MANAGEMENT OF INDUSTRIAL AND LOGISTIC SYSTEMS
Academic Year 2025/2026 - Teacher: DIEGO D'URSOExpected Learning Outcomes
The course is designed to provide students with knowledge, competences, and applied skills concerning the fundamental principles of the design and managerial control of production and logistics systems. Students will be expected to model and address recurring technical and economic issues arising in the sizing and operation of production and service facilities, employing both analytical and simulation-based approaches, including the use of advanced computational tools.
Furthermore, students will be required to acquire foundational knowledge and competences in project management, covering all process groups (initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing), in accordance with internationally recognized standards.
Course Structure
The teaching methodology
consists of lectures, in which
the theoretical foundations for modeling and solving practical problems will be
provided. These problems will be addressed through exercises to be solved using
the analytical and/or numerical methods
acquired.
The modeling of more complex
problems will be developed in dedicated exercises, to be solved using analytical and/or simulation methods,
including the use of spreadsheets.
Lectures on theoretical topics
will be delivered using a projector
with slides, which will be fully provided to all students. Ample time
will be devoted during lectures to the solving
of numerical exercises related to the course content.
Exercises will be carried out
in class using a projector and
spreadsheets, and the exercise sheets will be fully provided to
students.
Within the scope of Project Management, the development of
a supervised project work will
be proposed, with some interim reviews of the project work potentially
conducted remotely.
Required Prerequisites
Mastery of measurement units and basic tools of differential calculus. Knowledge of the fundamental elements of financial mathematics and statistics.
Prerequisites: none.
Attendance of Lessons
Attendance requirements are governed by Article 3.4 of the Teaching Regulations of the Bachelor’s Degree Program in Industrial Engineering. In order to foster improved learning outcomes, instructors strongly recommend regular class attendance. To this end, a minimum attendance of 60% of lectures is required in order to be eligible for the mid-term examinations, which will take place at the end of the first and second semesters. Attendance will be monitored by instructors using the methods they deem most appropriate (e.g., signature sheets, roll call, and/or tools provided by the University’s educational services).
Detailed Course Content
Recall: main probability distributions; elements of combinatorial calculus; set theory; use of measurement units and dimensional equations; economic capitalization and discounting; random sampling.
Introduction: The industrial enterprise, the industrial plant, and general plant services. Classification of industrial plants. Flexibility, elasticity, and productivity.
Principles of engineering economics and plant-related decisions: production function; fixed and variable costs (review); depreciation and amortization; revenues and profits; relevant costs for decision-making; short-term firm equilibrium (review); contribution margin; obsolescence and wear; residual value of plants; investment costs and operating costs; inefficiency costs; economic depreciation; evaluation criteria for industrial investments.
General methods for sizing plant services: operational continuity and failure probability of elements and series/parallel circuits; reliability and availability; reserve costs; centralization vs. decentralization of services; service sizing under stochastic and periodic demand conditions; economies of scale; calculation criteria for buffer storage systems.
Material handling and storage systems: classification and plant solutions. Performance indicators for handling and storage services. Space allocation and material assignment criteria.
General techniques for the design and management of production and service plants: elements of operations research; linear programming; Monte Carlo simulation; queuing theory; plant layout; plant feasibility analysis.
Project Management: Basic concepts and definitions. Project environment and the role of the Project Manager. Project Management process groups: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, closing; overview of inputs, outputs, tools, and techniques for managing project processes. Development of a Project Work including Project Charter, stakeholder analysis, WBS, resource, cost, and time planning.
Practical Exercises
E1. Discounting coefficients and present value of an annuity.
E2. Random sampling from a normally distributed variable.
E3. Analysis of production costs.
E4. Accounting and economic depreciation.
E5. Evaluation of an industrial investment.
E6. Calculation and simulation of a reliability system.
E7. Service continuity.
E8. Sizing of a buffer storage unit.
E9. Sizing of a material handling and storage system.
E10. Queuing theory and related simulation.
E11. Application of linear programming.
PW. Team-based Project Work.
Textbook Information
REFERENCES
1. Turco F., "Principi generali di progettazione degli Impianti Industriali", CLUP, Milano, 1990.
2. Calabrese A., “Gestione degli impianti industriali” - Voll. I e II, CUSL, 2004.
3. Caccamese A., Martinati M. Professione project manager. Guida all'esame di certificazione PMP® e CAPM®. Nuova edizione aggiornata agli standard del PMBOK® Guide Sixth Edition. Franco Angeli
DISPENSE
D.1 Richiami
D.2 Impianti di movimentazione e stoccaggio
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FIRST SEMESTER | |
| 2 | Recalls: Use of units of measurement and dimensional equations (theory, 1 hour) | D.1 |
| 3 | Project Management: Basic concepts and definitions. The project environment and the role of the Project Manager. The Project Management process groups: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, closing; brief overview of inputs, outputs, tools, and techniques for managing project processes. PW – Project Work: (theory 12 hours + practical 12 hours) | Testi3. |
| 4 | Introduction: The industrial enterprise, the industrial plant, and general plant services. Classification of industrial plants. Flexibility, elasticity, and productivity (theory, 2 hours) | 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4, 1.1.5 |
| 5 | Economic Capitalization and Discounting. Exercise E1 (theory 1 hour + practical 2 hours) | 1.3.3 |
| 6 | Principles of Engineering Economics and Plant Decisions: The production function, fixed and variable costs, depreciation and amortization; revenues and profits; costs relevant for decision-making; short-term business equilibrium; contribution margin; obsolescence and wear; residual value of plants; plant costs and operating costs; inefficiency cost; economic depreciation; criteria for evaluating industrial investments. Exercises E3, E4, E5 (theory 9 hours + practical 10 hours) | 1.2.1, 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.3.1, 1.3.2, 1.3.3, 1.3.4, 1.3.5, 1.3.6, 1.3.7, 1.3.8, 1.3.10 |
| 7 | General Techniques for the Design and Management of Production and Service Plants: Elements of Operations Research; Linear Programming; Plant Layout; Feasibility Analysis of Plants. Exercise E11 (theory 6 hours + practical 3 hours) | 1.5.1, 1.5.2, 1.5.3, 1.5.4 |
| 8 | SECOND SEMESTER | |
| 9 | Recalls: Main probability distributions; elements of combinatorial calculus; set theory (theory, 1 hour) | D1 |
| 10 | General Methods for Sizing Plant Services: Continuity of operation and failure probability of elements and series/parallel circuits; reliability and availability; reserve cost; centralization and subdivision of services; sizing services under random and periodic demand; economies of scale; calculation criteria for accumulators (surge tanks). Exercises E6, E7, E8 (theory 9 hours + practical 21 hours) | 1.4.1, 1.4.2, 1.4.3 |
| 11 | General Techniques for the Design and Management of Production and Service Plants: Monte Carlo simulation; random sampling; queueing theory. Exercises E2, E10 (theory 5 hours + practical 5 hours) | 1.5.1, 1.5.2, 1.5.4 |
| 12 | Material handling and Storage Systems: classification and plant solutions; performance indicators for handling and storage services. Criteria for material assignment. Exercise E9 (theory 10 hours + practical 6 hours) | D.2 |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
Examination Structure
a) Written examination
Mid-term written tests (optional)
- Administered in the first and second semester.
- Admission to the oral examination (see point b) requires a minimum mark of 18/30; students who obtain a score between 15/30 and 17/30 are also admitted, although such admission is strongly discouraged.
- If both mid-term tests are passed, the mark for the written examination will be the average of the two scores.
Final written examination (alternative to mid-terms)
- To be taken by those who do not participate in the mid-term tests or who do not achieve the minimum required score.
- Admission to the oral examination requires a minimum mark of 18/30; students who obtain a score between 15/30 and 17/30 are also admitted, although such admission is strongly discouraged.
b) Oral examination
- The oral test assesses theoretical topics covered in the course syllabus as well as the exercises carried out by students based on the materials provided.
- Students who have passed the mid-term tests may take the oral examination on the corresponding part of the syllabus during the same period in which they sat the written mid-term.
- If both mid-term tests are passed, the oral mark will be the average of the two oral examinations.
- Students who did not take the mid-term tests must sit the final written examination and a single oral examination covering the entire syllabus.
c) Project Work
- Developed in groups during the first semester, using dedicated software tools.
- The oral discussion of the project may be carried out collectively by the group or individually by each student.
Weighting of the assessments
- Project Work: 25%
- Written examination: 40%
- Oral examination (theory and exercises): 35%