COURSE INFORMATION Course Title: OPERATIONS RESEARCH

Code	Course Type	Regular Semester	Theory	Practice	Lab	Credits	ECTS
BUS 324	B	6	4	0	0	4	6

Academic staff member responsible for the design of the course syllabus (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature)	NA
Main Course Lecturer (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	Dr. Dritan Osmani dosmani@epoka.edu.al , Monday-Friday 8:30- 17:30
Second Course Lecturer(s) (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	NA
Teaching Assistant(s) and Office Hours:	NA
Language:	English
Compulsory/Elective:	Compulsory
Study program: (the study for which this course is offered)	Bachelor in Business Administration (3 years)
Classroom and Meeting Time:	E 213
Code of Ethics:	Code of Ethics of EPOKA University Regulation of EPOKA University "On Student Discipline"
Attendance Requirement:	60%
Course Description:	To familiarize the students with the basic concepts and principles of operations research and to improve the analytical thinking and modeling abilities of the students on quantitative management problems. The course includes topics such as systems, models and modeling approaches, decision analysis, certainty, risk and uncertainty conditions, linear programming, sensitivity analysis and transportation and assignment problems
Course Objectives:	To familiarize the students with the basic concepts and principles of operations management and to improve the analytical thinking and modeling abilities of the students on quantitative management problems. The course includes topics such as systems, models and modeling approaches, decision analysis, certainty, risk and uncertainty conditions, linear programming, sensitivity analysis and transportation and assignment problems

BASIC CONCEPTS OF THE COURSE

1	Operations Research
2	Linear Programming
3	Simplex Method
4	Transportation Problem
5	Queuing Problem and Simulation
6	Project Management
7	Inventory Management Models
8	Decision Analysis

COURSE OUTLINE

Week	Topics
1	Course Overview and Operations Research --- Chapter 2: Operations research (OR) is an analytical method of problem-solving and decision-making that is useful in the management of organizations. In operations research, problems are broken down into basic components and then solved in defined steps by mathematical analysis. Page (10-23)
2	Introduction to Linear Programming --- Chapter 3 : Linear programming is an optimization technique for a system of linear constraints and a linear objective function. An objective function defines the quantity to be optimized, and the goal of linear programming is to find the values of the variables that maximize or minimize the objective function. Page (25-79)
3	Linear Programming Problems --- Chapter 3 (continue) : Exercises. Page (80-92)
4	Linear Programming, Spreadsheet Solutions --- Chapter 3 (continue) : Exercises Page (80-92)
5	Simplex Method --- Chapter 4 : The simplex method is a systematic procedure for testing the vertices as possible solutions. Some simple optimization problems can be solved by drawing the constraints on a graph. Page (93-101)
6	Simplex Method in Tabular Form --- Chapter 4 (continue) : This method is useful only for systems of inequalities involving two variables. Page (107-162)
7	Transportation Problem --- Chapter 9 : The transportation problem is a type of linear programming problem designed to minimize the cost of distributing a product from M sources to N destinations. The transportation problem can be described using examples from many fields. Page (318-371)
8	Midterm Exam
9	Queuing Problem + Simulation --- Chapter 17 : A queue occurs when there are more customers than employees to serve them. This means that customers have to wait for their turn. Whether the waiting itself is an issue or not can only be determined by the customers. Page (731-799)
10	Project Management I --- Chapter 20 : Project management is the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge and experience to achieve specific project objectives according to the project acceptance criteria within agreed parameters. Project management has final deliverables that are constrained to a finite timescale and budget. Page (892-951)
11	Project Management II --- Chapter 20 : Project management is the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge and experience to achieve specific project objectives according to the project acceptance criteria within agreed parameters. Project management has final deliverables that are constrained to a finite timescale and budget. Page (892-951)
12	Inventory Management Models --- Chapter 18 : There are four main types of inventory: raw materials/components, WIP, finished goods and MRO. Page (800-876)
13	Decision Analysis --- Chapter 16 : Decision analysis (DA) is a form of decision-making. Ethical decision that involves identifying and assessing all aspects of a decision, and taking actions based on the decision that produces the most favorable outcome. Page (682-730)
14	Final Exam

Prerequisite(s):	NA
Textbook(s):	Hillier, F.S. and Lieberman, G.J.,(2020), Introduction to Operations Research, McGraw-Hill, USA.
Additional Literature:	Ackoff, Russell L. "Management misinformation systems." Management science 14.4 (1967): B-147.Ackoff, Russell L. "The circular organization: an update." The Academy of Management Executive 3.1 (1989): 11-16.Ackoff, Russell. "A concept of corporate planning." Long Range Planning 3.1 (1970): 2-8.Ackoff, Russell L. "A note on systems science." Interfaces 2.4 (1972): 40-41.
Laboratory Work:	NA
Computer Usage:	NA
Others:	No

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

1	Students will gain knowledge about Model Formulation
2	Students will gain knowledge about Optimization and Linear Programming
3	Students will be able to solve real business problems through Linear Programming Models
4	Students will gain knowledge on how to solve real life problems by Simplex Method
5	Students will gain knowledge about Transportation Problems and how to solve them
6	Students will gain knowledge about Project Management

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO... PROGRAM COMPETENCIES (Blank : no contribution, 1: least contribution ... 5: highest contribution)

No	Program Competencies	Cont.
Bachelor in Business Administration (3 years) Program
1	Identify activities, tasks, and skills in management, marketing, accounting, finance, and economics.	4
2	Apply key theories to practical problems within the global business context.	5
3	Demonstrate ethical, social, and legal responsibilities in organizations.	3
4	Develop an open minded-attitude through continuous learning and team-work.	4
5	Use technology to enable business growth and sustainability.	3
6	Analyze data to make effective decisions.	3

COURSE EVALUATION METHOD

Method	Quantity	Percentage
Homework	1	20
Midterm Exam(s)	1	20
Project	1	10
Quiz	1	10
Final Exam	1	40
	Total Percent:	100%

ECTS (ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD)

Activities	Quantity	Duration(Hours)	Total Workload(Hours)
Course Duration (Including the exam week: 16x Total course hours)	16	3	48
Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice)	16	3	48
Mid-terms	1	12	12
Assignments			0
Final examination	1	17	17
Other	5	5	25
Total Work Load:			150
Total Work Load/25(h):			6
ECTS Credit of the Course:			6

CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE COURSE LECTURER

No Remarks.