Operations Strategy Master Module
Start date
11 maart 2027
Duration
6 weeks
Language
English
Costs
€ 4500
Accreditations
- AACSB
- NVAO
Rankings
TIAS is listed in the Financial Times Executive Education Rankings and, according to the Keuzegids Masters 2025, is one of the best-rated educational institutions in the Netherlands.
Fulltime / Parttime
Parttime
Schedule
Online start moment, 3 physical training days, self-study and case study focused on your own practice
Introduction
Operations and supply chain decisions are no longer mere "executive details." In markets with fierce competition, demanding customers, and pressure on sustainability, the design and management of your operations largely determine your success. The question is not whether you need an operations strategy, but how explicit and well-thought-out it is.
In the Operations Strategy Master Module, you will delve into operations as a strategic driver of competitive advantage. You will explore how value propositions translate into order qualifiers and order winners, and how you can use this to make choices in process configuration, capacity planning, vertical integration, location policy, and supply chain structure. You will use recognized frameworks from Hill, Hayes & Wheelwright, Fisher, and Olhager, among others, to analyze and substantiate these choices.
You will consider not only design but also planning structures, decoupling points, integration within the supply chain, and preconditions such as infrastructure, ICT, and competency development. In this way, you develop a coherent picture of how to position and organize your operations and supply chain to deliver on your strategy – and how to use Operational Excellence as a guideline for sustainable customer value and agility.
Participant profile
For professionals responsible for the strategic design and management of operations and the supply chain.
You recognize that choices regarding processes, footprint, supply chain design, and planning structures have a significant impact on costs, service, and agility, but sometimes lack an explicit framework to organize and substantiate these choices. You want to move beyond individual improvement projects and seek a cohesive operations strategy that truly aligns with your organization's value proposition.
You seek conceptual guidance and practical frameworks to more clearly conduct strategic discussions about operations: from order qualifiers and order winners to supply chain positioning, capacity, and partner integration. You want to be able to better communicate with management and other functions about the operational challenges, the relevant choices, and which investments make sense and which don't.
Curious if this is your next step?
Discover the admission requirements for this master module.
Average demographics
36 years | 80% men & 20% women
Why this program
What makes this master module unique?
- Impact in 6 weeks: The mix of an online kick-off, three on-campus days, focused self-study, and working on your own case study will provide insights you can immediately apply in your work environment.
- Academic & recognized: 4 ECTS as a microcredential with a digital badge; part of an accredited master's degree and stackable if you wish to continue your studies.
- Top lecturers from both academia and practice: TIAS professors and experienced experts from the field combine analytical depth with realistic cases, so that theory and practice reinforce each other.
- Blended & small-scale: intensive guidance and peer dialogue in a small group; what you explore online, you bring to life on-campus with cases and simulations.
- Rich learning experience with peers: you will learn in a small group of like-minded professionals, share experiences, and enrich your case study with concrete practical insights.
What will the program bring you?
Strategic anchoring: operations and supply chain explicitly linked to value proposition and competitive strategy.
Sharper choices and trade-offs: conscious consideration between costs, quality, speed, flexibility and risk.
Consistent decision frameworks: shared frameworks for footprint, integration, make-or-buy, and planning structures.
Visible leadership role: a more robust discussion partner for management and the board on investments, transformations, and operational strategy.
About this program
Strategically Managing Operational Excellence and Supply Chain Design
In the Operations Strategy Master Module, you will delve into operations and the supply chain as strategic levers. Organizations compete not only with their products and services, but also with how they structure their operations and supply chains. In this module, you will explore how value propositions translate into choices regarding footprint, process configuration, capacity strategy, and collaboration with supply chain partners.
You will work with leading frameworks from companies such as Hill, Hayes & Wheelwright, Fisher, and Olhager. These frameworks will help you analyze order qualifiers and order winners, the fit between product and process, the positioning of the customer order decoupling point, and the degree of integration within the supply chain. You will learn to recognize patterns in operations and supply chain strategies and identify which combinations of choices make sense, and which don't, given your market and strategy.
You will apply these insights directly to your own organization or case study. This way, you develop a coherent operations strategy: a clear narrative about what your operation stands for, the choices involved, and the changes and investments needed. This gives you a stronger foundation to explain to management, colleagues, and supply chain partners how operations and the supply chain contribute sustainably to competitiveness and agility.
Your learning journey in brief
In six weeks, you will complete a compact learning journey – from online start to final assignment. The precise mix of teaching methods varies per master module, but you can generally expect the following:
Online kick-off – You will meet your instructors and fellow participants and receive an explanation of the program structure and the final assignment.
Three consecutive on-campus days – During three intensive days on campus, you will deepen your theoretical knowledge, work on cases and assignments, and share experiences with other professionals in varied, engaging sessions.
Deepening between meetings – Between contact sessions, you'll continue working independently with literature and assignments and apply your insights to your own case.
Practical assessment – You will complete the master's module with a graded assignment that directly aligns with your work environment and learning objectives.
Microcredential & stackability
Upon completion, you will receive a TIAS certificate with a digital badge (microcredential, 4 ECTS). The earned ECTS are stackable within the NVAO-accredited Executive Master of Operations and Supply Chain Management (MOS).
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