MN7001 - Operations and Technology Management (2021/22)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2021/22 | |||||||||||||||
| Module title | Operations and Technology Management | |||||||||||||||
| Module level | Masters (07) | |||||||||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 20 | |||||||||||||||
| School | Guildhall School of Business and Law | |||||||||||||||
| Total study hours | 200 | |||||||||||||||
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| Assessment components |
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| Running in 2021/22(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) |
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Module summary
Operations and Technology Management is core to two MSc Pathways, MSC International Business Management and MSC International Business Management with Project Management.
A business adds value through its operations, but only in combination with others in the value network or eco-system, critically linked by the use of technology. Matching internal operations capabilities to changing market (and regulatory) requirements, whilst responding to a tidal wave of data from suppliers, customers and digital platforms involves operations in strategy, design, planning and control, supply chain, improvement techniques like lean but also the technology to connect and join up the dots to capture value.
The module aims to equip students with a broad understanding of operations and technology management that will make them stand out from their peers through being able to grasp how value is being created. The potential for AI and robotics to further increase the use of technology in the operational domain is already clear, whether using AI in legal processes or in robots that flip burgers, an understanding of the links between technology and operations is critical for anyone aspiring to be a business manager, owner or entrepreneur. Analysis is the core of the module, for example through process mapping, and problem solving using both case studies and other active learning exercises.
On successful completion of this module:
• You will understand the basis of the value Operations and Technology Management creates in any organization in any sector
• You will be able to recognize the key concepts and principles of operations and technology management that need to be implemented to support that value creation approach.
• You will be able to critically assess various techniques of product, service design and improvement, deploying a contingent approach to what works best and where
• You will be able to apply appropriate Supply Chain Management techniques in the light of your new knowledge of the scope (and management of) of inter-organisational co-operation
• You will be able to evaluate the necessary trade-offs that have to be made between operations management performance objectives and achievable performance
Prior learning requirements
No pre- or co- requisites for the module.
Available for Study Abroad? NO.
Syllabus
The course is delivered in four parts: directing the operation, designing the operation, delivering the operation and developing (LO4). In Directing the operation the syllabus frames operations management as a key discipline with the rise of mass production. Different modes of operation from chain to network are aligned to different methods of creating value (LO1, LO4). In Designing the operation early distinctions between products and services are discussed and the common theme of the need to manage processes, linked to value creation, leads to discussion of servitisation and co-production and solution based value creation via digital examples like digital twin (LO3). In Deliver, the need to design a service or a product in line with designing how it will be produced leads into planning and control of operations activities. The requirement to manage huge volumes of data leads to enterprise wide planning systems. Supply chain management and logistics are introduced to deal with the physical complexity of integrating goods, information and financial flows including blockchain (LO1, LO2, LO3). Finally, in Developing operations improvement techniques such as lean operations and total quality management are discussed, concluding with risk and recovery for business continuity in value capture (LO4).
Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity
Subject to pending arrangements for blended learning the module is taught with a mix of lecture content, experiential exercises, case studies, class discussion, role play and video. Active student participation and engagement is expected. The group work element includes an individual reflection on what working in a group meant in terms of learning about the chosen technology. The cumulative nature of knowledge built up during the course means students have the opportunity within the module to try out their new learning. Early on, students/delegates are encouraged to write a Personal Development Plan for the module – goals, priorities, opportunities and threats to the plan, any support network and how will it be measured? (The Personal Development Plan is a private document, it is not graded or mandatory, but students are encouraged to share their thoughts and approaches). The last session of the course revisits briefly these plans.
An extensive reading list and a variety of materials including video are placed on weblearn for students’ to engage with in a manner that gives them control over their time management and allocation, but these resources also form part of the independent learning requirements for the module. Set against this independent study requirement are 12 sessions of three hours each, of guided learning.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
1. Analyse how technology is used currently and may be used in the future to deliver value.
2. Critically evaluate the contribution of operations management and information systems to a business organisation’s strategic aims.
3. Critically evaluate the key concepts and theories of digital business.
4. Critique key concepts and theories within the areas of operations management, service operations, and process management.
Assessment strategy
Having a small element of group work helps meet goals for learning and development, effective communication and some elements of active citizenship. However, students are not left relying on the mark from group work to showcase their own abilities and have the opportunity to show how they can apply their new knowledge in the individual assignment which comprises 80% of the total marks available.
The course work assessments are designed to involve students, for example in taking their own decisions about the boundaries of their work, for example what to include, and what not to include, in a manner more reflective of future post University work life than a set of formal exam questions, which work better with other subject areas.
Thus, the first group assignment encourages students to make their own choice of a technology they would like to examine and present on. The assessment then encourages the group to explore what the impact of the technology has been to date and what may lie ahead in the development of the use of that technology.
The dominant individual assessment asks students to make their own selection of an organisation to study, where they can apply what they have learnt about operations management and technology from the module. Students are expected to show contextualised skills of synthesis and evaluation in this report; building on the content of the module and their own research.
Bibliography
Core Text:
Slack, N. and Brandon-Jones, A. (2019). Operations Management, 9th Edition,
Pearson, London.
Krajewski, L., Malhotra, M. and Ritzman, L. (2018). Operations Management: Processes and Supply Chains, Global Edition. 12th ed. Harlow: Pearson.
Laudon, K, & Laudon, J, (2018). Management information systems: managing the digital firm.
Other Texts:
Johnston, R., Clark, G. and Shulver, M. (2012). Service Operations Management. Harlow: Pearson
Kim, D., & Solomon, M. (2018). Fundamentals of information systems security. 3rd ed. Burlington MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc.
Slack, N., Brandon-Jones, A., & Johnston, R. (2019). Operations management. 9th ed. Harlow: Pearson.
HM Treasury (2013) The Orange Book of Management of Risk - Principles and Concepts. Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/orange-book
Jackson, P., Carter, R. and Crocke, B. (2016) 101 Models of Procurement and Supply Chain Cambridge: Cambridge Academic
Journals:
• Harvard Business Review
• International Journal of Operations & Production Management
• International Journal of Project Management
• International Journal of Procurement Management
• International Journal of Procurement Management
• Journal of Financial Risk Management
• Journal of Management Information Systems
• Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management
• Journal of Operations Management
• MIS Quarterly
• Project Management Journal
• Risk Management: An International Journal
Websites
www.apqc.org
www.atkearney.com
www.bcs.org
www.economist.com
Electronic Databases:
Social Media Sources
Other
Reading list Talis