Review and critique the effectiveness of operations management principles

Unit Number and Title

Unit 16 (HNBS 316) Operations and Project Management

Academic Year

2019/20

Assignment Title

Review and Critique of Operations Management / Project Life Cycle

Guideline for Final Submission

• The assessment for this module is in 2 parts: ASSIGNMENT PART 1 and ASSIGNMENT PART 2.
• You should aim to complete ASSIGNMENT PART 1 before WEEK 6 and make sure you get FORMATIVE FEEDBACK from your lecturer during teaching weeks 5 and 6.
• It is also recommended that you complete ASSIGNMENT PART 2 before WEEK 10 and get FORMATIVE FEEDBACK from your lecturer for your Assignment 2 during teaching weeks 9 and 10.
• Once you complete BOTH PARTS, you need to compile them into a single Microsoft Word document for Final Submission.
• Remember, there will be only ONE submission link on Moodle. You cannot submit PART 1 and PART 2 separately.

Assignment 1

Submission Format

The submission is in the form of an individual written report. This should be written in a concise, formal business style using 1.5 line spacing and font size 12. You are required to make use of headings, paragraphs and subsections as appropriate and all work must be supported with research and referenced using the Harvard referencing system. Please also provide a bibliography using the Harvard referencing system. The recommended word limit is 1,500 words.

Unit Learning Outcomes

LO1 Review and critique the effectiveness of operations management principles

LO2 Apply the concept of continuous improvement in an operational context

Assignment Brief and Guidance

Scenario

Using an organisation you know well and can obtain information on (your own place of work if possible), you are required to review and critique the effectiveness of operations management principles, and apply the concept of continuous improvement to the organisation.

You are to produce a formal business report which should contain the following:

1. An introduction to your chosen organisation.
2. An explanation of operation vs operations management
3. Conduct a review and critique of the implementation of operations management principles (such as Six Sigma, Lean Principles) within your chosen organisation.
4. Analyse the extent to which the operations management of the organisation in the case study meets the requirements of the organisation.
5. Discuss continuous improvement as a philosophy and describe the Lean principles.
6. Prepare a continuous improvement plan based on your review and critique of operations management principles within your organisation, and referring to theories and/or models to justify your strategy.
7. Using continuous improvement principles, make at least two justified recommendations which could improve the operations function detailed in the case study.                       

Assignment 2

Submission Format

The submission is in the form of a portfolio. Each section of the portfolio should be written in a concise, formal style using 1.5 line spacing and font size 12. All work must be supported with research and referenced using the Harvard referencing system. Please also provide a Reference list using the Harvard referencing system. The recommended word limit is 1,500 words.

Unit Learning Outcomes

• LO3 Apply the Project Life Cycle (PLC) to a given context
• LO4 Review and critique the application of the PLC used in a given project

Assignment Brief and Guidance

Scenario – Project case study

You have secured employment in a large manufacturing organisation based in the Midlands, which has 1,250 employees on this site. The organisation has staff employed in a range of different roles, including office staff and factory workers.  The offices and factory are on an extensive site in various buildings.  Currently there is no onsite catering.

You work as a member of the Project and Programme Office, which is responsible for delivering the change programme for the organisation.  As part of your induction and personal development plan, your new line manager has asked you to plan and manage a theoretical in-house project. She believes this will help to you to gain a thorough understanding of how in real terms the organisation translates business objectives into the identification of specific development projects and their planning and completion.

Two of the relevant business objectives for the current financial year are:

• Reducing the movement of staff from the premises during the lunch break  which is currently creating congestion issues in the local area
• Helping staff to develop a healthy life style which the organisation believes is part of their CSR and will also reduce staff absenteeism.

Your line manager has asked you to analyse these business objectives in order to identify feasible projects and apply the project life cycle to this project, and to review and critique the application of the PLC. You are to provide theoretical and/or conceptual arguments to justify the use of project methodologies, tools and leadership within the given project.

You are to produce a portfolio of evidence containing a set of documents which summarise the following stages of the PLC:

• Project initiation.
• Project planning.
• Project execution.
• Project closure.

This could include information on the following:

1. An overview of the case study you have been given.
2. A description of the PLC and an explanation of each stage.
3. How each stage of the PLC applies to your given project, including supporting documentation for each stage (e.g. business case, the project plan, cost-benefit analysis and work breakdown structure).
4. Critically evaluate the effectiveness of the PLC in application to your project using the appropriate theories, models and concepts.

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Pass

Merit

Distinction

LO1 Review and critique the effectiveness of operations management principles

LO1 & 2

D1 Apply appropriate theories, concepts and/or models to justify strategies of a continuous improvement plan for achieving improved efficiency.

P1 Conduct a review and critique of the implementation of operations management principles within an organisational context.

M1 Review and critique the implementation of operations management in relation to Six Sigma methodology and Lean principles

LO2 Apply the concept of continuous improvement in an operational context

P2 Prepare a continuous improvement plan based on the review and critique of operations management principles within an organisational context.

M2 Analyse the effectiveness of a continuous improvement plan using appropriate theories, concepts and/or models.

LO3 Apply the Project Life Cycle (PLC) to a given context

LO3 & 4

D2 Critically evaluate the PLC through a practical and theoretical exploration of its effectiveness.

P3 Apply each stage of the PLC to a given project, producing necessary supporting documentation for completing the project e.g. a business case, project plan, work breakdown structure.

M3 Analyse the rationale for the project methodologies, tools and leadership within the PLC for the given project.

LO4 Review and critique the application of the PLC used in a given project

P4 Review and critique the effectiveness of the PLC in application to the chosen project using appropriate theories, concepts and models.

M4 Critically analyse how the use of appropriate theories, concepts and models in the PLC will differentiate between large and small-scale projects.