Strategic Operations Management

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• the various tools of operations management;
• how operations contributes to wider aspects of firms’ capabilities and Competencies;
• the importance of operational paradigms and how they are integrated together in managing operations including TQM BPR and Lean and Agile operations;
• the behavioural aspects of managing operations;
• the role of operations management both at a strategic level and for the effective production of goods and services;

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• develop insights into the competencies required to become an effective manager in TQM or operations.
• critically evaluate a variety of theories and concepts relating to supply chain management;

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• problem solve;
• effectively communicate complex infromation through the written word.

●Introduction to Strategic Operations Management

●Services operations - concepts, definitions and quality

●Process choice and strategy in manufacturing and services

●Managing quality – TQM, BPR, benchmarking and reengineering

●Managing improvements via process mapping

●Managing materials and inventory; MRPI, MRPII, ERP and just-in-time

●Capacity and scheduling

●Operations involvement in innovation

The sessions will consist of lectures, case studies and discussions. The module is supported with assigned reading and practice example sheets. Formative feedback will be provided throughout the class discussions and interactive parts of the lectures.

The module will be international in content and scope. For example, there will be a case study that focuses on outsourcing but in doing so this deals with internationalisation processes as well as potential reshoring. This in turn allows us to explore potential opportunities and problems with outsourcing and reshoring and gets to the core question including:

1. Why do companies decide to outsource or reshore?

2. How should companies prepared for such strategic international decisions?

3. What might go wrong?

4. What would you suggest could be done to improve the situation in hindsight?

Similarly, class discussions on operations strategy, services, process choice and inventory will deal with international dimensions of operations. For example, a firm may have something designed in Taiwan; then have the product manufactured in China; at the same time logistics are being undertaken by an online retailer; marketing and finance functions may, or may not, be undertaken locally. This common scenario leads us to think about the complexities of doing business in the 21st Century where globalisation is a common – and often a necessary – feature of day to day business.

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Commentary

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback: Students will receive individual feedback on their exam papers upon request. The students will be given an exam paper similar to the one they will take; they will have the opportunity to work on the questions in groups and then discuss possible answers in class.
• Final Assessment: No
• Group Work: No

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.