This technical note introduces students to fundamental concepts in process analysis and is appropriate for both undergraduate and MBA students in an introductory operations management course. It can be used as a stand-alone text for a lecture-based course or supplement for a case-based course. Concepts are broken out by section so that readings can be partitioned by class topic. Definitions of key terms are emphasized throughout the note, and a glossary is included in an appendix. Straightforward calculations are performed within the text to introduce students to process analysis. Topics covered include process mapping, capacity analysis, load balancing, batch processing, and Little's Law. A simple example of a Hawaiian-shirt production process is used to illustrate these core process-analysis topics.
