Operations cases test your ability to improve how a company makes and delivers its products or services. They’re especially common at firms with strong operations practices.
Types of Operations Cases
Supply Chain Optimization
- Sourcing and procurement strategy
- Distribution network design
- Inventory management
- Logistics cost reduction
Process Improvement
- Manufacturing efficiency
- Service delivery optimization
- Quality management
- Cycle time reduction
Capacity Planning
- Build vs. lease decisions
- Expansion timing
- Resource allocation
Key Frameworks
Value Chain Analysis
Map the entire operation from raw materials to customer delivery. Identify bottlenecks and waste at each stage.
Lean Operations
Eliminate waste across 7 dimensions:
- Overproduction
- Waiting
- Transportation
- Over-processing
- Inventory
- Motion
- Defects
Theory of Constraints
Find the bottleneck that limits overall throughput. Improve that constraint before optimizing anything else.
Metrics to Know
- OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) = Availability × Performance × Quality
- Cycle time — Time from start to finish of one unit
- Throughput — Units produced per time period
- Yield — Percentage of defect-free output
- Inventory turns — COGS ÷ Average inventory