Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the role and principles of Operations Management in managing processes associated with the production and delivery of goods and services. 

School of Management

MN-022 Operations Management

Module Overview

Introduction 

Compared to the other areas of modern business, operations management is the least understood and worst defined.At the most basic level operations management is about the ‘doing’ in the organisation - the management of processes needed in the transformation of inputs (including physical resources or intangible capabilities) into outputs (both products and services).Historically these processes have included tactical issues within manufacturing, logistics, distribution and warehousing.

Today operations management is playing an increasingly strategic role in the organisation and this course has been structured to reflect this process. Over the period of the module students will be introduced to contemporary issues in operations management, the tools and techniques for managing operations and the strategic role which operations can play in the business organisation.  

This booklet contains:

  • an introduction to the module
  • lecture and seminar locations
  • details of the core textbook
  • information on assessment and feedback, including the coursework brief
  • an overview of the entire module 

Module Delivery

Lectures will be delivered in person on campus in the Great Hall Auditorium.  The lecture for this module is timetabled on:

Mondays 2-4 pm

Tuesdays 12-2 pm

Thursdays 1-3pm

Fridays 10 am-12 pm

Attend only the ONE slot above for which you have been timetabled

A recording will be posted on Canvas within 48 hours following the lecture.

Seminars

Seminars will be delivered in person on campus.

Seminars commence from the second week of teaching (w/c 9/10/23).

Group 10 – Mondays at 9am -  SoM 011 

Group 2   – Mondays at 10am - Y Twyni 108 

Group 5   – Mondays at 11am – SoM 107

Group 1   – Mondays at 12pm - SoM 107

Group 4   – Tuesdays at 9am – Great Hall Auditorium

Group 16 – Wednesdays at 9am -  Energy Safety Research Institute (ESRI) 001

Group 12  - Wednesdays at 10am – SoM 011

Group 13 – Thursdays at 9am - SoM 239

Group 6   – Thursdays at 11am – SoM 010                 

Group 9   – Thursdays at 3pm – SoM 107

Group 15 – Thursdays at 5pm – SoM 107

Group 14 – Friday at 9am – The College 019

Group 3    - Fridays at 12pm - Great Hall 014 

Group 8    - Fridays at 3pm - The College 019 

Group 7    - Fridays at 4pm – SoM 239

Group 11 – Fridays at 5pm - SoM 239    

Students will be automatically allocated to seminar groups.Students who need to change their seminar group, for good reason, should e-mail studentsupport-management@swansea.ac.uk.Seminar times may change in the first two weeks of term.  Please check Canvas announcements and the timetable data displayed on Publish/mytimetable for regular updates.

Communication

All information related to the module will be conveyed to students via Canvas through the Announcements feature which will also send an e-mail notification to student accounts.  

Learning Outcomes 

On completion of this module students should be able to:

  • Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the role and principles of Operations Management in managing processes associated with the production and delivery of goods and services. 
  • Show a critical awareness of a range of issues arising in the context of managing organisational processes in the global business environment.
  • Apply the knowledge and know-how acquired towards given problem scenarios and suggest and justify possible solutions. - Solve qualitative and quantitative problems in relation to managing processes. 

Transferrable Skills 

Analytical skills
Problem-solving
Decision making 
Time management
Communication skills
Critical thinking
Teamwork
Leadership
Personal and career development
Business research skills

Reading Material

Every effort has been made to provide the books and journals featured in the reading list for this module in digital and hard copy format via the library.  For more details of the resources available to support your studies, both online and in person, please consult the library services guide or watch this short recording by Subject Librarian, Naomi Prady.https://libguides.swansea.ac.uk/management

The full reading list for this module is available via Canvas in the ‘Reading List’ folder.

The core textbook for the module is one of the following:

Operations Management (9th edition or earlier). Nigel Slack, Stuart Chambers and Robert Johnston. FT Prentice Hall.

Operations Management (4th, or 5th edition), Dan Reid and Nada Sanders, Wiley.

Both texts largely cover the same topic areas albeit in a different way. The Sanders text is more quantitative in nature and reflects many of the seminar exercises you will encounter in the module; as there is a quantitative element to the course, access to both texts would be beneficial to your studies.

Note: limited access to the 8th edition e-book of the Slack text is available via the university library’s website.

Previous editions of the textbooks are available from Amazon/e-bay etc. quite cheaply – these are not fundamentally different so can be purchased as alternatives.

A core textbook is only a starting point and provides introductory and background information only. Supplemental reading will be identified at each lecture. To achieve high marks in this module students will need to complete the background and supplemental reading as well as conduct their own independent research (for instance through the reading of academic/industry journals), into the topics identified.

Assessment 

The assessment for the module is structured as follows:

  • 30% individual coursework assignment of up to 2500 words
  • 70% Open Book Examination taken online – students will have a 24-hour window in which to complete the exam.
  • Resit – Open Book Examination is taken online worth 100% of the overall Module Mark

Example questions will be worked through in the final seminar session of the module.

The format of the exam will consist of six questions, of which students will be asked to answer four worth 25 marks each.

If you fail this module you will be required to take an examination during the supplementary assessment period.The resit examination will be weighted as 100% of the overall module mark – the initial assessment weightings do not apply for resits.

Submission in Welsh

Any written work submitted as part of any assessment or examination may be submitted in Welsh, and that work submitted in Welsh will be treated no less favourably than written work submitted by you in English as part of an assessment or examination.

Canvas – Digital Learning Platform

To ensure that students have everything they need to get the most out of Canvas the University has produced a comprehensive guide called “Passport to Canvas”, which can be accessed on the following link: https://canvas.swansea.ac.uk/courses/19536 

“Passport to Canvas” will always be available to students, meaning that they can go through the material in one go, or dip in and out of it as you wish.Students can access the platform via this link https://canvas.swansea.ac.uk/ or from within the university apps and the MyUni webpages.

Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the role and principles of Operations Management in managing processes associated with the production and delivery of goods and services. 

Canvas Support is available 24/7 365 days a year in the following ways: 

  • Canvas Support Hotline
  • Canvas Chat
  • Report a problem

Students can also access these avenues of support via the Canvas Help icon in the navigation menu on the Canvas Platform https://canvas.swansea.ac.uk/

Students may also find the guides and online community on the links below helpful:

Canvas Guides: https://community.canvaslms.com/community/answers/guides/

Canvas Online Community: https://community.canvaslms.com/community/answers

Note on Terminology

For all information, regulations and policies associated with Swansea University, we use the terms ‘Module’ and ‘Programme’ when making reference to students’ studies.  Modules are discrete educational components of a programme which, when considered collectively, make up the required credit for students to complete each level of a programme.

However, in Canvas, your Digital Learning Platform, the term ‘Modules’ has a different meaning - it is used to describe where all of the learning resources are stored. For this reason, students will see the term ‘Course’ used in Canvas instead but it means the same as Module (above). 

School of Management

MN-022 Operations Management  

Individual Coursework Assignment

 

The coursework assignment for this module is an individual essay worth 30% of the overall module mark.

Coursework Brief

Ensuring customer demand is met in a timely manner, means an organisation must invest in sufficient stock of the products they sell (contributing to the costs of the operation); insufficient stock on the other hand, will lead to various adverse consequences.

Discuss in detail, this common business issue of controlling inventory management costs whilst maintaining availability.

Key Marking criteria will include: 

  • The students’ ability to present a balanced, well-argued discussion.
  • Evaluation of the use of academic journal papers.
  • Insightfulness of Analysis: Interest and usefulness of findings, conclusions drawn.
  • Understanding: Assignment demonstrates students have understood how the key relevant topics of forecasting, inventory management and aggregate/capacity planning interrelate in organisational decision-making.
  • Overall quality of the assignment

Submission 

The main assignment must be submitted by 2 pm on Monday, December 4th  via Turnitin. Students can expect to receive individual feedback on their work via ‘Turn-it-in’ by January 22nd.

Show a critical awareness of a range of issues arising in the context of managing organisational processes in the global business environment.

Please note:

  • The maximum file size that can be uploaded is 20mb. If the file is larger than this it is usually because it includes a lot of images – these should either be removed, if possible, or converted to a more efficient format to reduce the file size (e.g. .png or .gif).
  • Students should ensure that their student number is part of the title of the filename for the work submitted/uploaded.
  • IMPORTANT: Any student submitting an assessment past the published deadline without submitting a request for Extenuating Circumstances (in line with the Extenuating Circumstances Policy) will be deemed to have not submitted and receive a mark of 0% for the assessment.

Students who are likely to be prevented from meeting the assessment deadline due to extenuating circumstances should notify the School by emailing extenuating-management@swansea.ac.uk as soon as possible before the assessment deadline. Please refer to the Extenuating Circumstances Policy for further information.

Digital Submission of Coursework Instructions  

  • Login to Canvas
  • Access the appropriate Course site from your dashboard.
  • Click the Assignments menu button which appears on the left of the screen.
  • Click on the relevant assignment for submission.
  • On this page, students will see a file entitled ‘Submission coversheet’.Students need to complete this form and incorporate it as the first page of their coursework (not two separate files).
  • Students should read the statement of originality before clicking By submitting work they are agreeing to this statement and confirming it to be true.
  • Click to select your assignment file. 
  • Click to upload an assignment. 
  • Click to finalise the submission
  • A message saying “Submission Complete” will then appear.
  • Students can then download a submission receipt by clicking on this icon on the Assignment Dashboard.  Students should download and keep this receipt safe as evidence of their submission.

Please direct any assessment-related queries to assessment-management@swansea.ac.uk 

Notes on Style and Word Count

Assignments are a critical part of the learning experience and development for scholars at Swansea University.  Practice will pay dividends when it comes to honing your skills in report and essay writing. Students are therefore encouraged to submit the highest quality work they can to reach their maximum potential. Students with concerns about how to present their work can consult with the Module Co-ordinator for guidance in addition to the notes listed below:

The maximum word limit for the main assignment (excluding tables, contents page, footnotes, charts, graphs, figures, reference lists but including in-text references) is 2500. The word count must be stated in the assignment cover sheet.

Markers will stop marking once the word count [or time limit] limit has been reached, likely leading to a reduced overall mark as key arguments or conclusions will not be included in the marked work.

Students who submit work that is below the word limit will not be penalised. This is because students will not have taken full advantage of the word limit available to them, which in itself may constitute a penalty.

The assignment should be in extended essay format (i.e. use headings/sub-headings). Full academic referencing using the Harvard APA (7th Edition) referencing style should be used throughout the assignment. Guidance on how to reference using the APA style can be found at:

APA Referencing Guide: https://libguides.swansea.ac.uk/APA7Referencing

To gain higher marks students are required to show analysis and reflection rather than simple description. They should use multiple sources of academic literature to frame and justify their analysis. All sources should be correctly identified - students are reminded the University enforces strict penalties for plagiarism (up to and including withdrawal from the University).

Correct English spelling and grammar should be used at all times. Students who have been formally diagnosed with specific learning difficulties (SpLD) and assessed by the Disability Office should indicate ‘SpLD’ on the Student Declaration form included with their coursework submission.  

Video, Audio or other Assessment Types

For some assessments students may be required to submit a video, audio or other digital media item. The University’s overarching privacy policy advises students that the University will collect photographs and video recordings for the purpose of recording lectures, student assessment and examinations. This processing and storage of this information is lawful as it is necessary for the performance of a contract with the student and will apply to any personal data that we process for the purposes of administering and delivering their course of study.https://www.swansea.ac.uk/media/Student-Data-Protection-Statement-18-19.pdf 

Proof Reading

Please be aware of the university’s Proof Reading policy which sets outs what the university considers to be good academic practice in relation to proof reading. Further information can be found here.

Good Academic Practice

Academic integrity is fundamental to the values promoted by Swansea University. It is important that all students are judged on their ability, and that no student is allowed unfairly to take an advantage over others, to affect the security and integrity of the assessment process, or to diminish the reliability and quality of the qualification awarded.

Academic misconduct is to commit any act where a student may obtain an unpermitted advantage for themselves or another. This can relate to any form of assessed work including:

  • Open book examination taken on-line
  • A piece of coursework
  • Any form of assessment undertaken in pursuit of an academic or professional qualification at Swansea University.

Academic misconduct can be committed on an individual or group basis.

There are different types of academic misconduct including:

The University takes academic misconduct very seriously and it can have a detrimental effect on your results as where academic misconduct is found to have taken place penalties will be applied.

Students should note that a claim of ignorance of the University’s expectations on good academic practice is not an acceptable defence to an allegation of academic misconduct.

Self-plagiarism is the copying of work that was originally completed and submitted by the student and resubmitted for another purpose, without acknowledgement. While self-plagiarism is not considered as academic misconduct by the University it is treated as poor academic practice by the School and this is reflected in the marks awarded.

How can students learn about good academic practice?

Help with correct referencing is available from the School’s Library Subject Team – you can make an appointment with a subject librarians for help with referencing. Access The library online referencing guide for the School of Management. At the start of term the library offers induction sessions for new and continuing students and targeted sessions throughout the academic year. You can also access information on good academic practice through the Swansea Academy of Academic Success More information on their services can be found on their web pages.

Swansea Academy of Academic Success also provide a short online course on good academic practice which can be access through the Academic Success pages. Following completion of the self-directed learning, there is an online quiz (takes about 5 minutes), which assesses your level of understanding of the learning material. You can revisit the training material and retake the quiz as many times as you wish.

Full information on Academic Misconduct can be found in the Academic Misconduct Procedure.

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