l

CIS2531/BUS 3430 Operations Management

Textbook
Required Text: Quantitative Analysis for Management /10e; Render, Stair and Hanna; Pearson Prentice Hall (make sure the book has a CD)

Click here for the Course Syllabus

Videos on Operations Research
OR: The Science of Better
OR: Critical Applications for Business

Lecture Notes

Click below to open a lecture and view online.
You can then print or save a copy on your machine
Assignments
  1. <Due Sept 9> Chapter 1: problems 1-17 through 1-21.   Homework questions for Chapter 1       Solutions for Chapter 1
  2. <Due Oct 7> Chapter 3: problems 3-16, 3-17, 3-18(a) and (b), 3,20, 3-21 (hint: payoff is interest earned on $10,000 for each alternative under a good, fair and bad market), 3-22, 3-23, 3-28, 3-29, 3-42 (hint: use travel time as the payoff, shorter travel time is a better payoff) Show your work!       Homework questions for Chapter 3       Solutions for Chapter 3
  3. <Due Oct 28> Homework questions for Game Theory       Solutions for Game Theory
  4. <Due Nov 4> Chapter 4: problems 4-9, 4-12, 4-13, 4-17, 4-19(b)-(d), 4-20, 4-30(use public/private as a dummy variable) and 4-32. Show your work!
          Homework questions for Chapter 4        Solutions for Chapter 4
  5. <Due Nov 11>Chapter 5: problems 5-14, 5-15, 5-16, 5-17, 5-25, 5-31 and 5-34 Show your work! Homework questions for Chapter 5        Solutions for Chapter 5
  6. <Due Nov 25 >Chapter 7: problems 7-14, 7-15, 7-16, 7-33, 7-34 a,b,d,e and 7-36        Homework questions for Chapter 7        Solutions for Chapter 7
  7. <Due Dec 9>Chapter 13: Problems 13-16, 13-17, 13-18 (a)-(e), 13-21, 13-24 (don't use Linear Programming, use QM Project Crash module), 13-29 (a) and (b)
           Homework questions for Chapter 13        Solutions for Chapter 13
Articles
In February, 1969, NYC was hit hard by a giant snowstorm that dropped 15 inches of snow and paralyzed the city.
See the article Remembering a Snowstorm That Paralyzed the City
This was despite weather forecasts by the National Weather Service of snow changing to rain. It also caused a great deal of political havoc for Mayor Lindsay
Read the following two articles related to the use of operations management in analyzing the problem for better ways to handle future snowfalls.
The first paper The Political Properties of Crystalline H20: Planning for Snow Emergencies in New York analyzes the response of New York City to a major snowstorm in February 9, 1969.
  • What were the four fundamental strategic questions the city analysts asked in their search for a snow removal solution? Briefly describe the analysis done to answer each question.
  • What were the two key issues that needed improvement in order to speed up the plowing of streets?
  • What were the practical changes that needed to be made in order for the plan to succeed?
The second paper "Snow and Ice Removal in an Urban Environment presents a dynamic routing heuristic that enabled the faster spreading of salt.
  • What is a heuristic as compared to an algorithm?
  • Explain the heuristic developed to improve the routing of the salt/sand spreader trucks.
  • How were the spreader trucks routed the old way?
  • Explain briefly the basic idea of the heuristic proposed in the paper?
  • Describe briefly four benefits/improvements that the heuristic provided?
    • Your paper on both articles together should be no more than 5 pages and is due by Nov 3

Second Paper Due Dec 4th

 Write a review of the paper below that includes
  1. The impetus for the application of management science to the problems of New York City What types of problems were addressed?What management science techniques were applied in each case?What solution was proposed in each case and how successful was it? What obstacles got in the way? What is the legacy of the work?
  2. What insights (positive or negative) did you gain from this article?
Do not copy verbatim from the article, summarize and explain in your OWN words.
Here's the link to the paper Improving Emergency Responsiveness with Management Science
The paper should be at a minimum 6 pages, 1" margins, 1.5" line spacing, using a 12 point font
EXTRA STUFF OF INTEREST