Introductory description

This module provides the fundamental knowledge in both Management and Quality, relevant to Degree Apprenticeship Standards ST0023, ST0024, ST0025 and ST0027.

The module covers a wide range of topics around management principles in the engineering business operations context, including planning, organising, leading, and controlling processes to achieve desired outcomes efficiently.
Furthermore the module introduces students to the theory of the Quality management aiming to appreciate an aim to enhance organisational performance, ensure customer satisfaction, and foster continual improvement, underpinned by a systematic and integrated approach to quality management.

This module is linked to C4, C14, C15 and C17 of AHEP4.

LO1: C4, C15, C17

LO2: C14

LO3: C15

LO4: C15

Module web page

Module aims

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.

• Planning: Introduction & Research Skills, , Managerial Planning & Strategy
• Organising: Managerial Decision Making, Designing Adaptive Organisations, Managing Innovation and Change, Organising for Quality
• Leading: Leading Strategies Motivating Employees , Contemporary Issues & Team Management
• Controlling: Quality Management Systems, Balanced Scorecard, Decision Making, Improving Operations
• Costing: Total Job Costing, Marginal Costing and Contribution, Variable/Fixed Costs, Budgets and Standard Costing

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Apply the key functions of management, i.e. planning, organising, leading and controlling in an industrial context. [AHEP: 4-C4, C15, C17]
• Discuss quality improvement methods in application to a relevant industrial application. [AHEP: C14]
• Demonstrate comprehension of the theories of management with particular emphasis on contemporary management concepts and practices. [AHEP: 4-C15]
• Calculate costing parameters used in engineering projects. [AHEP: 4-C15]

Indicative reading list

• Hill, A. and Hill, T. (2012) Operations Management [online] New York, New York : Palgrave Macmillan
• Rüttimann, Bruno G. (2018) Lean compendium : introduction to modern manufacturing theory , Cham : Springer (online resource). available from: http://encore.lib.warwick.ac.uk/iii/encore/record/C__Rb3178185
• Slack, N; Brandon-Jones, A & Johnston, R. (2016) "Operations Management", 8th ed; Pearson Education, UK
• Daft, R.L. (2020) Management 2nd ed. Cengage Publishing

Subject specific skills

• Collate and use a range of data sources and supporting documentation to support projects (S3 in all DA Standards)
• Manage assigned projects or programmes of work to meet the required specification, taking into account factors such as resource requirements, safety, quality, cost and performance or sustainability criteria (S6 in all DA Standards).
• Create and manage a project or work programme plan and develop activities in a logical process embedding mechanisms for adapting to changing circumstances or requirements (S9 in ST0023 and ST0027; S10 in ST0024 and ST0025 )
• Identify areas for improvement and lead continuous improvement activities in the operation and performance of the product, system or component (S12 in ST0023; S14 in other DA Standards).

Transferable skills

1. Apply problem solving skills, information retrieval, and the effective use of general IT facilities
2. Exercise initiative and personal responsibility, including time management, which may be as a team member or leader
3. Awareness of the nature of business and enterprise in the creation of economic and social value
4. Overcome difficulties by employing skills, knowledge and understanding in a flexible manner
5. Appreciation of the global dimensions of engineering, commerce and communication
6. Be professional in their outlook, be capable of team working, be effective communicators, and be able to exercise responsibility and sound management approaches.
7. Recognise patterns, themes and key messages from sometimes confused and incomplete data.
8. Make informed decisions on the value of a range of sources allowing an evidence based conclusion based on this analysis.
9. Knowledge and understanding of the need for a high level of professional and ethical conduct in engineering and the use of technical literature, other information sources including appropriate codes of practice and industry standards
10. Knowledge and understanding of risk issues, including health & safety, environmental and commercial risk, risk assessment and risk management techniques and an ability to evaluate commercial risk
11. Ability to conceive, make and realise a component, product, system or process