Operational Planning and Optimization

This unit integrates planning, execution, and performance measurement across procurement, production, inventory, and delivery to optimize supply chain operations. Students will explore risk mitigation, sustainability, customer centricity, and digital technologies (MRP, MES, IoT, simulation) to improve visibility and decision-making.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze supply chain processes and performance metrics to identify operational gaps and prioritize improvement opportunities using KPI analysis, correlation/causation, and optimization techniques
• Apply planning and execution tools—demand planning, material requirements planning (MRP), production and delivery system planning, and inventory optimization—to create balanced product, procurement, and order fulfillment plans
• Evaluate supplier, security, and sustainability risks and develop mitigation strategies that incorporate contract terms, reverse logistics, renewable materials/energy adoption, and shipment visibility measures
• Demonstrate how digital technologies (IoT, big data/cloud, simulation, MES, and autonomous vehicles) and people metrics can be integrated to enhance supply chain visibility, customer centricity, and operational decision-making