Spring

Group Assignment (3000 words)  50%
Examination (2 hours)                     50%

Operations management relates to the scoping, planning, direction and control of facilities, processes and people required to transform resources into products and services.  The principles of operations management are used in every industry and every environment.  All organizations perform the functions of strategic planning, process design, supply chain management, forecasting and scheduling, work management, innovation and quality management. 

The aim of this module is to provide students with both a theoretical and practical understanding of how operations can be managed strategically in the light of external and internal conditions and requirements.  The module will systematically develop a framework for understanding operations management within the context of a firm’s competitive strategy, specifically by comparing and contrasting manufacturing and service operations.

On successful completion of this module the students will be able to:  
Think both strategically and practically about operations management(K)(C)(P) 
Understand the differences between operations management and strategic operations management (K)(C)(P) 

Understand how to develop an operational strategy(K)(C)(P) 

Understand the key issues in terms of capacity, supply chain management, innovation, and quality issues in the manufacturing and service environment(K)(C)(P)  

Recognise the importance of managing organisational resources, especially human resources(K)(C)(P)

Use operations management techniques and apply skills (P)(T)  

Understand future issues affecting strategy and operations(K)(C)(P)  

 Learn how to evaluate operational strategies(C)(P)  

Learning outcomes are categorised as:

·         Subject knowledge and understanding (K)

·         Cognitive skills (C)

·         Practical/professional skills (P)

·         Transferable skills (T)

·         Other

Introduction and overview of key aspects of operations management  
Types of operations and transformation processes  
Developing an operations strategy  
Supply chain  
Managing demand and capacity  
Work design and organisation  
Innovation  
Quality management 

The teaching and learning strategy is designed to encourage a deep approach to learning with an emphasis on collaborative learning through the use of working teams and real world problem solving.  The module will specifically exploit the conjunction of manufacturing and service in order to explore the issues that arise comparing these two environments. 

The teaching and learning methods include self/team examination exercises, role play, and video case studies.  The teaching and learning format is designed to emphasise methodology and to give students the opportunity to gain experience through the integration of theory and application.  Lectures will involve the explanation of theoretical concepts of operations management and ULearn support will provide students to test and apply their understanding in a variety of contexts. 

July 7th 2009