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MN30475: Sustainable operations management

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2014/5
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: School of Management
Further information on credits Credits: 6
Further information on unit levels Level: Honours (FHEQ level 6)
Further information on teaching periods Period: Semester 2
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: CW 100%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Coursework 1 (CW 70% - Qualifying Mark: 35)
  • Coursework 2 (CW 30% - Qualifying Mark: 35)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment: Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites: Before taking this unit you must take MN20017
Further information on descriptions Description: Aims:

* To provide students with the tools and skills that can be used to assess the operations of an organisation from the point of view of environmental opportunities and threats.
* To provide students with the tools and skills that can be used to profitably manage products, processes, and operations in light of environmental opportunities and threats.
Rationale: Sustainability is a long-term challenge which requires drastic changes to be made in the way organisations look at operations. The crucial step is to address the apparent trade-off between sustainability and profitability in creative ways that allow organisations to improve both measures.

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this unit, students should:
* be able to assess the operations of an organisation from the point of view of environmental opportunities and threats.
* be aware of (and be able to evaluate the appropriateness of) different strategies for managing products, processes, and operations in light of environmental opportunities and threats.

Skills:

* Carbon footprinting (taught & assessed)
* Process mapping & Environmental life cycle assessment (taught & assessed)
* assessment and selection of suppliers (taught & assessed)
* Frameworks for integrating sustainability into inventory management and innovation (taught & assessed).

Content:
Week 1 - OM and Sustainability
* Why important? (resource/stakeholder issues)
* Sust. as performance objective
* Sust. as competitive advantage
* Trade-offs
* Individual and corporate carbon footprinting
* Structure of course
Skills - Individual carbon footprinting (leading to discussion about corporate carbon footprinting) - difference between 'warm glow' and compliance.
Week 2 - Rs
* World as supplier
* How to choose solutions for decreasing resources e.g. recycling, remanufacturing etc
* Natural Capitalism
Skills - Weighing up choices relating to the Rs (could have more concrete corporate carbon footprinting here).
Week 3 - Process Mapping and Green Design
* Product-process-supply chain.
* Mapping and analysing impacts
Skills - Process mapping; LCA.
Week 4 - Process Mapping and Green Design - Product-process-supply chain. - Mapping and analysing impacts
Skills - Process mapping; LCA.
Week 5 - Inventory
* Inventory assessment
* Lean/ agile/ leagile
* Matching supply and demand
Skills - Framework for comparing choices.
Week 6 - Waste Management
* Waste management/ assessment
* Packaging choices
Skills - Waste management assessment.
Week 7 - Green Procurement
* SCM and green procurement
* Supplier selection
Skills - Green/ ethical supplier assessment.
Week 8 - Environmental Management Systems
* what is EMS
* Certification
* Regulation
Skills - ISO 14000 etc; EMS design.
Week 9 - Implementation
* Integration of sustainability into strategy (internal stakeholders, trade-offs revisited, cases of successful/unsuccessful implementation)
Week 10 - Green Innovation
* Incremental vs radical improvements in light of changing regulation and stakeholder needs
Skills - Framework for evaluation of options for green innovation - innovation 'trajectory'.
Week 11- The Future
* Trends and implications for OM
* Preparing for zero emissions
* Social issues
Skills - Scenario planning for sustainability.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

MN30475 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Computer Science
  • USCM-AFB09 : BSc(Hons) Computer Science with Business (Year 3)
  • USCM-AAB10 : BSc(Hons) Computer Science with Business with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USCM-AKB10 : BSc(Hons) Computer Science with Business with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • USCM-AFB01 : BSc Computing (Year 3)
  • USCM-AKB01 : BSc Computing with Year long work placement (Year 4)
School of Management
  • UMMN-AFB02 : BSc(Hons) Accounting and Finance (Year 3)
  • UMMN-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Accounting and Finance with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UMMN-ANB01 : BSc(Hons) Business Administration with Thin sandwich placement(s) (Year 4)

MN30475 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Computer Science
  • USCM-AFB11 : BSc(Hons) Computer Information Systems (Year 3)
  • USCM-AAB12 : BSc(Hons) Computer Information Systems with Study year abroad (Year 4)
  • USCM-AKB12 : BSc(Hons) Computer Information Systems with Year long work placement (Year 4)

Notes:
* This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2014/15 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2015/16 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2014/15.
* Programmes and units are subject to change at any time, in accordance with normal University procedures.
* Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.