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UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

ONLINE SHORT COURSE

Achieve operational success. Learn how to apply lean thinking strategies to planning and processes.

VIEW COURSE PROSPECTUS
Duration

8 weeks, excluding
orientation

Effort

8-10 hours per week,
self-paced learning online

Learning Format

Weekly modules,
flexible learning

Get 15% off until January 13, 2026.

Start fresh with new skills.

It’s time for a new season of personal growth. Take 15% off this online course with the code TOASTNY2026.

*Offer applies to any start date for participating courses where registration is currently open as long as you register and pay by January 13, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (U.S.). To redeem the offer for executive education courses, register on getsmarter.com, using code TOASTNY2026 at checkout. The discount cannot be combined with any other offers for executive education courses.

ON COMPLETION OF THIS COURSE, YOU'LL WALK AWAY WITH:

  1. The ability to forecast and stay ahead of digital and customer trends, to find new ways of managing labour and production assets.

  2. The skills to use financial information in operations and the insight to boost efficiency and quality, and manage waste in your organisation.

  3. A lean thinking approach to operations management, and an understanding of the risks associated with business operations and how to mitigate them.

  4. The confidence to take a new direction in your career, equipped with a certificate of completion from UCT.

"Operations management plays an essential role in the success of any organisation. However, the role of an operations manager has become increasingly complex with the advent or awareness of factors, including climate change, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and the enhanced automation made possible by improved technologies and artificial intelligence. Our short course in Operations Management provides an introduction to the current challenges faced in operations management, and the nature of online short courses allows for convenient updating of themes and issues covered as this dynamic landscape continues to evolve."Jacques Rousseau, Course Convenor

COURSE CURRICULUM

Over the duration of this online short course, you'll work through the following modules:

MODULE 1 Introduction To Operations Management

Explore the fundamentals of operations management.

MODULE 2 Managing and Measuring Processes

Delve into the relationship between key performance indicators (KPIs) and how to define effective operations processes.

MODULE 3 Managing Capacity and People

Consider ways to strategically manage resources to achieve organisational goals.

MODULE 4 Financial Analysis and Forecast Strategy

Learn how to use financial information and demand forecasting in operations.

MODULE 5 Production Planning and Scheduling

Discover how to use demand patterns and production planning strategies to complete a Master Production Schedule.

MODULE 6 Inventory and Waste Management

Examine the importance of managing inventory and waste.

MODULE 7 Quality Management

Encounter lean options for managing quality.

MODULE 8 Operational Risk Management Strategy

Explore risk from the perspective of an operations manager.

Please note that module titles and their contents are subject to change during course development.

COURSE CONVENOR

Jacques Rousseau

Chair, Commerce Faculty Ethics in Research Committee, and Lecturer, Section for Applied Management, School of Management Studies, UCT

Jacques Rousseau is co-author of Critical Thinking, Science, and Pseudoscience: Why We Can't Trust Our Brains (Springer, 2016). His extensive experience in governance and ethical oversight includes three elected terms on UCT's Council (2012 to present), as well as various other committees that are responsible for planning and executing strategic change at the university. He regularly contributes to national debates on political developments and ethical controversies in the public sphere through op-eds, columns, and television or radio interviews.

AN ONLINE EDUCATION THAT SETS YOU APART

This UCT online short course is delivered in collaboration with online education provider Getsmarter. Join a growing community of global professionals, and benefit from the opportunity to:
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Gain verifiable and relevant competencies and earn invaluable recognition from an international selection of universities and institutions, entirely online and in your own time.

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Enjoy a personalised, people-mediated online learning experience created to make you feel supported at every step.

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Experience a flexible but structured approach to online education as you plan your learning around your life to meet weekly milestones.