queuing theory, and project management. Each episode is designed to engage students with realistic, thought-provoking problems and informative dialogue. Humor and realistic human interactions are sprinkled throughout the series to add a human element to the study of operations management.

Most importantly, this series integrates operations management concepts from the beginning of a course to its end. Students are able to see how various techniques in typical textbooks can be used to solve problems for a single company, rather than being exposed piecemeal to a set of disparate tools that seem to be unrelated. The series should especially appeal to students who thought that operations management was a remnant of a bygone industrial era.

Strategy and Operations
	A difficult holiday season has just passed. Elizabeth, CanGo's CEO, calls a meeting to compare last year's performance with this year's performance. Through their review the team discovers several factors that played a role in the recent holiday confusion and they brainstorm ways to prevent a repeat of this situation.
Choosing a Process
	CanGo is looking for ways to improve their customer service performance. Jack, the Operations Systems Engineer, believes that CanGo should increase the size of the warehouse so it can hold more inventory for faster shipment as well as install an automated system that can help to get orders out faster. Jack paints a picture that highlights all of the reasons for CanGo to invest in the automated storage and retrieval systems technology.
Statistical Process Control
	When Nick tells Warren about the errors he's been getting when running the batches, he quickly learns the importance of control charts. Expressway Service, an outside vendor, also learns the importance of statistical process control when CanGo's Director of Production raises concerns about the deterioration of Expressway's performance.
Push versus Pull Assembly Lines
	CanGo is looking for ways to improve the gift wrapping process, especially during the holiday season when it can become very chaotic. The employees come up with the idea to set up an assembly line. However, as they try out the assembly line, some of the inherent flaws come to light.
Supply-Chain Management
	CanGo learns of a proposed buyout of one of the nation's largest book suppliers. This buyout poses an external threat to CanGo's supply source and so the team brainstorms alternatives. The management team at CanGo also analyzes their method of distributing their materials.
Location Strategies
	With the possible merger of one of the nation's largest book suppliers on the horizon, CanGo examines the possibility of carrying a larger inventory and thereby cutting out the wholesaler. Warren investigates an ideal location for the warehouse. Using several techniques, he comes up with a prime location that is not only close to CanGo's major vendors, but also a shipping hub.
Time-Series Forecasting
	Last holiday season CanGo's forecast didn't predict the sudden increase in demand. Because of this Warren meets with Debbie, CanGo's Planner, to discuss where they went wrong. Debbie employs methods such as time series analysis, moving averages, and exponential smoothing to come up with her forecast. After careful review of the data the cause of the deviations is uncovered.
Workforce Planning
	Warren asks Debbie to determine CanGo's best options for scheduling employees so there will be enough staff once orders start increasing during the holiday season. Debbie uses aggregate planning, while Andrew addresses the issue of product demand with Warren.
Scheduling
	CanGo receives orders 24 hours a day, which poses a problem for scheduling order-processing personnel. The schedule for filling orders is another dilemma that faces the CanGo team. CanGo compares the shortest time processing rule to the first-come-first serve order basis they presently employ.
Inventory Management Systems
	Last holiday season CanGo ran out of shrink-wrap and had to rush ship it at a high cost. Now the CanGo team considers what type of ordering system would be best at keeping costs down while maintaining an adequate supply of shipping materials. Also highlighted in this episode are the inherent difficulties that come with implementing a new system.
Waiting-Line Models for Service Improvement
	CanGo's top management team wrestles with the issue of how to best measure the quality of service they provide, paying particular attention to product returns and the large influx of customer calls. The team uses queuing theory to investigate possible options.
Project Management
	Warren reviews his installation schedule for the ASRS with the CanGo management team. He's paid great attention to detail when creating the schedule so that everything will go off without a hitch. Despite his hard work he learns that his installation schedule will need to be continually fine-tuned as unexpected circumstances arise.