Operations and Information Management

The concentration in Operations & Information Management (OPIM) provides students with sound conceptual development in data structures and database design, supply chain, systems management, and systems development. Emphasis in these courses is on helping students develop a solid conceptual base, integrate this conceptual base with technical skills, and deliver business-smart applications and systems.

Primary Concentration:
all four courses listed below

Secondary Concentration:
OPIM 372, OPIM 300 (Fall), and either OPIM 300 (Spr) or OPIM 370

OPIM 372: Data Base Systems (FALL) This course introduces concepts of databases and how they can be leveraged to manage data for improving business competitiveness. The industry standard relational database model is covered in detail, with hands-on examples on database design, implementation, data storage, retrieval and processing, using a leading DBMS tool. Also introduces SQL, the de facto language for building and querying large-scale databases. Database integrity, security and administration issues are discussed. Features and selection criteria of DBMS tools for various business purposes are highlighted.

OPIM 300: Supply Chain and Business Process Analysis (FALL) This course will use simulation to help students develop models to analyze supply chains, yield management, business process re-engineering, risk management, computer networks and other business applications. It will be a hands-on course using special purpose simulation software and/or spreadsheet add-ons. After completing the course, students will be able to model existing processes, validate their models, model alternatives for improvement, evaluate these alternatives and recommend improvements after evaluating various metrics of interest to businesses.

OPIM 300: Technology Infrastructure and Systems Management (SPR) (Prerequisites: OPIM 372 and OPIM 300: Supply Chain and Business Process Analysis) In the new business environment companies interact and transact with their partners, suppliers and customers through electronic means involving processing and transfer of information. This course is about the technological infrastructure that enables the operations of a company in this environment and the main issues associated with its management. In this sense, we approach this course from a CTO or CIO angle, providing in depth coverage of the relevant technologies and outlining ongoing associated decision issues and methodologies to approach them. The focus is on solutions that employ modeling of the underlying problem. These models are drawn from statistics, probability theory, simulation, optimization, finance and operations research.

OPIM 370: Systems Development (SPR) (Prerequisites: OPIM 372 and OPIM 300: Supply Chain and Business Process Analysis) This course builds upon the student’s acumen in business, IT programming, data structures/database, and electronic commerce. The purpose is to integrate the areas of computer technology, information systems analysis, systems design, and organizational behavior to aid the student in design of large-scale systems and systems applications. Various approaches to information systems design and specification are presented. The topical coverage will include infrastructure issues, IT enabled virtual organizations, and systems to facilitate electronic commerce. Students will identify an actual systems problem, and analyze and design a small system.