Business Operations Management

​​Computers and information technology are the foundation of business today. This course provides an understanding of computer terminology, operating systems, and the most popular office software used in business. Students learn to use spreadsheets (e.g. Microsoft Excel), word processing applications (e.g. Microsoft Word), and presentation and graphics programs (e.g. Microsoft PowerPoint). Students also get an introduction to cloud computing and enterprise collaboration tools. The course also provides an overview of digital literacy, Web-based collaboration, and publishing and productivity tools.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

COMM 1100 is designed to give students basic listening, writing and speaking skills that will allow them to prepare written and oral reports for BCIT courses and to proceed to more advanced communication courses.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

This course investigates economic analysis, focusing on fundamentals of markets, supply and demand, consumer and producer behaviour, and monopoly and competition. Optional areas of business application may explore labour markets, government intervention and environmental regulation. Prepares students to identify and evaluate the economic considerations they will undoubtedly encounter in business.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

Marketing 1102 is an introduction to the fundamentals of marketing. In addition to the "four Ps" of marketing—product, price, place, and promotion—students will be introduced to how marketers create customer-driven marketing strategies based on their research and understanding of the marketing environment and customers. Students will plan a strategy for and compete in an online marketing simulation. After the simulation, students will evaluate their performance and deliver a marketing plan for their simulation company, which will be assessed on students' application of marketing terminology and processes and in the professionalism of their work. Additionally, students will complete assignments, quizzes, and exams.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

Operations management may be defined as the design, operation and improvement of the systems that create the firm's products or services. Demand for quality, time-based competition and international production has demonstrated the importance of operations management to the survival of the firm. This course will develop an appreciation for the nature and role of operations in a firm, and the strategic importance of operations to provide a competitive advantage in the marketplace. More specifically, the course will examine operations strategy; quality management; product and service design; process and facilities planning, analysis and reengineering; human resources in operations management; materials management, lean and Theory of Constraints strategies, and supply chain management.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

Reviews basic mathematics applicable to business and industry. Topics include consumer and commercial credit, simple and compound interest, financial instruments and discounting, annuities, mortgages, loans, sinking funds, leases, depreciation methods, capitalized costs, cash flow analysis, NPV and IRR. Emphasis is on maximum use of pre-programmed calculator and practical applications from the field of Financial Management.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

​In an information-based society, every enterprise requires business analytics and decision support systems to enable a competitive advantage. As a result, knowledge workers across all industries increasingly require an understanding of data modelling and advanced data management and analytical techniques. Building off the foundational skills learned in BSYS-1000, this course leverages the Microsoft ecosystem, including Access, Excel and Power Query, Microsoft's data transformation and data preparation engine, to perform complex data management tasks. Advanced formulae, concepts, and data modelling theory will enable students to connect to various types of data to enable the analysis and presentation of data to enable business insight.​
Prerequisite(s):

• 50% in BSYS 1000

​Organizational behaviour and management principles study the factors necessary to build high performing teams and organizations. In this course students develop an understanding of how individual and team behaviours impact the effective operation of organizations. The concepts and frameworks discussed in this course form the building blocks of successful organizational development, leadership, and management. Key areas of learning include organizational culture, individual factors including personality, attitudes, perception, motivation, communication, and team dynamics. The course also includes organizational structure and design, decision making, an introduction to leadership development, and management functions including systems, controlling, planning, power and politics. Learning modalities include individual and group assignments, case studies, and an industry-based research project. Critical thinking is an outcome of the applied learning modalities.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

This course provides further instruction and practice in the principles taught in COMM 1100. It concentrates on more sophisticated forms of written communication: the job application package, indirect correspondence, and reports. The course might also include modules on graphics, questionnaires, telephone techniques, and organizing and running meetings.
Prerequisite(s):

• 50% in COMM 1100

Presents a challenging overview of the workings of an economy. Stresses measurement and determination of national economic activity, the role of monetary and fiscal policy, and the understanding of inflation, unemployment and growth in an international environment. Prepares students to weigh political and economic issues as they relate to their business ventures.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

This course focuses on the context of accounting and the use of accounting information for decision making, planning, and control. It will examine how managers can utilize the tools of economics, forecasting, accounting/finance, and decision theory to aid in these critical decisions. The course will consider how differences and changes in the internal operating conditions and in the external political-economic environment can affect a manager's resource allocation decisions. Topics include incremental analysis, short- and long-run decision-making and financial analysis.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

Includes descriptive statistics, including numerical and graphical presentation of data, measures of central tendency, dispersion and elementary probabilities. Introduction to several discrete and continuous probability distributions . Introduction to inferential statistics through selected topics such as sampling, confidence limits of the mean, hypotheses testing, simple linear regression and the chi-squared test for independence.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

This course presents to Operations Management students a systematic approach to process and productivity improvement within a continuous process improvement context. An emphasis will be placed on team problem solving approaches and the development of teamwork skills. The student, working in learning teams, will apply various process improvement techniques within the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) cycle, such as Pareto's Law, activity sampling, process mapping, multiple activity charting, check sheets, histograms, Ishikawa diagrams, critical examination, creativity techniques, cost benefit analysis, multiple-criteria evaluation matrix and implementation strategies.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

​A competitive business environment requires continuous process improvement. This can happen through adjusting existing processes or through the development of new processes and approaches. This course explores the role of design/redesign in the overall context of improving operational performance. It presents a systematic approach to process design using a full course case study. An emphasis will be placed on developing design methods, team skills and project management. The student will apply various design tools and techniques within the Concept, Design, Construct, Implement (CDCI) framework, including implementation strategies for their recommendations.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

This course introduces the student to the fundamentals of supply chain management and the interface between the end consumer and the flow of inventory through the supply chain. The materials are broken into two main sections, one dealing with inventory and one dealing with the logistics of the flow of materials from warehouses to consumers. Core inventory management concepts include reasons for having inventory, inventory management principles, selecting order quantities, timing of orders to minimize costs while optimizing customer service, practical tools to control inventory stock levels, and physical inventory management and control techniques. Core logistics concepts include diagraming the supply chain from end consumer upstream through to the warehouse and distribution level, the processes required to fulfill customer orders, the flow of physical products in the supply chain, product packaging and loading to protect inventory during transport, the impact of international logistics to the BC economy, the standard documents required in the international supply chain.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

Designed to give non-accounting majors an appreciation of the uses and limitations of cost and managerial accounting in the decision-making processes of an organization. Emphasis will be placed on identifying the relevance of this discipline to other functional areas: capital budgeting, production planning, cost minimization, contribution maximization, pricing and marketing policies. Concepts will be related to both manufacturing and knowledge-based, service business environments. Students will study a variety of analytical techniques that can be applied to financial and operational data to support management decisions.
Prerequisite(s):

• 50% in FMGT 2100 or 50% in FMGT 2105

​This course introduces the fundamentals of project management including development approaches and activities and tools used at various stages of a project. The course covers the full project lifecycle and provides an opportunity to apply a range of management methods necessary to deliver value. Projects are unique and uncertain environments. Managing this uncertainty and tailoring the project approach is critical to a successful project. The course is consistent with the Project Management Body of Knowledge and the Standard for Project Management.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

Covers the key elements of quality management in both manufacturing and service organizations. Topics include meaning of quality, TQM strategy, cost of quality, ISO 9000 and HACCP standards, voice of the customer, design for quality, vendor management systems, quality plans, SPC and control charts.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

This course provides students with an introduction to an area of management science that is sometimes called quantitative methods or operations research. The objective of this course is to have students develop an appreciation of the management science approach to problem formulation and solution that is now so important in today’s business and industrial sectors. The course focuses on quantitative approaches to decision making and introduces a variety of management sciences models, methods, and procedures. The major areas of study are linear programming (LP), simulation modeling, and forecasting. ​
Prerequisite(s):

• OPMT 1197 or an equivalent college level Business Stats course. Accessibility to and basic knowledge of personal computers.

This is a project course: exposure to operations improvement is achieved through a consulting project for a client. Consulting, teamwork, and project management skills are developed. Practical application of course content from the first year of the program is stressed.
Prerequisite(s):

• All level 1 and 2 courses.

This course expands on the fundamentals of supply chain management introduced in the Supply Chain Management – Demand course by focusing on warehousing and factory operations. The materials are broken into three main sections, warehouse operations; manufacturing operations and analysis of work flow. Core warehousing operations concepts include the impact warehousing has on inventory management, improving warehouse operational performance, developing warehouse layout and inventory control plans, and selecting optimum warehouse locations. Core manufacturing operations concepts include an overview of manufacturing processes, the information required to plan manufacturing operations, developing aggregate manufacturing plans, developing detailed production and raw materials plans, creating manpower plans, production schedules and optimizing workflow constraints. Core work flow analysis concepts include defining work systems, how worker motivation can affect operational performance, ergonomics and work design, developing work time standards, assessing work systems performance levels.
Prerequisite(s):

• OPMT 2350

Organizations are increasingly dependent on Information Technology (IT) to operate effectively and efficiently. Employers expect their employees to have a better understanding of IT and better hands-on skill with computers than ever before. The overall goal of this course is to provide the understanding and skills necessary to be successful in this new work environment and provide some basic business analysis, database design, and database management skills using tools common in industry. In this course we will explore the role of Database Management Systems (DBMS) in organizations and the relationship between DBMS and other Information Systems (IS) including ERP, CRM, and SCM solutions. The curriculum is designed to ensure students can describe the critical function of a DBMS in organizational success, identify the comprehensive steps involved in database design and development, create and manage a basic database system, and employ database applications to execute various data management tasks. Students will learn about various data modeling techniques, including conceptual, logical, and physical data models. This knowledge will enable students to design, work with, and manage databases that accurately reflect business requirements, support data integrity, and efficiency.​
Prerequisite(s):

• 50% in BSYS 2000

Presents a practical study of Canadian business law including an introduction to the legal system, the courts, dispute resolution, torts, contracts (including performance bond and warranty issues), sale of goods and consumer transactions, employment, commercial relationships, business structures, partnership issues, intellectual property including trademark and confidentiality issues.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

A necessary skill set in today's world - designed for those involved in, or associated with labour relations as management or union. Covers the collective bargaining process and day-to-day contract administration. Related laws, typical contract clauses, grievance procedures, responsibilities of the supervisor and the shop steward, and current activities in the labour relations field. Students will learn to approach their responsibilities for matters covered by collective agreements with more confidence and expertise.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

Introduces the field of occupational health and safety for operations managers. Examines a broad range of safety topics and provides opportunity to participate in the application of several safety functions such as an inspection, accident investigation and safety committee meetings. Discusses the requirements for a successful safety program integrated into the company business plan; at the same time explores the legal, economic and humanistic reasons for doing so. Covers additional topics including WHMIS, lock-out, confined spaces, workers' compensation, fire protection, and due diligence.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

Building on several courses, this course explores the Lean Body of Knowledge in greater detail. Lean (or Just in Time (JIT)/Toyota Production System (TPS)) principles have been incorporated into today’s popular management philosophies aimed at achieving excellence. Students will learn to apply Lean tools to business process improvement.
Prerequisite(s):

• OPMT 2175 and OPMT 2340

Building on several courses, this course explores the Theory of Constraints (TOC) Body of Knowledge in greater detail. The Theory of Constraints (TOC) focuses on an organization’s constraints and many organizations have been able to make significant improvements in their performance in a short period of time. TOC is recognized as a vital part of an organization’s operations strategy. Students will use a computer simulation to learn the TOC and the drum-buffer-rope approach to synchronizing business operations.
Prerequisite(s):

• OPMT 2175 and OPMT 2340

Building on several courses, this course explores the Six Sigma Body of Knowledge in greater detail. The structure of the course primarily follows the DMAIC process for improvement and gives the student an opportunity to apply the related tools to business process improvement. The course incorporates the use of a Statistical Software Package.
Prerequisite(s):

• OPMT 2175 and OPMT 2340

This course expands on the previous supply chain management related courses by focusing on how technology can be applied to supply chain operations and the various strategies that organizations may employ to optimize their supply chain operations. The materials are broken into two sections; technology applications and organizational strategies Core technology application concepts include technology advancements in inventory and supply chains such as RFID, e-Commerce and Supply Chain Management Networks. Core organizational strategy concepts include analyzing how various corporate strategies will impact supply chain operations, legal and ethical considerations, the need to drive increased sustainability, how to continuously improve the effectiveness of supply chain operations using operations management techniques such as “Lean” and “Six Sigma”, and the development of management performance measures to gauge the effectiveness of supply chain operations.
Prerequisite(s):

• OPMT 3350

This course builds on concepts from OPMT 3301 and delves into additional topics within the field of management science. The objective of this course is to have students develop a further appreciation of the management science approach to problem formulation and solution that is now so important in today’s business and industrial sectors. The course focuses on quantitative approaches to decision making and introduces a variety of management sciences models, methods, and procedures. The major areas of study are queuing theory, operations simulation modeling using Excel, and complex systems simulation using SIMUL8, which is an advanced discrete-event simulation software package.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

Examines the planning stages involved in starting a new business including market, financial and legal feasibility requirements. The student develops a full business plan.
Prerequisite(s):

• MKTG 1102

Change management is a key competency that must be built into the fabric of the company - a structured methodology that incorporates training, communication and process analysis and re-design. Implementing changes is much more difficult than formulating solutions to process deficiencies. This course deals with the tactics and strategies of change.
Prerequisite(s):

• 50% in OPMT 3341 or OPMT 3402

Sustainability is a critical issue for operations. Resource scarcity as well as increasing regulatory and consumer demand present a significant challenge for business. Operations professionals require a clear understanding of these business issues to respond and adapt.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

​This is a project course: exposure to operations improvement is achieved through a consulting project for a client. Consulting, teamwork, and project management skills are developed. Practical application of course content from all of the courses studied within the Business Operations Management Program is stressed.
Prerequisite(s):

• All Level 1, 2,3, and 4A courses

Examines the principles and practices of procurement for both manufacturing and service organizations. Topics include procurement objectives, information systems, specification determination, supplier selection, pricing, negotiation, and disposal. Current practices such as vendor-managed inventories and supplier partnerships will be presented.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

An integrative course that ties together many operations management concepts in the exploration of large-scale, company-wide computer systems called Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. The major systems available are reviewed. Implementation procedures, problems and business issues are explored. Specific ERP systems used are SAP and SYSPRO. At the conclusion of the course students are able to participate in the selection, installation and maintenance of an ERP system.
Prerequisite(s):

• OPMT 3350 and OPMT 3361