Operations Management Integrative Operations Analysis

Operations Management Integrative Operations Analysis Order Description Integrative Operations Analysis The individual assignment will be a logically argued set of recommendations for improvement in your subject operation or process. The IOA will be worth up to 70% of the overall module marks. Requirement ________________________________________ • Integrative Operations Analysis – The main assignment for this module is application-based and attempts to be as relevant as possible to the needs of students. To this end you may select the operation to be studied and the focus of the assignment project. The assignment is to process map, and critically analyse and evaluate an operation using material from the module. • Operation – Select a process, operation or activity (not an industry or an institution). You have outlined this work in the Proposal. • Operational challenges – what operations challenges or problems are there to be addressed in your subject operation, and why? You have outlined this work in the Proposal. • Tools – What theory, concepts, tools and techniques could be used to address these challenges and problems, and how might you apply them? Select material primarily from Units 5, 6 and 7 of the module. You have outlined this work in the Proposal. (A broad-based analysis using three or more topic areas is feasible, but its not recommended as the work might become a little “thin.” Stay focussed.) • Data – Your analysis should be based on data gathered from observation, public domain information, survey work, interviews, discussions with customers/managers and from any secondary sources that might be available. Please do not include lots of raw data in the main body of the report. If you feel the need to include lots of data, put it in an appendix. You should explain your methodology for data collection and analysis clearly in the body of the report. Note. Many students get hung up on the word “data,” assuming that it refers to the information derived from quantitative survey work. This is not the case. Data is pretty much anything you can get your hands on that informs you about the subject of your analysis. • Analyse – The core of the assignment is to analyse this data using one or two tools, concepts or techniques provided on this module. (Keen students will actually go beyond the module content and carry out further reading into the topic areas of interest. Evidence of this additional research will be rewarded.) The analysis of the data should be provided in the body of the report. • Evaluate – As a result of the analysis what can you say about the operation and the tool/concept/ technique? What recommendations would you make about how to improve the operation and the tool/ concept/technique? How robust/valid are your recommendations? ________________________________________ Requirement ________________________________________ • Create a process map of your operation. You do not not need to use, in fact you are discouraged from using process mapping software. Presentation software such as powerpoint or keynote is perfectly adequate. Your process map must be contained within a single side of A4 - landscape formatted. Use the process mapping concepts taught in Unit 2. Students in the USA - please note that A4 is a little larger than US Letter. So we suggest that your format your document before you begin work. • Use the concepts, tools, techniques from units 5, 6 and 7 of the module, and apply these to analyse and evaluate the operation. ________________________________________ Notes ________________________________________ • Your analysis should identify the main operational problems in your subject. • You should rank the problems in order of importance. • You are to focus on one or two operational problems and make recommendations for improvement. Do not try to cover everything. Provide a brief argument for focussing on one or two operational problems and then concentrate on those. • You are encouraged, in applying your analytical toolkit to use that which you have not used previously, either individually or in your group-work. • If you must reapply any material that you used previously in the individual or group-work elements of the Comparative Operations Analysis, then the “bar” is raised. You will have to carry out substantively deeper analysis. There is ample material that you can apply in the content of units 5, 6 and 7. • You may use material from other Operations Management subjects (for example from textbook chapters not covered in the module), but if you do so, please discuss your intentions with your tutor. • Critically, you should search for further reading in the Operations Management journals that enhances your knowledge of the concepts you will apply. If you apply module content thoroughly, then you will likely get a pass. If you can show application of further reading in the peer-reviewed Operations Management journals then you are likely to earn high marks. • There is nothing wrong with common-sense, but if all you do in this assignment is apply common-sense you will fail. You really need to demonstrate, by application that you understand Operations Management. • For each report the type-face to be used for body text is 11 point Sans Serif; Arial, Helvetica, Universe, Calibri etc.Use any type-face you like for headings. • Insert additional diagrams, photos, etc. as you see fit. It is up to you to decide on the balance of content. Your submission is to be limited to 2,500 words. This word limit does not include the process map.