MSc Operations, Project and Supply Chain Management

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2027, the tuition fees are as follows:

• MSc (full-time)
  UK students (per annum): £17,100
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £32,000

The fees quoted above are fully inclusive of tuition, administration and computational costs.

Fees for entry are subject to yearly review. The University reserves the right to increase your tuition fee by up to 7% each year for courses lasting more than one year, including to reflect rising costs associated with delivering our educational and wider student experience. Postgraduate fees information .

Always contact the admissions team if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

We know that student finance can be complicated. The links below provide further information to help guide you.

Learn more about - student finance options for UK students.

Learn more about - fees and finance for international students.

Graduates of The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University can receive a 10% discount on their master's degree tuition fees as part of our Manchester Alumni Loyalty Discount scheme.

Over the past three decades the Toyota Production System, also known as lean production, has transformed the operational performance of many organizations around the world. The central aim of lean is to eliminate waste and non-value adding activities within an organization and throughout its supply chain. Today, lean production is one of the most widely used management systems to improve how organizations design, produce and improve operational processes that add value. Although lean production originated in the Japanese automotive industry, it has been extensively applied to non-automotive industries, such as healthcare, logistics, electronics, aerospace, chemicals, NGOs and government services. Leading companies, including Toyota, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Boeing, Airbus, Rolls Royce, GSK, NHS, Zara, New Balance, Tesco, Apple and Amazon.com have all adopted lean production practices that have transformed their organization’s performance. A number of leading business consultancy firms, including McKinsey, Ernst and Young, and Boston Consulting Group (BCG), also provide their clients with lean training and lean consultancy services. Moreover, a number of investors and financial institutions have begun to use lean practices to turn around failing companies and return them to profitability. In parallel with this trend, a growing number of entrepreneurs within Silicon Valley are using the lean startup methodology to improve the way they design software services. Consequently, individuals trained in lean production practices are in high demand by many employers that are seeking people who understand how to use lean practices to transform operational processes and improve financial performance.

BMAN73472 Programme Req: BMAN73472 is only available as an elective to students on MSc Operations, Project and Supply Chain Management

• To provide an overview of the Toyota Way and the Toyota Production System (TPS) and how they improve organisational performance.
• Identify how different lean production tools, principles and cultures integrate with each other to develop a sustainable competitive advantage.
• To use a variety of practical examples to illustrate how to implement and sustain the use of lean thinking within an organisation.
• Understand how to implement Value Stream Mapping (VSM) within an organisation.
• Develop problem solving, team working, presentation and practical skills (e.g. A3 Reports, PDCA cycles, 5 Whys Analysis, 5S, Oobeya Rooms,).

Formal Contact Methods

Minimum Contact hours: 20 

Delivery format: Lecture and Workshops 

Individual Coursework Report (100%) 

Informal advice and discussion during a lecture, seminar, workshop or lab.

Responses to student emails and questions from a member of staff including feedback provided to a group via an online discussion forum.

Written and/or verbal comments on assessed or non-assessed coursework.

Generic feedback posted on Blackboard regarding overall examination performance.

The set text for the course unit is:

Liker, J. K. (2004) The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World’s Greatest Manufacturer. McGraw-Hill, New York.

Reference will also be made to:

Monden, Y. (2012) Toyota Production System: An Integrated Approach, Springer, New York.

Ohno, T. (1988) Toyota Production System, Beyond large-scale production, Productivity Press, New York.

Informal Contact Methods

Office Hours

Drop in Surgeries (extra help sessions for students on material they may be struggling with)