MG401 Half Unit
Operations Management for Management Consultancy
This information is for the 2025/26 session.
Course Convenor
Prof Richard Steinberg
Availability
This course is available on the CEMS Exchange, Global MSc in Management, Global MSc in Management (CEMS MIM), Global MSc in Management (MBA Exchange), MBA Exchange, MSc in Management (1 Year Programme) and MSc in Management of Information Systems and Digital Innovation. This course is freely available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. It does not require permission. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process.
How to apply:
Places on oversubscribed courses will be allocated via a random ballot process with priority given to students with the course in their Programme Regulations, followed by other Department of Management students, then students from elsewhere in the school. Providing you apply before the Department deadline of 10am on Monday 29 September 2025, the time you applied will not be taken into account. Please be aware that places on high demand courses cannot be guaranteed. By submitting an application, students are confirming that they meet any pre-requisites specified. Providing an additional written statement will not aid a student’s chances of being accepted onto a course, and statements are not read.
For further information and updates on course availability during Week 1, please see the Department of Management Electives Moodle page.
Deadline for application:
Please apply by 10am on Monday 29 September 2025 with your first course choices. No allocations are made before this date and time.
For queries contact:
Please view the Department of Management Electives page for contact emails.
This course may be capped/subject to controlled access. For further information about the course's availability, please see the MG Elective Course Selection Moodle page (https://moodle.lse.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=3840).
Requisites
Additional requisites:
There is a pre-assignment that is due in early January. The specification of the pre-assignment will be posted to Moodle on the last day of Autumn term. Note that the pre-assignment is compulsory and cannot be accepted late.
Course content
Operations Management (OM) is concerned with the processes by which organisations produce goods and services. This course is designed for students having an interest in operations management who may be considering a career in management consultancy. It is not a course in management consultancy.
The course covers nine topics: (1) Process Flow Analysis, (2) Bottleneck Analysis, (3) The Toyota Production System, (4) Inventory Management, (5) Assembly Line Balancing, (6) Critical Path Method, (7) Quality Management for Services—with an emphasis on Quality Management in Healthcare, (8) Scheduling, and (9) Forecasting. The course is structured in three parts. Part I is called 'Cases' and is based around a set of 5 readings: three Harvard Business School cases and two articles. Part II is called 'Techniques'. Part III is called 'The Goal', which takes place during the final 2-hour session, and consists of an in-depth discussion of the book, The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement, by E.M. Goldratt and J. Cox.
Teaching
12 hours of seminars and 16 hours of lectures in the Winter Term.
2 hours of lectures in the Spring Term.
This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Winter Term.
In its Ethics Code, LSE upholds a commitment to intellectual freedom. This means we will protect the freedom of expression of our students and staff and the right to engage in healthy debate in the classroom.
Formative assessment
In addition to the pre-assignment students will have six assignments throughout the term covering the material in the course and will be expected to work as a group on each assignment. The problems comprising each assignment will be discussed in the seminar classes, and each student will be individually responsible for answering all the problems for each assignment.
Indicative reading
(1) Case: 'National cranberry cooperative (abridged)'
(2) Case: 'Toshiba: Ome works'
(3) Case: 'Toyota Motor Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc.'
(4) Article: 'Controlling variation in health care: a consultation from Walter Shewhart'
(5) Article: -‘Distinguishing between common cause variation and special cause variation in a manufacturing system’
(6) Book: The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement, E.M. Goldratt and J. Cox.
Assessment
Exam (100%), duration: 120 Minutes in the Spring exam period
Key facts
Department: Management
Course Study Period: Winter and Spring Term
Unit value: Half unit
FHEQ Level: Level 7
CEFR Level: Null
Total students 2024/25: 18
Average class size 2024/25: 9
Controlled access 2024/25: YesCourse selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.
Personal development skills
- Leadership
- Self-management
- Team working
- Problem solving
- Application of information skills
- Communication
- Application of numeracy skills
- Commercial awareness
- Specialist skills