New perspectives on operations management from a multi-disciplinary team of business and engineering thought leaders.

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Breaking down the boundaries

In many organizations--and at many business schools--the boundaries between operations and other functional areas is rigid and nearly impenetrable. Yet as competition heats up and cost-cutting pressures mount, corporations are demanding that all functional areas in the organization work together to bring products and services to market quickly and cost-effectively.

At the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, the boundaries between operations, marketing, finance, engineering and other business and technical disciplines were effectively eliminated more than eight years ago, just as the new business realities of the 21st century were coming into focus. Now, combining multidisciplinary expertise from the Ross School of Business and the Michigan College of Engineering, our Enterprise Operations Management programs provide a unique blend of teaching, advising and consulting services to help organizations improve operations functions all across the enterprise.

Broadening operations decision making

As business sharpens its focus on productivity and cost control, the future belongs to those companies that can integrate operations management theory and practice throughout their enterprise. Our unique general management perspective on operations spans the entire enterprise to raise the level of operations decision-making and extend it across functions. These programs provide opportunities for executives to explore new operations management approaches that go beyond traditional scheduling and manufacturing, including:

• Capacity investment and management
• Global services operations management
• Strategic R&D--looking beyond present value
• New products and services management
• Operations management styles

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Leadership in Plant Operations

This one-week program provides managers with tools and concepts to help make the transition from focusing on shop floor and technical issues to thinking more about the business as a whole. Topics covered include initiating lean manufacturing practices, reducing manufacturing cycle times while improving quality, and the quick and accurate assessment of a plant, service or operation.

Supply Chain Management

This three-day course explores the design and implementation of effective supply chain practices, with special focus on effective inventory control, distribution and logistics management, and partnering with suppliers and customers to reduce costs and increase service levels, as well as recent developments and methods for successfully utilizing e-business in supply chain management.

World Class Thought Leaders

Michigan's Operations Program faculty includes researchers, teachers and consultants from both the Michigan Ross School of Business and Michigan College of Engineering--institutions world-renowned for academic and thought leadership in their fields. The Tauber Manufacturing Institute, a joint venture between the two schools, provides additional research and consulting resources. In addition to teaching, our faculty members apply their expertise and current research to guide many of the world's leading companies in implementing new operations strategies and techniques.

Making the labor-management connection work harder and smarter to achieve sustained organizational success.

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Labor Relations Strategy

Labor-management relations profoundly affects the successful formulation and implementation of domestic and global operations and business strategies. Michigan's Labor Relations Executive Education Program has been created to help both private and public sector organizations achieve and sustain competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. Fostering the development of labor-management and workplace strategies that align effectively with organizations' business strategies and their human and physical architecture, as well as the leadership capabilities and the mastery of negotiation skills bring these integrated strategies to fruition.

Informed by industry experiences

The Labor Relations Program bridges meaningful theory and best practice by applying knowledge gained from cutting-edge, practice-oriented research to its classroom programs and consulting.

World-Class Thought Leaders

Michigan's Labor Relations Executive Education faculty are world renowned for their expertise in labor management relations, collective bargaining and negotiation. In addition to teaching, Michigan faculty members apply their expertise in the development of domestic and global labor-management and workplace strategies, programs for negotiation teams preparing for upcoming negotiations, in-house workshops and conferences, and other engagements.

Focused Programs

Negotiating and Administering the Labor Contract

Company and union professionals with limited experience in the negotiation and administration of labor contracts, the week-long Negotiating and Administering the Labor Contract program is an application-oriented learning experience combines theoretical instruction and discussion with intensive simulated negotiation and contract administration exercises to enhance your understanding of negotiating and improve your skills as a negotiator and contract administrator.

World Class Thought Leaders

Michigan's Negotiations program faculty are world renowned for their expertise in labor management relations, collective bargaining and negotiation. In addition to teaching, faculty members apply their expertise in the development of domestic and global labor-management and workplace strategies, programs for negotiation teams preparing for upcoming negotiations, in-house workshops and conferences, and other engagements.