Critical Study of Operations Management (OM) Concepts, Principles, Approaches, Methods, and Techniqu

Possible Study Framework for Assignment A

This assignment provides an opportunity to study critically the application of Operations Management (OM) concepts, principles, approaches, methods and techniques in depth in a business, industrial or public-sector environment in which the group is interested. The group will need to focus and concentrate on a particular sub-sector and a specific problem area(s) of interest to the group. You should not try to address all OM issues across a whole sector (e.g. OM in the airline industry) – the chosen topic should be problem or challenge driven. OM is relevant right across business and industrial sectors, the service sector, the public sector and the ‘not-for-profit’ sector, e.g. 

• Financial Services: Such As Financing, Leasing, Insurance

• Infrastructure Services: Communications, Transportation, Utilities, Banking

• Manufacturing: Automotive, Aerospace, Oil & Gas, Telecommunications, Electronics, Food Processing As Well As Services Inside Company Such As Finance, Accounting, Legal, r&d And Design

• Distribution Services: Wholesaling, Retailing, Repair & Maintenance

• Personal Services: Healthcare, Restaurants, Hotels, Charities, On Line Services

• Business Services: Consulting, Auditing, Advertising, Waste Disposal

• Government Services: Military, Education, Judicial, Police And Fire Protection

• Consumer: Self-Service, On Line, Call Centres

• Charitable Organisations: Humanitarian Organisations, Charities

• Etc.

A possible framework for the study is:

• Define clearly the area and problem domain to be investigated. Where relevant, discuss how sectoral characteristics influence OM strategy and OM practice.

• Investigate and analyse how OM strategies, principles, concepts or approaches may have an impact on practice and performance for the problem domain being considered. This will require a focused literature review, usually requiring the use of both academic and practitioner sources.

• Describe and analyse one or more case studies that highlight relevant OM issues in the identified sector. Such case studies may be sourced from the academic and/or practitioner literature but should describe real applications. In addition, you may consider a case study from the experience of one or more members of the group.

• Critically appraise the application and relevance of OM principles in the sector or problem domain being considered and identify significant challenges that arise. Where appropriate, present relevant recommendations.

• Provide a brief commentary on how the group approached the study, contacts made, problems encountered and individual contributions. 

Assignment B is a variant of Assignment A but the investigation should concentrate on a particular organisation. It should investigate the application of OM principles, concepts and approaches to address a specific OM problem area. It could examine an OM improvement initiative or new systems/new process initiative for the organisation. With this assignment, it is also acceptable to look at two or more organisations and compare them from the same perspective. For instance, below are some of the title of assignments from previous years:

• Improving wait times in cancer outpatient clinic

• Benchmarking overall equipment efficiency at Singapore container terminal

• Improving customer response time at Singapore FedEx courier delivery service

• Re-configuring operations strategy at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

• Analysis of HBO Asia’s simulcast operations

• Analysis of interplay between Hawker Pacific Aviation and its operations management

• Exploring the implications pros and cons of blockchains in supply chains

• The impact of outsourcing on quality of customer service

• How the adoption of RFID reduces waste in food supply chain

• Implementing Lean philosophy in the telecommunication industry

• Value Stream Mapping for UTAS’s sub-assembly cell

• Improving SBS Transit’s Bus Fleet Maintenance Operations

A possible framework for the study may be: 

1. Describe the organisation(s) and the problem area clearly and succinctly. Explain the importance of the issue(s) to be investigated. Where relevant, discuss how sectoral characteristics influence OM strategy and OM practice in an organisation of this type. (One member of the group may provide a brief for the rest of the group, on which to base the study.)

2. Investigate and analyse how OM strategies, principles, concepts or approaches may be used to address the problem area. This will require use of both the academic and practitioner literature and is likely to involve examination of relevant case studies on how other organisations addressed similar issues and may involve looking at applications in other domains.

3. Present recommendations for how the organisation can address the issues. Typically, this will involve describing and justifying one or more new or modified systems, techniques or approaches, as well as an implementation strategy (the ‘what’ and the ‘how’). Possible barriers to achieving success may be noted. Possible implications or recommendations for other organisations may be highlighted.

4. A short commentary on how the group approached the study, contacts made, problems, encountered and individual contributions.