Improving Business Performance Through Systems Operation Management

Assignment Learning Outcomes

According to the learning outcomes for this module, this assignment will:
1. Provide students with both a solid theoretical background on Operations Management, its main principles, as well as a very practical view of problems and challenges that companies are facing nowadays
2. Develop a critical understanding of the main choices (strategic, tactical and operative) an Operations Manager has to make

Late submission of coursework policy: Late submissions will be processed inaccordance with current University regulations, which state: “the time period during which a student may submit a piece of work late without authorisation and have the work capped at 50%, if passed is 14 calendar days. Work submitted unauthorised more than 14 calendar days after the original submission date will receive a mark of 0%. These regulations apply to a student’s first attempt at coursework. Work submitted late without authorisation which constitutes reassessment of previously failed piece of coursework will always receive a mark of 0%.”

Discuss your potential role as a Systems Operation Manager in improving the performance and productivity of a business of your choice (mainly focusing on engineering-based production or service industry).

Develop a brief report with the following content
1. Present a brief overview of your business (approx. 250 words)
2. Identify the different subsystems of your business and identify at least three challenges and three opportunities offered by each for improving business  performance at systems scale (approx. 500 words)
3. Develop the context for Systems operation management (strategic, tactical and operative) in your business
4. Analyse the potential role of each of the following system operation management skills in improving the business performance (approx. 200 words
x 5)
? Resource management
? Risk management
? Facilities and Operations management
? Procurements
? Quality and Innovation management

5. Summarise your work

[Note: this coursework will count 60% of the total module marks] Deliverables to be submitted for assessment: Submit the brief report (maximum 2000 words) summarising your key messages to the Turnitin web portal for this assignment.

Important considerations while preparing your report
• use good reporting skills using resources provided on the following link (under section ‘Reports & Presentations’)
• use a font of size no less than 10 points
• make sure the total word limit (excluding the references) is mentioned at the end of the report
• provide a reference list containing relevant resources used in the report

This assignment will be assessed based on the extent to which the learning outcomes have been met, and the extent to which the above instructions, notes and guidance are complied with (for example regarding word limit, style, structure and citation). The criteria below relate to the current pass mark of 50%.

• Introduction to the report – 10 marks
• Identification of business subsystems to be improved – 10 marks
• Application of all the tasked systems management techniques – 50 marks
• Presentation of results and analysis – 20 marks
• Clarity of writing style, referencing and structure of report – 10 marks

Work that is deficient in most of the respects outlined above, showing no evidence of critical analysis will be awarded an outright fail of 44% or less. A marginal fail of 45% to 49% may  be awarded to work that demonstrates some understanding of the problem but where the  understanding, accuracy, organisation and critical analysis fail to justify a marginal pass.