MSCI204-07S1 (C) Semester One 2007

Planning Methods for Management

22 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 26 February 2007
End Date: Sunday, 1 July 2007
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 11 March 2007
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 27 May 2007

Description

Managing resources and processes often requires the use of planning methods and spreadsheet modelling. Forecasting and simulation help managers predict future resource requirements while linear programs help to make the best use of resources. This course develops practical skills that are useful for managers, operations managers, operations research analysts and engineers.

This course aims to provide students with:
- Basic forecasting; its use and limitations
- An overview of the use of simulation in operations management, with experience developing simple simulation models using Simul8
- Experience developing spreadsheet models for operations management and business applications
- Linear programming formulation skills and the application of basic sensitivity analysis

To achieve these aims the course will cover the following topics: simple simulations using SIMUL8, introduction to forecasting, developing spreadsheet models, modelling linear programs in spreadsheets, graphical solution method for linear programming, basic sensitivity analysis, the modelling process including: formulation, assumptions and approximations, and validation and verification. The examples and cases used to illustrate the techniques and concepts taught in the course will be drawn from common Operations Management situations.

This course is aimed at all Commerce students and any students studying management science major. It is a prerequisite for MSCI216 and will be a prerequisite for the courses replacing MSCI310, MSCI311, MSCI312, MSCI315 and MSCI316 next year. MSCI204 is also required for both the Bachelor of Commerce Endorsements in Operations Research and Operations Management.  It is a useful complement for mathematics and computer science. The time commitment including lectures, tutorials, class preparation, review, assignments, and assessment is about 14 hours per week.

Learning Outcomes

Students who pass MSCI 204 will be able to:
1. Develop simple spreadsheet models for planning purposes.
2. Use simple forecasting techniques.
3. Develop and use simple linear programming models.
4. Develop and use simple simulation models.

Prerequisites

18 points of MATH, MSCI or STAT

Restrictions

MSCI215

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Shane Dye

Lecturers

Don McNickle and John Raffensperger

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Assignment 1 04 May 2007 15% Assignment 1
Assignment 2 25 May 2007 15% Assignment 2
Test 1 23 Mar 2007 20% Test 1
Final Examination 50% Final Examination

Textbooks / Resources

Recommended Reading

Powell, Stephen G. , Baker, Kenneth R; Management science : the art of modeling with spreadsheets ; 2nd ed; John Wiley & Sons, 2007.

Notes

Grading:
Your final mark will be calculated after the raw marks have been standardised. This is to ensure all assessment is given the weighting stated.

Departmental Academic Policies
If you want a hard copy of this document, please ask the course co-ordinator. The Department assumes that you have read this document. You should also read the “Information related to courses and assessment” on page 350 of the Enrolment Handbook 2007 (also in UC Calendar under “General Course and Examination Regulations”).

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $763.00

International fee $3,116.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Management, Marketing and Tourism .

All MSCI204 Occurrences

  • MSCI204-07S1 (C) Semester One 2007