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MN50708: Managing operations and supply networks

[Page last updated: 15 October 2020]

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2020/1
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: School of Management
Further information on credits Credits: 6      [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Further information on notional study hours Notional Study Hours: 120
Further information on unit levels Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Further information on teaching periods Period:
Academic Year
Modular (no specific semester)
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: CW 100%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Coursework (CW 100%)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites:
Description: Aims:
Regardless of the type of organisation - private or public, manufacturing or service, large or small - sustainable value requires excellence in operations and supply networks. More specifically, organisations must:
* DIRECT the development of resources/processes through their operations strategy
* DESIGN the end-to-end process that underpin effective delivery systems
* DELIVER on promises by planning and controlling resources and processes
* DEVELOP by analysing and improving their operations and supply networks
Crossing all these themes will be the integration of two perspectives on operations and process management. It is important to understand the technical and quantitative performance of any system (process physics) but it is equally important to understand the behaviour of the human participants, customer and employee, in that system (process psychology).

Learning Outcomes:
The unit will enable students to:
* critically discuss the key concepts of operations and supply management and illustrate the strategic significance of operational capabilities in a global environment.
* demonstrate the value of employing an operations 'lens' on all organisational activities. In particular this helps students work on the critical interfaces between key organisational functions.
* deploy the language, concepts and application of operations management tools and analyses.

Skills:
Knowledge and understanding
* An appreciation of the fundamental frameworks necessary to understand internal and external organisational contexts as well as theoretical foundations underpinning the links between business and society;
* Appreciation of the key areas of operations management and the relationship between operations strategy and business strategy both within and between organisations;
* An understanding of research and how to integrate the knowledge of a variety of functional and theoretical areas through application to organisational problems.
Skills
* appreciation of the interconnected nature of organisations and ability to apply both theoretical and practical understanding;
* analyse operational issues at a strategic level in both service and manufacturing environments;
* apply practical decision-making methods and tools at both tactical and strategic levels;
* be self-directed and able to act autonomously in planning and implementing projects at professional levels;
* an ability to reflect on their earlier learning and practice, so as to integrate new knowledge with past experience and effectively apply it to new situations;
* an ability to develop a holistic perspective on an organisation and an understanding of how the different functions relate to one another.

Content:
DIRECT > Introduction to OM and Operations Strategy
DESIGN > Analysing operations processes
DELIVER > Understanding demand and managing capacity
DELIVER AND DEVELOP > Approaches to improvement - six sigma and lean.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

MN50708 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

School of Management

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2020/21 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2021/22 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2020/21.
  • Programmes and units are subject to change 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.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.