School of Management Forms New Department

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo School of Management has formed a new department, Operations Management and Strategy (OMS), which brings the field of business strategy together with supply chains and operations management.

"While a few business schools in the nation have linked operations with other functional areas such as marketing, the new OMS Department combines operations with business strategy," says Professor Nallan C. Suresh, the department's first chair. "Our goal is to develop innovative programs of research and education based on emerging global trends in strategy and management of global supply chains."

The business strategy field includes the areas of business policy and strategy, entrepreneurship and international business. It focuses on competitive strategy formulation, creating sustainable competitive advantage, diversification strategies, vertical integration, corporate governance, acquisitions and joint ventures, technology strategies, acquiring the right firm and supply chain capabilities, new venture creation and entrepreneurship.

The other major area covered by the OMS Department is comprised of supply chains management and manufacturing and service operations management.

"In the past, manufacturing and service firms were concerned with 'within-firm' improvement strategies, such as lean manufacturing, reengineering, six sigma and ERP systems," says Suresh. "In recent years, however, the focus has shifted to the entire supply chain to eliminate disconnects, waste and delays in increasingly global value chains. This has been in response to rising competition from global lost-cost, high-quality producers of products and services."

The OMS Department will also house the school's Technology Entrepreneurship Program under the leadership of John M. Hannon, associate professor of entrepreneurship.

The department will be recruiting two additional faculty members this year, including a senior, nationally recognized strategy scholar.

Currently, undergraduate, MBA and doctoral degrees are offered in these areas, as well as an master's-degree program in supply chains and operations management. The department also intends to strengthen partnerships with business groups and professional institutions in Western New York and serve as an information resource and center of knowledge dissemination. To that end, several new industry education programs are currently being developed.

The University at Buffalo School of Management is ranked as one of the world's "top business schools" by The Wall Street Journal. It also has been cited by Forbes for "best return on investment." For more information about the UB School of Management, visit http://www.mgt.buffalo.edu .