Competitive Advantage through Operational Excellence

(WSP 162)

In a changing and demanding global environment, world-class organizations are seeking to create competitive advantage through operational processes that reduce cost, improve quality and reliability, and speed up cycle time. To achieve this operational excellence, many apply lean principles. Originally developed to eliminate waste and inefficiency in manufacturing, these are now expanding to all types of industries: healthcare, banking, public sector, travel, and high tech, and are especially effective when adapted to service operations and product development. In this course, we first focus on the guiding principles of lean. Then we move on to understand operating techniques and tools used to improve performance, such as value stream mapping, rapid changeovers, and capacity management. Finally, we discuss ways to sustain long-term impact through metrics, performance dialogues and changing long-held mindsets and behaviors. Practical case examples, videos, simulations, and exercises will be utilized throughout the course to bring the concepts to life.

Mohan Giridharadas, Director, McKinsey & Company

Mohan Giridharadas received an MBA from Stanford and an MS in computer science from Georgia Tech. He is the co-leader of McKinsey’s lean manufacturing practice in North America and a former leader of the service operations practice. A majority of his client service has been in the areas of manufacturing, service delivery, sourcing, and supply chain. Prior to his graduate work, Giridharadas was a software engineer at Intel and at Mentor Graphics.