INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
CARDIFF METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
MBA 7061: Operations
Management
Module handbook
Prof. Nako Stefanov, PhD (module leader)
Plamen Petrov
2014-2015
International University College
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Programme: MBA
Module: MBA 7061 Operations Management
Lecturers: Nako Stefanov, Plamen Petrov
Module assessment:
Assignment – 100%
Assignment brief included at the end of this file.
Literature:
Cousins, P., Lamming, R., Lawson, B., and Squire, B., (2008), Strategic Supply Management: Principles, Theories and
Practice, Prentice Hall; London.
Fitzsimmons, J., and Fitzsimmons, M., (2010), Service Management: operations, strategy and information
technology, McGraw-Hill Higher Education; Boston MA.
Hill, A., and Hill, T., (2012), Operations management, Palgrave Macmillan; Basingstoke
Hollins, W., and Shinkins, S., (2006), Managing service operations: design and Implementation, Sage Publications;
London.
Johnson, R., and Clark, G., (2012), Service operations management: improving service delivery, FT Prentice Hall;
London
Lysons, K. & Farringhton, B. (2006) Purchasing and Supply Chain Management. 7th ed. FT/Prentice Hall, ISBN
0273694383
Slack, N., Brandon-James, A., and Johnston, R., (2013), Operations Management, Pearson; London
Weele, A. (2010) Purchansing and Supply Chain Management. (5th ed.) South-Western Cengage Lerning
Journals: California Management Review, Harvard Business Review, International Journal of Production Economics,
International Journal of Operations & Production Management, International Journal of Logistics Management,
International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, International Journal of Production
Economics, International journal of Services and Operations Management, Journal of Operations Management, etc.
Topics:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Operations strategy
Customer service
Managing capacity and demand
Scheduling operations
Waiting, queuing theory and practice
Managing inventory
Quality management tools and techniques
Process analysis and improvement
New product and service development
Purchasing and supplier management
2
|Page
International University College
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Programme: MBA
Module: MBA 7061 Operations Management
Lecturers: Nako Stefanov, Plamen Petrov
Module
JACS Subject Code(s) and ASC
Module Title
Number
% of each subject
Category(ies)
Operations Management
MBA7061
N900
7
Level (3-8)
Credits
ECTS Credit
Module Value
% Taught in Welsh
Module Type
7
20
10
1.0
0
Taught
Teaching Period
Pre-requisites
Semester Two
None
Module Leader
School(s)
Campus
Prof. Nako Stefanov (module leader)
IUC, Bulgaria
Sofia and Varna
Boyko Ovcharov
Assessment Methods
Assessment Type
Duration/Length of
Weighting of Assessment
Approximate Date of
Assessment Type
Submission
Coursework
Written assignment (6,000
100%
End of Semester
words)
Aim(s)
 To develop and introduce and develop a critical understanding operations management for modern
organisations in a variety of sectors of activity;
 To consider operations strategy in its broadest sense and relate this to the internal management and
organisation of the production of goods and services within organisations in different sectors of the economy;
 To examine how to organise resources and operations, and how to improve them using a variety of quality
tools and techniques and process improvement activities;
 To consider the organisation in its wider context; examining how inputs on the supply side can be managed
and improved, and on the demand side how customers, and customer satisfaction can be understood.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to:
 Evaluate the nature, scope and extent of manufacturing and service operations strategy;
 Critically evaluate the use of quality tools and techniques for a wide range of organisational problems;
 Solve complex operational problems related to managing capacity and constraints within organisations;
 Demonstrate the application of strategies, tools and techniques to improve business operations and appraise
and select appropriate methods for managing supply bases for a variety of organisations.
Learning and Teaching Delivery Methods
Lectures/ seminars
Independent study
Indicative Content
The content of this module will focus primarily on the future needs of students and can be tailored to their likely
subsequent careers. For those students likely to be entering the service sector the module can primarily be focused on
service operations management with manufacturing operations management being taught as the minor component.
For those students with a likely career in manufacturing, then manufacturing operations can be the major focus with
service operations management taught as the minor component.
 Operations strategy
 Customer service
 Managing capacity and demand
 Scheduling operations
 Waiting, queuing theory and practice
 Managing inventory
 Quality management tools and techniques
 Process analysis and improvement
 New product and service development
 Purchasing and supplier management
Recommended Reading & Required Reading
Required reading
3
|Page
International University College
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Programme: MBA
Module: MBA 7061 Operations Management
Lecturers: Nako Stefanov, Plamen Petrov
Hill, A., and Hill, T., (2012), Operations management, Palgrave Macmillan; Basingstoke
Johnson, R., and Clark, G., (2012), Service operations management: improving service delivery, FT Prentice Hall;
London
Recommended reading
Cousins, P., Lamming, R., Lawson, B., and Squire, B., (2008), Strategic Supply Management: Principles, Theories and
Practice, Prentice Hall; London.
Fitzsimmons, J., and Fitzsimmons, M., (2010), Service Management: operations, strategy and information technology,
McGraw-Hill Higher Education; Boston MA.
Hollins, W., and Shinkins, S., (2006), Managing service operations: design and Implementation, Sage Publications;
London.
Slack, N., Brandon-James, A., and Johnston, R., (2013), Operations Management, Pearson; London
Journals
California Management Review
Harvard Business Review
International Journal of Production Economics
International Journal of Operations & Production Management
International Journal of Logistics Management
International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management
International Journal of Production Economics
International journal of Services and Operations Management
Journal of Operations Management
Production and Operations Management
4
|Page
International University College
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Programme: MBA
Module: MBA 7061 Operations Management
Lecturers: Nako Stefanov, Plamen Petrov
MBA 7061 OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT MODULE (2014-15)
ASSIGNMENT: 100%
FIRST SIT
Managing the capacity has been always one of the most important and risky element of the business management.
This is not limited to the technology, especially the technical ability to produce as much as the demand would
suggest. It involves management of staff people, delivery systems and processes that forecast, plan and execute
business operations that guarantee (production) operations’ capacity. However corporate decisions concerning:
make versus buy, service/product range, process design and the perishable nature of capacity (particularly in the
service sector) are among the several variables that make this a difficult call.
Having all these in mind, analyse and critically discuss the operations management in the company where you
work/ed or which is well known to you. Considering that the capacity is characterized by uncertainty, operations
needs to reduce the risks, critically discuss:
1. What is done, or could be done, to manage those parts of total demand that can be predicted (for
example, seasonality and peaks) as opposed to those which cannot be predicted?
2. What is done, or could be done better, to reduce the peaks and troughs that characterize demand
profiles?
Based on the theory discuss also:
3. Should an organization always attempt to match its capacity to its forecast and known demand
patterns or there are cases in which this might not be needed?
Use real examples from your company, or from a company which is well known to you, to illustrate your views.
INSTRUCTIONS:
The assignment must be up to 6000 words
The APA Harvard style in referencing (min 20 sources) is required.
Due date:
Submit a paper copy to the IUC Hand-in Office
by 7 pm on 12th January 2015
Submit also an electronic copy to handin@iuc.bg
before 24:00 on the same date
You should submit to the Hand-in office by the due-date:
 a MARKING & FEEDBACK SHEET (Appendix 1) bearing your name and student number;
 your ASSIGNMENT of 6000 words.
Assessment criteria:
Marks for each assessment criterion will be awarded with reference to the standard Cardiff Met/IUC marking
criteria at levels A to F.
Actual marks will not be disclosed; however you will be given feedback and an indication of the overall grade (A to
F). All marks are subject to agreement at the MBA Examination Board.
Use at least 20 academic sources. If less than 20 academic sources are used the final mark will be capped at 40%. Do
not forget to utilise IUC’s and Cardiff Met’s library and electronic resources.
RESIT:
Marks on the resit will be capped at 40%. Resit due dates and assignment will be advised additionally.
5
|Page
International University College
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Programme: MBA
Module: MBA 7061 Operations Management
Lecturers: Nako Stefanov, Plamen Petrov
Name:
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Question 1 What is done, or could
be done, to manage those parts of
total demand that can be predicted
(for example, seasonality and
peaks) as opposed to those which
cannot be predicted?
Question 2 What is done, or could
be done better, to reduce the peaks
and troughs that characterize
demand profiles?
Question 3 Should an organization
always attempt to match its
capacity to its forecast and known
demand patterns or there are cases
in which this might not be needed?
Technical layout
MBA7061 ASSIGNMENT: MARKING & FEEDBACK SHEET (2014-15)
Student number:
Marks
A
B
C
D
E
F
Feedback
70+
69-60
59-50 49-40 39-35 34-0 (see also assignment)
30
30
30
10
SOURCE REFERENCING
(20 minimum; Harvard referencing)
OVERALL FEEDBACK (also see comments on assignment):
1st marked by:
Signed:
Dated:
GRADE
Signed:
Dated:
GRADE
Second Markers’ comments (if relevant):
2nd marked by:
Consolidated mark and comments:
FINAL MARK
External Examiner comments (if relevant):
6
|Page
International University College
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Programme: MBA
Module: MBA 7061 Operations Management
Lecturers: Nako Stefanov, Plamen Petrov
Marking criteria
Assignments achieving a mark of 70 and above (score A)
This grade will be assigned to work which is considered to be of a very high standard and which meets every
criterion:
 meeting the assessment task completely;
 being written in the recommended format and of an appropriate length;
 giving a clear, concise and well-structured analysis;
 a wide range of recent, relevant and appropriate reading;
 clear and appropriate relation of theory to practice;
 examples of analysis of practice to support and/or question established theory;
 full bibliography and appropriate referencing;
Marks above 80 will only be given to work considered to be outstanding and original both in the way it is written
and in its ability to integrate theory and practice.
Assignments achieving a mark of 60 - 69 (score B)
This grade will be assigned to work which is considered to be of a high standard and which meets every criterion.
However, it may not show the depth of understanding nor the breadth of reading as work graded with an A:
 meeting the brief of the assessment task completely;
 being written in the recommended format and of an appropriate length;
 using relevant examples, which are analyzed;
 a range of recent, relevant and appropriate reading;
 relation of theory to practice;
 adequate referencing and a full bibliography;
Assignments achieving a mark of 50 - 59 (score C)
Work graded at this level will be sound and will address the assignment brief and meet the majority of the criteria.
Students should include work drawn from their own experience where appropriate, which at points will be more
than purely descriptive:
 meeting the brief of the assessment task;
 being written in the recommended format and of an appropriate length;
 examples from practice, which are often more descriptive than evaluative;
 some reading, perhaps not as wide, recent or relevant as possible;
 providing a bibliography;
Assignments achieving a mark of 40 - 49 (score D)
Work at this level will be of a generally low standard and will barely meet the stated criteria:







lacking precision about the brief of the assignment, but just meeting the necessary criteria;
barely meeting the requirements set;
attempting to engage critically at points;
being descriptive rather than critically evaluative or analytical;
making assertions without providing evidence at points;
attempting to link theory with practice;
limited references to reading;
Use at least 20 academic sources. If less than 20 academic sources are used the final mark will be capped at 40%. Do
not forget to utilise IUC’s and Cardiff Met’s library and electronic resources.
7
|Page