MBA7025 - Managing Operations and Processes

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Understand and appreciate the key roles of business operations and processes and how they influence organisational performance.
Evaluate the fundamental concepts, theories, tools and techniques of operations and processes as well as their applications to improve business performance.
Select and apply key concepts, tools and techniques to analyse and resolve any operations and process-related issues in both service and manufacturing contexts.

Content:

The theoretical content of this module is concerned with the core aspects of operations and processes that organisations use in delivering goods and services in order to create customer value and achieve strategic organisational objectives. It aims to stimulate critical understanding of the various operations and process techniques and how their applications can help improve effectiveness and efficiency of business operations. Students will be encouraged to critically evaluate the core topics of this module through a discussion of the operations and process issues in both service and manufacturing sectors. A variety of topics will be analysed, including: aligning business operations and processes to business strategy, operations strategy and performance, managing and controlling operations and processes, product and process design, supply chain strategy, supply chain elements and measures, supply chain network design, overview of logistics management, logistics and distribution network design and supplier and customer relationship management.

This module will contribute to the MBA themes in the following ways:-

- Radical Resilience – Students will be able to understand how to build resilience factors into operations and process design.
- Creative Connectivity – The module will deepen students’ understanding of how the various elements of operations and processes are connected and integrated to improve business performance.
- Dynamic Discovery – Students will be able to discover, select and apply appropriate operations and process tools to analyse and solve various operations and process-related problems.

Learning and Teaching Information:

This module will comprise a 21-hour teaching block delivered over three consecutive teaching days of whole-group interactive workshops. Throughout the teaching block, students will be presented with examples of contemporary organisational practice and theory followed by a thematically linked Masterclass, 1:1 assignment surgeries and networking opportunities.

In order to ensure a differential learning experience, whilst creating a varied, dynamic and informative teaching environment for all, the workshop approach will be research-informed, using a mixture of delivery methods (utilising a wide variety of visual/audio media). The business world examples used will be contemporary, authentic and relevant, demonstrating clear links to the topic under discussion. To consolidate the learning, the classroom-based activities will be realistic, useful and contributing to students’ career-readiness/progression.

We will continue to revise our teaching strategies in line with alterations to the sector’s recommendations for career attributes, the recommendations of the QAA Subject Benchmark Statements and all affiliated PSRB standards.

Workshops
Hours: 21
Intended Group Size: Cohort

Non-teaching contact hours (e.g. Masterclasses, 1:1 Support, networking events, etc)
Hours: 13
Intended Group Size: Cohort

Guided independent study
Hours: 116

Further details relating to assessment
Formative assessment and feed-forward methods will be employed throughout this module at various points in the semester. Formative forms of assessment will include (but not exclusively): class-based activities, opportunities for draft pieces of work to be submitted for comments and feedback, drop-in sessions with the module tutor and peer-assessed (non-credit bearing) group presentations.

Individual Report: students will be required to select and analyse a case study in manufacturing or service sector and prepare a report on the organisation’s strategy and performance, logistics and supply chain management practices of the company among others. They will be expected to apply their knowledge of operations and process management tools and techniques to provide recommendations to guide managerial decision-making in the concerned business cases.

Further specific details of the assessment will be available in the Module Handbook and in additional in-class support.

Assessment:

001 Report; 2,500 words; term 1; submitted 2 weeks after completion of block teaching 100%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - PRS_CODE=
Level - 7
Credit Value - 15
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 7MB21

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