Free online course seeks to promote business competitiveness through the innovative operations management.
The concept of ‘operations management’, also known as ‘production and operations management’, was introduced to blend and encourage the transfer of skills, techniques and best practice between the manufacturing and service sectors.
In this current age of mass production and fierce competition, the service element of any business often provides a competitive advantage to the organisation. Innovation and continuous improvement within the operations function are vital for any organisation within any sector to be competitive and to achieve its strategic objectives.
The University of Derby has partnered with ENSCITE, which is a support organisation for companies in the transport equipment manufacturing supply chain and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in order to improve the competitiveness of businesses by improving the skills of its current or future employees, to launch a new free online short course titled ‘Innovating in Operations Management: How to continuously improve business products and processes’ aimed at directors, operations managers, or aspiring operations managers.
This course will help learners identify how to improve products and operations in a business context, with a particular emphasis on transport engineering supply chains.
Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes, Course Instructor and Lecturer in Marketing and Operations at the University of Derby, said: “Effective management and constant improvement of operations is vital for every organisation to remain competitive.
“This course will not only allow business leaders and managers but also shop-floor staff to acquire skills to understand and effectively practice the role of Operations Managers in creating competitiveness through the development or adoption of best practices, and the deployment of a culture based on innovation.”
The units include:
- Understanding the general context and link between innovation and operations management.
- The role of Operations Managers in building a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
- Getting the right working approach and structure to balance innovation and efficiency.
- New product/service design and innovation in the context of operations.
- What Operations Managers need to know to design innovative processes.
- Going beyond managing – improving existing services and processes.
This self-paced six-week course will help individuals learn how to improve their skills. Upon completion of the course, each learner will have an action plan to benefit their business as well as an E-certificate issued by the University of Derby at no extra cost. This course can be counted towards your CPD training and development.
The Innovating in Operations Management commenced on February 15, 2016. You can join the course at any time, last enrolment is 18th March 2016.
For more information, please visit: www.derby.ac.uk/freeonlinecourses
(trackable link: http://www.derby.ac.uk/online/mooc/innovating-operations-
