Course 2017-2018 a.y.

30214 - SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT


CLEAM - CLEF - CLEACC - BESS-CLES - BIEF - BIEM - BIG

Department of Management and Technology

Course taught in English

Go to class group/s: 31
CLEAM (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/08) - CLEF (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/08) - CLEACC (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/08) - BESS-CLES (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/08) - BIEF (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/08) - BIEM (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/08) - BIG (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/08)
Course Director:
ALBERTO GRANDO

Classes: 31 (II sem.)
Instructors:
Class 31: ALBERTO GRANDO



Course Objectives

In the last 20 years, both service and manufacturing companies have been paying a growing attention to the environmental and social outcomes of the goods they offer and of the processes they manage. Nowadays, we are witnessing phenomena such as the increasing costs of energy and materials, which call for a more efficient use of production resources, as well as the growing awareness of consumers for environmental and social issues, which leads them to prefer companies that adopt sustainable practices. The resulting challenges for enterprises include integrating environmental, health, and safety concerns in their agenda. Operations and Supply Chain Management is increasingly connected to sustainability, since it influences a wide bundle of decisions that affect several environmental and social issues, such as new product development, product recycling, off-shoring and outsourcing in newly developing countries, green logistics etc.

This course aims at illustrating how Operations and Supply Chain Management can be managed so as to properly deal with health, social and environmental issues and how to transform such a challenge into a source of competitive advantage. The course focuses on specific topics related to the Triple Bottom Line and to the Circular Economy paradigms, by linking sustainability concepts with the product life cycle, from its design, manufacturing, distribution and possible end-of-life recovery options.


The teaching style of this course is consistent with its learning goals and is based on case discussions, group works, real examples and on the interactions with guest speakers from companies that are coping with these issues. During the course, topics are analyzed moving from real-life case-histories, so as to make the students aware not only of the technicalities related to sustainability in Operations and Supply Chain Management, but also of the most valuable experiences of companies and of industries that are leading the process toward a more sustainable operating system.


Course Content Summary

  • Mega trends and competitiveness.
  • Synergies between profits and sustainable practices in Operations Management: a reference framework.
  • Design for Environment.
  • Sustainability and Operations Management: strategic alignment and Triple Bottom Line.
  • Sustainability and vendor selection.
  • Sustainability and production: Lean management and Six-Sigma.
  • Sustainable logistics, transportation and packaging.
  • Reverse logistics and Closed-loop supply chains.
  • Sustainability and performance measurement.

Detailed Description of Assessment Methods

For attending students
The final evaluation is given weighing the grades of the class participation (10%), of the three group assignments (10% each) and of the individual result in a final written exam (60%), mainly based on multiple-choice questions related to the reference book, particularly focused on the topics shared in the course.

The attendance is measured by the specific app available to all students. To take the exam as an attending-student, an attendance rate equal to or higher than 80% must be reported.

For non attending students
Written exam, mainly based on multiple-choice questions related to the reference book.

Textbooks


  • V. BELVEDERE, A. GRANDO, Sustainable Operations and Supply Chain Management, Whiley, 2017.
Exam textbooks & Online Articles (check availability at the Library)
Last change 11/05/2017 11:55