
- UCAS course code
- NR17
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Course unit details:
Managing Business Operations
Unit code | BMAN20811 |
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Credit rating | 10 |
Unit level | Level 2 |
Teaching period(s) | Semester 1 |
Offered by | Alliance Manchester Business School |
Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
This course is designed to introduce students to the latest operations management practices developed by leading businesses around the world. Operations Management focuses on designing, managing and improving value adding processes within an organisation. Operations Management is one of the core functions of any organisation and plays a central role in increasing financial performance and ensuring that products and services are made to the highest quality. In particular, this course focuses on the practical skills that operations managers use to improve processes within an organisation and across the supply chain.
Pre/co-requisites
Aims
The aim of this course is to provide students with a detailed understanding of how operations management practices can be used to improve an organisation’s performance. It will demonstrate how the major elements concerned with the production of products and services are shaped by leading organisations through effective operations management practices. This course will cover a broad range of operations management practices, including operations strategy, quality management, process analysis, capacity planning, inventory management, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems, the Lean Production System, Lean Management, the Theory of Constraints (TOC), Supply Chain Management, Logistics Management and Service Operations Management.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students should be able to:
- Describe how Operations Management fits within the organization.
- Outline the strategic role of Operations Management.
- Understand the importance of materials and supply chain management to ensure effective business operations.
- Be able to describe the development and understand tools used in quality management.
- Appreciate the role of performance measurement and improvement within the operations function.
- Understand how organisations manage capacity and inventory.
- Apply operations concepts and techniques to address real operations problems.
Syllabus
Employability skills
Students with practical skills in the latest operations management techniques are in high demand by employers in a wide range of industries and countries. This course will focus on the practical skills that operations managers and directors use to improve organisational performance. Some of the practical skills covered in each lecture are listed below:
LECTURE TOPIC | PRACTICAL SKILLS |
Lecture 1: Operations Strategy | - Strategic analysis - Operational strategies
|
Lecture 2: Quality management | - Total Quality Management (TQM) - House of Quality (HOQ) Model - Statistical Process Control (SPC) - Six Sigma Methodology - Seven tools of quality management - Quality Circles
|
Lecture 3: Process Analysis | - Process Performance Metrics - Process improvement techniques - Little’s Law - Layout typology
|
Lecture 4: Capacity Management | - Level, chase and demand management - Yield management - Queuing theory
|
Lecture 5: Inventory Management | - Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) - Just In Time (JIT) system
|
Lecture 6: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) | - ERP Systems - Master Production System (MPS) - Bill Of Materials (BOM)
|
Lecture 7: Lean Production System | - Waste reduction - Kaizen continuous improvement - JIT systems - Jidoka - Levelled production - Standardized work - Visual management
|
Lecture 8: Lean Management | - Strategy Deployment - Lean Leadership - Lean Culture
|
Lecture 9: Theory Of Constraints (TOC) | - Bottleneck analysis - Drum Buffer Rope (DBR) scheduling
|
Lecture 10: Supply Chain Management | - Strategic sourcing process - Make/buy decision - Supplier selection - Supplier development - Supplier relationship management
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Lecture 11: Logistics Management | - Warehouse management - Transportation management
|
Lecture 12: Service Operations Management | - Service Management - Service Profit Chain - ServQual Model - Systems Integration
|
Teaching and learning methods
Methods of delivery: Lectures, in-class discussions, videos of operations management practices, case studies and problem solving exercises.
Total study hours: 100 hours split between lectures, classes, self-study and preparation for classes, coursework and examinations.
Assessment methods
Written Examination (100%) - 2 hour exam.
Feedback methods
• In-class feedback: Advice during lectures and in-class discussions related to student questions and queries.
• In-class practice test: Students will complete a non-assessed practice test half way through the semester to evaluate how they are performing on the course.
• Email feedback: Responses to student emails and questions from the course coordinator, including feedback provided via the Blackboard system.
• Exam performance feedback: Generic feedback posted on Blackboard regarding overall examination performance.
Recommended reading
• Slack, N., Brandon-Jones, A. and Johnston, R. (2016) Operations Management, 8th edition, Pearson Publishers, London.
• Liker, J. (2004) The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World’s Greatest Manufacturer, McGraw-Hill, New York.
Study hours
Scheduled activity hours | |
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Assessment written exam | 2 |
Lectures | 20 |
Independent study hours | |
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Independent study | 78 |
Teaching staff
Staff member | Role |
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Antony Potter | Unit coordinator |
Additional notes
Information
Pre-requisites - None
Co-requisites - N/A
Dependent Course Units - N/A
Programme Restrictions: Programme Restrictions: Available as a free choice option to students who have received prior agreement from their registering School. Not available to BSc in Management/Management (Specialism), IMABS and IM.
For Academic Year 2020/21
Updated: March 2020
Approved by: March UG Committee