Process Improvement

Overview

In this course you will focus on process improvement. You will learn how to set organizational priorities for continuous process improvement, how to execute process improvement projects, and how to sustain the initiative for continuous improvements.

You will be able to:

• Relate underlying principles to frameworks and techniques used for process improvement
• Synthesize information to make decisions for organizational initiatives and process improvement
• Apply analytical techniques for tactical decisions in a process improvement project

This course is part of Gies College of Business’ suite of online programs, including the iMBA and iMSM. Learn more about admission into these programs and explore how your Coursera work can be leveraged if accepted into a degree program at https://degrees.giesbusiness.illinois.edu/idegrees/.

Syllabus

Course Orientation

You will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course.

Quality Management and Process Improvement

In this first module, you will be introduced to the instructors and the course. Next, you will learn about the connection between product quality and process quality, and how to put in place an organizational infrastructure for continuous process improvement.

Process Improvement Projects in Continuous Improvement Programs

In this module, you will learn about assessing variation in processes and deriving insights from such assessments. You will learn to apply statistical analysis techniques to track and improve process performance and to communicate it with buyers and suppliers.

Measurement and Analysis for Process Improvements

Supply chains are increasingly becoming global and complex. In this module, you will learn about the primary functions involved in managing a complex supply chain. Next, you will learn about supply chain strategy and how to align supply chain strategy with product characteristics. You will also learn about building agility and adaptability in supply chains. You will learn about contracting in supply chains to align the different entities of supply chains. Specifically, you will learn about wholesale price contracts, buy-back contracts, and revenue-sharing contracts. Finally, we will learn about the bullwhip effect in supply chains, the courses of the bullwhip effect, and the mitigation strategies of the bullwhip effect.

Designing Improvements and Sustaining Changes

In this module, we will learn about advanced concepts in supply chain management. First, you will learn about network planning in supply chains, and supply chain network design. Then you will learn about remanufacturing, closed-loop supply chains, and reverse supply chains. We will also learn about green supply chains and strategies for building environmental friendliness in supply chains. We will then learn about IT systems of supply chains, and aligning IT systems with business processes. Finally, we will learn about emerging advanced technologies in supply chains and their uses. Specifically, we will discuss the roles of artificial intelligence, radio frequency identification devices (RFID), blockchains, and the internet of things (IoT) in supply chain management.