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Introduction to Project and Operations Management

  • Module code: BD5001
  • Year: 2018/9
  • Level: 4
  • Credits: 30
  • Pre-requisites: None
  • Co-requisites: None

Summary

This module is a core requirement for those studying the HND in Business. It aims to introduce you to a project management methodology that can be used to develop the plans for to a hypothetical but realistic project. You will then examine operations models and concepts that will enable you to analyse real world operations, identify operational problems and suggest appropriate improvements. You will then compare and contrast the way operations and project managers typically work.

Aims

  • Provide students with a set of tools and techniques to plan, control and monitor projects
  • To enable students to understand the fundamental principles of operations management
  • To provide opportunities to apply operations concepts and techniques to case organisations
  • To enable students to make judgements concerning the operational effectiveness of service operations within both the public and private sectors
  • Provide students with a sound basis to develop management capability in these areas.

Learning outcomes

  • Analyse project requirements and break them down into manageable work packages that can be developed into a plan
  • Identify potential risks and strategies to mitigate them
  • Analyse a business by reviewing how operational strategy links to corporate goals and the importance of customer satisfaction
  • Analyse the reasons for operational failure and suggest a strategy for improvement
  • Demonstrate an understanding of and be able to recognise the differences and similarities between project and operations and management.
  • Prepare and deliver a business presentation.

Curriculum content

  • Project definition
  • Role of the project manager
  • Project planning - work breakdown structures, resource allocation, Gantt charts, responsibility matrices
  • Project methodologies
  • Project management software (eg. MS Project)
  • Managing uncertainty and risk
  • Project teams - leadership in project management
  • Communication planning
  • Project closure and review
  • Introduction to operations management
  • Role of the operations manager
  • Operations strategy
  • Operations design
  • Capacity planning and control
  • Define the role of technology on operations and explain how OM can embrace developments to enhance performance
  • Inventory control
  • Supply chain management
  • Quality management strategies
  • Measuring and improving operational performance to gain continuous improvement.
  • Comparisons of the typical work of operations and project managers; their approaches to management and leadership; and approaches to quality management and improvement.

Skills developed

  • Literacy skills - presenting a professional business report; recording project meetings in progress reports
  • Numeracy skills - demand forecasting techniques; capacity management ratios; production schedules; risk management matrices
  • Research skills - to identify key operational functions in a business and link these to corporate performance
  • Information technology skills - word processing to produce management reports; use of spread sheets for calculating optimised production schedules, inventory strategies and project cost schedules; project management software for production of network diagrams including critical paths, and project schedules including dependencies and resource usage.

Employability

The skills taught during the sessions can be used practically in businesses and organisations.  Exploring various business types will help to broaden student outlook on future career options.

Teaching and learning strategy

There will be weekly two hour lectures / seminars and a weekly two hour workshops working on assignments and case studies. Lectures and seminars will be supported by regular Moodle postings which will include the following:

Scheme of work (abridged)

PowerPoint lecture outlines

Case study material

Website addresses.

Project Management seminars will introduce students to relevant theory and methodologies. Project management assignment workshops will stress the importance of team working and communication in small groups to develop a practical and viable project plan and will provide feedback and feed forward opportunities on a group and individual basis. Operations management lectures and seminars will introduce students to core principles in order to provide students with the theoretical foundation for analysis and application of such principles within a number of environments. Operations management workshops will also be examine key case studies. Operations management assignment workshops will allow students to work individually on the application of relevant concepts to a business or organisation they are familiar with and to propose solutions to operational problems.

Breakdown of Teaching and Learning Hours

Definitive UNISTATS Category Indicative Description Hours
Scheduled learning and teaching Weekly, lectures, seminars, workshops and individual/group tutorials 128
Guided independent study 172
Total (number of credits x 10) 300

Assessment strategy

The operations management element is assessed by an individual business report in two parts. The first part examines the operations strategy of the selected business. After submission, marking and feedback on this, students investigate a single operational failure, examining the causes and suggesting an appropriate improvement plan.

The project management element is examined mostly by a group assignment. The students firstly produce a detailed project definition and work breakdown structure for a hypothetical project. They then prepare a detailed responsibility matrix and a project schedule including cost estimates prepared and also a Group Log containing a record of progress reports and the individual contribution of team members. The second part of this element is an individual assignment containing a Risk Register and suggested actions to mitigate the risks.

The third element ie. a comparison of the roles of operations and project managers is assessed by a presentation. Students firstly submit a hardcopy of their PowerPoint presentation and then deliver this in a ten minute slot to the lecturing team. This is followed by five minutes of questions.

Mapping of Learning Outcomes to Assessment Strategy (Indicative)

Learning Outcome Assessment Strategy
1) Analyse project requirements and break them down into manageable work packages that can be developed into a plan Coursework 2
2) Identify potential risks and strategies to mitigate them Coursework 2
3) Analyse a business by reviewing how operational strategy links to corporate goals and the importance of customer satisfaction Coursework 1
4) Analyse the reasons for operational failure and suggest a strategy for improvement Coursework 1
5) Demonstrate an understanding of and be able to recognise the differences and similarities between operations and projects Practical examination
6) Prepare and deliver a business presentation Practical examination

Elements of Assessment

Description of Assessment Definitive UNISTATS Categories Percentage
Operations management individual assignment Coursework 1 40%
Project Management group portfolio including individual reflection Coursework 2 40%
Presentation comparing roles of operations and project managers Practical examination 20%
Total (to equal 100%) 100%

Achieving a pass

It IS NOT a requirement that any major element of assessment is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.

Bibliography core texts

Hill, A. and Hill, T. (2011), Essential Operations Management, Palgrave Macmillan.

Dennis Lock (2012), Essentials of Project Management, Gower.

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