Productivity, Quality and Lean in Operations Management Skills - ELE00174M
Module summary
Operations management is one core area that underlies every enterprise. The ”operations” of an organisation are the processes that the organisation uses to create value by transforming inputs and resources into outputs in the forms of products and services. The objectives of this course are to develop an understanding of the concepts, tools and practices relating to the operations of an organisation. It examines the process nature of operations, the strategic importance of operations and the issues affecting efficiency and effectiveness of operations. It develops systematic and critical thinking skills essential to manage and improve operations that will enable organisations to gain competitive advantage.
Related modules
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 2 2025-26 |
Module aims
Subject content aims:
-
To connect the operations strategy into organisational strategy
-
To relate the concept of productivity and competitiveness
-
To explore the design of products and services
-
To explore the design of processes and process selection
-
To relate Total Quality Management and its significance to product and service quality
-
To explore the principles of Lean Management
-
To understand Supply Chain Management and its performance on business competitiveness
Graduate skills aims:
-
To develop critical thinking and evaluation skills based on concepts, tools and techniques in operations management
-
To develop the ability to identify critical business issues and bottlenecks and continuously improve its operations
-
To develop decision making skills required to become an effective operations manager that drives operational and strategic objectives of the business.
Module learning outcomes
Subject content learning outcomes
After successful completion of this module, you will:
- Critically evaluate the importance of operations strategy to ensure strategic alignment between a company’s strategy and operations activities.
- Assess and employ appropriate operations and project management tools
- Investigate and breakdown operations into processes which can then be improved to maximise profits efficiency and competitiveness
- Assess, describe, and measure the relationship between inputs and outputs and develop strategies to increase productivity
- Critically assess quality and quality control and recommend strategies to improve and maintain quality
Graduate skills learning outcomes
After successful completion of this module, you will:
- Critically evaluate issues related to productivity and quality and prescribe techniques to improve and transform business operations
- Design and develop work processes to improve and promote productivity
- Create linkages to key areas of business, supply chain management issues, capacity planning within an operational situation
- Discuss the concept of Total Quality Management and its applications in a business environment
- Design business solutions in written and verbal forms for operations improvements and process design projects
- Demonstrate the ability to work effectively in a team to achieve results
- Demonstrate the ability to evaluate the strategic and operational implications of a real engineering problem
Module content
-
Operations as a Process
-
Workplace design
-
Decision-Making in Operations Management
-
Design of Products and Services
-
Product and Service Management
-
Process Design and Selection
-
Supply Chain Management,
-
Operations strategy
-
Lean Management
-
Management of Quality
-
Project and Risk Management
-
Contract & Employment Law
-
Financial Management
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Additional assessment information
There are multiple components in the assessment
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
'Feedback’ at a university level can be understood as any part of the learning process which is designed to guide your progress through your degree programme. We aim to help you reflect on your own learning and help you feel more clear about your progress through clarifying what is expected of you in both formative and summative assessments. A comprehensive guide to feedback and to forms of feedback is available in the Guide to Assessment Standards, Marking and Feedback.
The School of PET aims to provide some form of feedback on all formative and summative assessments that are carried out during the degree programme. In general, feedback on any written work/assignments undertaken will be sufficient so as to indicate the nature of the changes needed in order to improve the work. The School will endeavour to return all exam feedback within the timescale set out in the University's Policy on Assessment Feedback Turnaround Time. The School would normally expect to adhere to the times given, however, it is possible that exceptional circumstances may delay feedback. The School will endeavour to keep such delays to a minimum. Please note that any marks released are subject to ratification by the Board of Examiners and Senate. Meetings at the start/end of each term provide you with an opportunity to discuss and reflect with your supervisor on your overall performance to date.
Indicative reading
Slack N. and Brandon- Jones A.(2019). Operations Management . Pearson