Most organizations, whether for profit or nonprofit, seek to optimize efficiencies and maximize the use of their resources. In operations management, one key responsibility is to regularly assess the processes within the work system to ensure resources are appropriately used and aligned to best achieve the goals of the organization.

In this course, you will consider how to analyze an operational process with the purpose of determining its current capacity and potential improvement opportunities. You’ll start by defining a process graphically then assess the capacities of the resources within it along with the process as a whole. The course culminates with identifying and evaluating different options to improve performance. Along the way, you’ll create a decision support tool in Microsoft Excel, applying the course concepts to your tangible skills for work and beyond.

Minimizing wait time is often considered a critical element in maximizing customer satisfaction. Yet managing wait time can be especially difficult in some processes because there is often significant variability in arrival and processing times. A well-designed queueing system can help manage wait time and customer satisfaction, even in situations of high variability.

In this course, you will discover how queueing can be managed effectively through the use of various tools. You’ll have opportunities to explore, develop, and utilize decision support tools as you consider the customer experience beyond wait times. By the end of this course, you’ll have broader perspectives on customer satisfaction and the tools needed to understand and affect it.

Strong operational performance depends on shrewd inventory management decisions, and there are several individual considerations that go into selecting and implementing an overall plan that will work for an organization. In this course, you will explore two classic models for managing inventory and consider how choosing the appropriate model can vary depending on the goals and needs of the organization. You’ll apply your understanding of these concepts to build a decision-making tool and apply it to real-world business decisions.

Decision making is an indispensable professional skill for those working in an operations management setting. In this course, you will explore three different tools that aid in the development and implementation of this key skill. You’ll examine each method and see how each is meant to be used in resolving decision problems related to production, inventory, and risk. By the end of this course, you’ll have gained applicable skills that support your operations management work across any industry.

eCornell Online Workshops are live, interactive 3-hour learning experiences led by Cornell faculty experts. These premium short-format sessions focus on AI topics and are designed for busy professionals who want to gain immediately applicable skills and strategic perspectives. Workshops include faculty presentations, breakout discussions, guided hands-on practice, and downloadable resources.

The AI Workshops All-Access Pass provides you with unlimited participation for 6 months from your date of purchase. Whether you choose to attend one workshop per month or several per week, the All-Access Pass will allow you to customize your AI journey and stay on top of the latest AI trends.

Hosted by Cornell faculty at the forefront of their fields, Workshops cover a range of cutting-edge AI topics applicable across industries. Whether you are just getting started with AI, seeking to build your AI skillset, or exploring advanced applications of AI, Workshops will provide you with an action-oriented learning experience for immediate application in your career. Sample Workshops include:

  • Work Smarter With AI Agents: Individual and Team Effectiveness
  • Leading AI Transformation: Bigger Than You Imagine, Harder Than You Expect
  • Using AI at Work: Practical Choices and Better Results
  • Search and Discoverability in the Era of AI
  • Don’t Just Prompt AI; Govern it
  • AI-Powered Product Manager
  • Leverage AI and Human Connection To Lead Through Uncertainty

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How It Works

“
I like to think outside of the box, and this program from eCornell helped me conceptualize how I want to approach data problems going forward. I was able to actually apply new course concepts to my work, rather than simply repeat steps with different values.
‐ Mark T.
Mark T.
  • Operations leaders and team members responsible for building and improving operations processes
  • Analytics leaders and data analysts who build data models to support decision making
  • Professionals seeking foundational quantitative skills through an operations lens

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