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Description of Assessment Task and Purpose:
If you are re-sitting this assessment,please revise and resubmit your original assignment taking account of any formative and summative feedback received. You may choose an alternative company if you wish.
The contemporary business sector is facing an unprecedented rate of disruptions, with the global pandemic, geopolitics, climate change and technology all impacting business as we know it and accelerating the pace of change. In this new world of relentless turbulence, Operations and Process Management is at the forefront of surviving these challenges and finding new ways of working to gain a competitive advantage. In this context and applying taught knowledge, you will consider contemporary issues that impact and influence the operational imperatives of a selected business organisation and compile a report narrating the background and research associated with improving operations and processes to increase competitive advantage.
The module assessment will comprise of an individual report worth 100% of the module mark. The module is assessed following the University’s focus on “Student as Producer”. Accordingly, students are asked to apply their learning to solve a problem presented at an organisation of their choice.
You are required to submit your findings in a report format, demonstrating your ability to use professional layout and structure, not forgetting the importance of underpinning citation and references to relevant and topical academic discourse, concepts, and ideas.
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Knowledge & Skills Assessed:
Organisation: eg: Defining work objectives, outcomes and performance standards, proposing alternative routes for achieving an objective, Structuring and managing time and priorities, Planning or coordinating with a range of stakeholders/colleagues, Identifying, assessing and weighing risks, working globally, managing tasks across time zones, Working to a budget and allocating resources to tasks.
Learning & Adaptability: eg: Setting personal goals and objectives, balancing work and personal life, Evaluating and monitoring own performance, Meeting deadlines, Working to high personal standards, Working honestly, with integrity, ethically, in a fair and balanced way and maintaining confidentiality, Adhering to formal standards and procedures, Demonstrating dependability and reliability, Demonstrating a high level of dedication, a strong work ethic, Working with little or no supervision, self‐ motivation, Knowing own strengths, limitations and values, Investing time and effort in acquiring new skills, Understanding preferred learning style, Using peers to develop.
LO1 Critically evaluate the strategic role of operations in creating and enhancing a firm’s capabilities and competitive advantages.
Perseverance & Initiative: eg: Maintaining performance under pressure, Demonstrating flexibility and adaptability in response to changing situations, Making things happen/taking action, demonstrating determination, Handling conflict effectively, Coping with uncertainty or ambiguity, Displaying a desire to meet new challenges, Demonstrating energy, drive, enthusiasm, passion, Making things happen, demonstrating determination, Acting on own initiative, Dealing positively and pro-actively with set-backs and criticism, psychological resilience – `bouncing back`.
Commercial Awareness: eg: Uses word processing packages to produce, format and present written work professionally.
Problem Solving: eg: Identifying need or opportunity e.g. customer, client requirement, research need, Gathering intelligence, Clarifying root cause of a problem/defining opportunity, Generating solutions, Proposing imaginative/creative solutions to new problems, Evaluating a range of solution/options, Translating ideas into practical actions, Making decisions without the need to refer to others, Looking to make processes more efficient and effective, Demonstrating cultural, political, commercial and environmental sensitivity in solution creation, Making decisions where there is no perfect option, Taking controlled risks.
See Module Handbook for a further breakdown of the associated Knowledge and Skills.
LO2 Critically analyse the concepts and practices of operations management in different contexts and how an organisation’s innovation can support operational and strategic agility.
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Additional Information for Completion of Assessment:
Your report must have the following 3 sections:
1. Introduction (20% ~ 600 words)
2. Critically analyse an existing process, applying various problem-solving tools and techniques to evaluate the current situation and devise possible solutions to identified problems (50% ~ 1500 words)
3. Recommendations and conclusion on how the process can be improved with supporting evidence (30% ~ 900 words)
The percentages above indicate how much of the report should be dedicated to each section. It is also good practice to include a Title Page, Contents List, List of Tables or Figures (if needed) and a Glossary.
Introduction
This section should be 20% of the report (~600 words). This must present the following:
· Brief background the company and your selected improvement process.
· Brief overview of the importance of how the specific operations of your attention enhance the firm’s capabilities and helps achieve its competitive advantage.
· Set the scene for the reader
Main Body - Critically analyse an existing process, applying various problem-solving tools and techniques to evaluate the current situation and devise possible solutions to identified problems.
This section should be 50% of the report (~1,500 words).
Your analysis of the process should cover the applicable areas of operations and process management, including such items as:
1. A detailed process flow chart including process inputs, process outputs, activities, activity times, processing and labour requirements.
2. Capacity analysis of the process, including the strategies used to address expected customer demand.
3. Suggested metrics used to measure the process, and how a changed process may improve these.
4. Address other relevant issues as appropriate; examples, might include:
• Customer demand and process capacity relationships
• How production is planned, from customer demand to production schedules
• Quality Management issues
• Product delivery issues
• The interfaces of the process with both the external and internal customers
• Waiting line issues and related staffing decisions
• Other applicable process issues or concerns
Recommendations
· This section should be 30% of the report (~900 words).
This section will conclude the report. You will present recommendations on how the process can be improved, with evidence to justify your recommendations. How will these choices support the strategic capability of the firm? Your recommendations should be consistent with the evaluation presented in section 2.
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