IB99C-10 Operations Management
Introductory description
Everyone is an operations manager. All of us manage resources and produce some mixture of goods and services. This module, therefore, looks at what we are all involved with, so even though the main focus on this module is on the operations function in large organisations, many of the ideas it contains can be applied at a level far closer to our own personal activity.
The module is intended as an introduction to operations management in both service and manufacturing organisations. Its intention is to provide the building blocks of those basic principles which are broadly applicable to most organisations (though some parts of the module are specific to certain types of operation).
Module aims
The objectives of the module are:
To equip students with the requisite background, techniques and tools to understand what operations management is and how it contributes to the ongoing success of organisations.
To introduce an integrative approach for determining whether processes, in the broadest sense, are fit for purpose and when they are not, how the processes can be improved
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
The operations landscape - What is an operation? Differences between manufacturing, service and professional service operations; the ITO model; linkages to other functions
Customer objectives - What does the customer want? Performance objectives/KPIs; Multi-stakeholder operations; payer vs user; Does the customer value sustainability and responsibility?
The do/buy decision - customer demand; capacity management; ethical considerations of buying
Making processes visible - process mapping; Operations boundaries and decision rights
Process design and organisational fit - process types; resource vs flow efficiency; Focused ‘factories’; Are we acting responsibly towards our employees?
Governance of operations - Control and coordination in operations (incl. quality); operations failure; service recovery
Process Improvement and redesign - The PDSA cycle; As-Is vs To-Be states; The process of changing operations (bring in Lean Transformation)
Linking operations to the wider organisation - Service Profit Chain; Link forward to future topics – i.e. liquidity, ROCE etc, Do we value our employees?
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of how processes and function fit within an organization and how they support the organization strategically and operationally.
- Critically analyse how decisions made within the operations function impact sustainability and social responsibility
Indicative reading list
Slack, N and Brandon-Jones (2021), Operations and Process Management, 6th edition, Pearson, Harlow.
Hayes, R., G. Pisano, D. Upton and S. Wheelwright (2004) Pursuing the Competitive Edge Chichester: Wiley
Subject specific skills
Evaluate the interplay between supply, demand and capacity in order to determine what the organisation should do.
Assess and prioritize customer objectives and determine how they will affect operations.
Apply process design and process redesign techniques to improve operational efficacy.
Transferable skills
Demonstrate problem solving skills developed through analysing business problems in cases.
Demonstrate written communication skills
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Other activity | 27 hours (27%) |
| Private study | 43 hours (43%) |
| Assessment | 30 hours (30%) |
| Total | 100 hours |
Private study description
Private Study to include preparation for lectures.
Other activity description
2 x 7.5 + 1 x 6.5 hrs F2F lectures and 2 x 2 hrs + 1 x 1.5 hrs online lectures
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
|||
| Group Project | 20% | 6 hours | No |
Reassessment component |
|||
| Individual Assignment | Yes (extension) | ||
Assessment component |
|||
| Individual Assignment | 80% | 24 hours | Yes (extension) |
Reassessment component is the same |
|||
Feedback on assessment
Assessments are graded using standard University Postgraduate Marking Criteria and written feedback is provided. Feedback for individual essays includes comments on a marksheet. Overall percentage marks are awarded for examination performance and general examination feedback is provided to the cohort.
Courses
This module is Core for:
- Year 1 of TIBS-N1Q1 Postgraduate Business Administration (Executive) London
- Year 1 of TIBS-N1Q4 Postgraduate Business Administration (Executive) London
- Year 1 of TIBS-N1Q5 Postgraduate Business Administration (Executive) London
- Year 1 of TIBS-N1SJ Postgraduate Taught Accelerator MBA (London)
- Year 1 of TIBS-N1PW Postgraduate Taught Business Administration (Distance Learning)
- Year 1 of TIBS-N1Q2 Postgraduate Taught Business Administration (Distance Learning)
- Year 1 of TIBS-N1S5 Postgraduate Taught Business Administration (Distance Learning) (London)
- Year 1 of TIBS-N1S4 Postgraduate Taught Business Administration (Distance Learning) (Warwick)
- Year 1 of TIBS-N1Q9 Postgraduate Taught Business Administration (Distance Learning) London
- Year 1 of TIBS-N1Q3 Postgraduate Taught Business Administration (Executive)
- Year 1 of TIBS-N1S2 Postgraduate Taught Business Administration (Executive) (London) Daytime
- Year 1 of TIBS-N1S3 Postgraduate Taught Business Administration (Executive) (London) Evening
- Year 1 of TIBS-N1S1 Postgraduate Taught Business Administration (Executive) (Warwick)