Principles Program

Principles of Operations Management

ASCM Principles of Operations Management is an education-based program made up of five courses designed to help new entrants to the field of operations management establish the foundational knowledge necessary to excel in the fields of production and distribution management. Principles offers organizations an efficient and effective approach to educate and develop professionals on the basics of operations management.

When facing a specific educational need within your organization, customers can fully customize their Principles program to build courses to meet these needs. Organizations can select Principles course sessions, suitable as stand-alone minicourses or to be combined with other sessions, to create a customized learning experience.

The ASCM Principles of Operations Management consists of five classroom-based, instructor-led courses.

  • The Principles of Inventory Management
  • The Principles of Operations Planning
  • The Principles of Manufacturing Management
  • The Principles of Distribution and Logistics
  • The Principles of Managing Operations

Principles of Inventory Management

The Principles of Inventory Management provides a functional knowledge and understanding of inventory and purchasing management principles, roles and responsibilities, and techniques. For more detail on topics covered, see the Principles of Inventory Management Instructor Guide Table of Contents.

Topics include:

  • Inventory management fundamentals
  • Ordering techniques
  • Replenishment policies
  • Purchasing management
  • Just-in-time and lean methodologies
  • Inventory performance measurement

Principles of Operations Planning

The Principles of Operations Planning course imparts a fundamental knowledge and understanding of the basic inventory planning principles and techniques that are used at each level in the planning process, from strategic to tactical. For more detail on topics covered, see the Principles of Operations Planning Instructor Guide Table of Contents.

Topics include:

  • Planning foundations
  • Business planning
  • Basics of forecasting
  • Sales and operations planning
  • Master scheduling
  • Capacity management
  • Operations systems

The Principles of Manufacturing Management

The Principles of Manufacturing Management provides an introduction to manufacturing management core concepts and activities related to production planning, scheduling and process control.

For more detail on topics covered, see the Principles of Manufacturing Management Instructor Guide Table of Contents.

Topics include:

  • Manufacturing management fundamentals
  • Manufacturing product structures
  • Material requirements planning (MRP)
  • Capacity planning and management
  • Production activity control
  • Advanced scheduling
  • Lean production management

Principles of Distribution and Logistics

The Principles of Distribution and Logistics introduces the foundations and operations of supply channel inventory, warehousing and transportation operations. For more detail on topics covered, see the Principles of Distribution and Logistics Instructor Guide Table of Contents.

Topics include:

  • Operations management foundations
  • Introduction to distribution and logistics
  • Distribution channel design
  • Inventory management
  • Distribution requirements planning (DRP)
  • Warehouse management
  • Packaging and material handling
  • Transportation management
  • Transportation operations

Principles of Managing Operations

The Principles of Managing Operations introduces the fundamentals of operational process design, quality and organizational management and performance. For more detail on topics covered, see the Principles of Managing Operations Instructor Guide Table of Contents.

Topics include:

  • Processes and operations
  • Project management
  • Product and process design
  • Total quality management
  • Statistical quality control
  • Process improvement and optimization
  • Organizational management and performance