When people think about artificial intelligence in business, they often picture something futuristic. But in OPS 301: Survey of Operations & Supply Management at the University of Dayton School of Business Administration, AI shows up in ways that are practical, hands-on and directly tied to real business challenges students will face in their careers.
OPS 301 is one of UD’s core business courses, taken by students from every major.
“OPS 301 is about understanding how to manage the business operations or coordinate activities across different organizations within the supply chain. The course emphasizes converting input to output and moving the materials and information across the supply chain more effectively and efficiently,” said Dr. Jaeyoung (Jaey) Kim. “In the class, we look at how to analyze a process, allocate resources appropriately, and manage the flow of materials, people, and information to better align supply and demand.”
Along the way, students also learn how to use AI thoughtfully, ethically and effectively, precisely the kind of skill set today’s employers expect from graduates entering an AI-enabled workplace.
Meeting students where they are
Kim established the following learning objectives for the course:
- AI Tool Proficiency & Collaboration: Build fluency in using and communicating with diverse AI tools to solve business problems
- Automation & Process Optimization: Apply AI to improve operational efficiency and support decision-making.
- Strategic Integration & Innovation: Explore how to strategically integrate AI into business processes and offerings to create value. Practice brainstorming and designing AI-supported solutions for broader tasks.
- Ethical Use & Professional Integrity: Apply ethical principles and uphold professional standards in AI implementation.
The course includes two major AI learning components: in-class assignments with structured guidance and a semester-long group project. This intentional format ensures no student feels behind and every student learns how AI can meaningfully support business work.
In-class assignments: AI as a co-pilot for technical skills
One of the first hands-on assignments teaches students to use the VLOOKUP function in Excel, but Kim does not walk them through it step by step.
Instead, students are given one directive: learn VLOOKUP using FlyerGPT as their guide.
“I make students practice how to learn using AI. I give them a task, tell them to use FlyerGPT, and they have to figure it out, just like an employer would expect in the real world.”
Students upload screenshots of spreadsheets into FlyerGPT and ask for help. They quickly discover AI will not deliver a flawless solution they can simply copy and paste.
“Students can treat AI as a one-size-fits-all solution,” said Kim. “It doesn’t work like that. It requires understanding the underlying logic and formulas in order to apply AI-generated outputs correctly.”
After completing the task, students answer reflection questions designed to build critical thinking, such as:
- What does a given argument mean?
- Is it ethical or safe to upload this type of data into AI? What additional concerns might arise?
Through this process, students learn to:
- Validate AI output
- Troubleshoot errors
- Understand Excel functions instead of memorizing commands
- Think critically about privacy and data responsibility
“Through these in-class assignments, students get to use AI in practice, and they learn to evaluate if AI works,” said Kim.
Semester project: Solving real problems with AI
At the center of OPS 301 is a semester-long group project in which students use AI to design solutions to real-world business problems. Because it is a core course, teams include students from a wide range of business majors.
“It is a nice environment where we can leverage all these interdisciplinary major students. Students can pick a process from any discipline. It doesn’t have to be operations, production, or supply chain management. It can be any process they are interested in,” said Kim.
After selecting a process, teams mapped each step and identified measurable performance metrics. They were then asked whether any AI tools could improve the process. Kim then challenged students to consider bigger questions:
- Can AI realistically improve this process?
- What alternative AI tools are available, and why is the chosen tool the most appropriate?
- What would be the implementation steps?
- What are the required resources for the implementation?
- What are the challenges and ethical concerns?
“These are key components the decision makers in organizations think about in the real world,” said Kim. “It is about where they can apply AI and add value to the business process. Students had to treat the AI tools like a calculator or Excel as a means to improve big picture strategy.”
Projects ranged from implementing AI-assisted workflows in recruiting processes and hospital patient flow to rethinking customer service models using AI chatbots.
One group, for example, explored developing a customer-support chatbot for a resale-focused company. Their project examined the AI tools needed to power the chatbot and integrate it with social media platforms, aiming to reduce average response times while increasing customer satisfaction.
The proposed solution included features for inventory checks and communication with both buyers and sellers, as well as a human-in-the-loop mechanism for pricing and quoting decisions to prevent errors and misuse.
The point is not to simply automate work but to add value to the broader process.
Teaching students to think critically and responsibly
Critical thinking is embedded into every AI activity in the course.
“You have to expose students to questions that trigger their thinking constantly,” said Kim. “To think critically in the context of problem solving to make responsible decisions.”
As students become more aware of ethical concerns, they propose safeguards such as:
- Using FlyerGPT for sensitive data
- Anonymizing personal information
- Limiting certain decisions to human judgment
These are the same kinds of decisions graduates will face in the workplace.
A bigger takeaway
When asked what she hopes students carry with them long after the course ends, Kim pointed to perspective.
“I hope they understand their everyday life is just a small version of operations management. That’s how I started my career, because I thought I was enjoying applying these operations and management principles to my everyday life in organizing my work,” said Kim. “We apply these principles to get things done more efficiently and effectively. In organizations, we just use different tools and resources to make larger changes.”
OPS 301 helps students see AI not as a shortcut or a solution by itself, but as a powerful tool that strengthens human thinking and decision-making.
Learn more about the University of Dayton School of Business Administration and its Operations and Supply Chain Management program.
AI in the Business Classroom: About the AI Fellows Initiative
This article is part of the AI in the Business Classroom blog series, highlighting how the University of Dayton’s business faculty is shaping the future of business education through artificial intelligence.
The AI Fellows Initiative at the University of Dayton’s School of Business Administration equips students with hands-on AI experience and the ethical mindset needed to lead in a rapidly evolving business world.