International Operations Management Assignment Question | Glassgow Caledonian University

Assignment Brief

Report on how the concepts of operations management apply to ONE SECTOR. Your report should draw on  examples of internationally renowned organisations within your chosen sector in order to address the three sections below, with a critical assessment of the information gathered.  

1. Select a sector (from the list) and critically discuss how the strategic direction of one organisation within that sector impacts the way in which its operations are managed. 

Assessment: 3000 words (100% of mark) (i)

Select an industry (from the list below) and critically discuss how the strategic direction of one organisation within that industry impacts the way in which its operations are managed.  

• Retail (using Marks and Spencer's or similar  organisations for examples) 
• Food manufacturing (Using McVities/ Arla or  similar organisations for examples) 
  
  Assessment: 3000 (100% of mark) (ii)

2. Selecting only two areas of Operations Management from the list below, critically evaluate how they are applied by the selected organisation within your chosen industry and their importance in contributing to success. Draw on practical examples of International organisations within your chosen industry and relate those examples to operations management theory, to illustrate your points. You must also  ensure that you provide reference sources for arguments throughout  your work: 

• 4Vs of operations and 5 Performance Objectives 
• Process Design, Layout and location 
• Service Design 
• Managing Quality in Operations 
• Lean Management in Operations 
• Capacity Management, and Planning and Control  
• Sustainability/Green Supply Chain  
• Technological developments 

Assessment: 3000 (100% of mark) (iii)

3. Identify and critically discuss current issues and challenges for sustainable operations management within  your chosen industry, explaining their impact on the organisation/sector.  

Make reference to how these challenges can be mitigated by implementing operations management practices. 

Preparing for your assignment.

So far we have covered the following in the module: 

• Operations management and supply chain management • Operations management in different sectors
• Operations performance  
• Layout and location 
• Process and service design 
• Planning and control 

Individual exercise

• Choose a sector and an organisation
• What is the strategic direction of organisations in that sector? • How might that impact operations management?
• Identify one area of operations management to focus on (e.g. operations  performance; layout and location; process and service design; planning  and control)
• Why is that area of operations management important to the chosen organisation?  
• Are there any specific operations management challenges for that organisation? 
• Identify at least three academic texts which can support your understanding of this area.