N1582 Managing Operations Assignment Brief: Enhancing Efficiency through ITO, 4Vs, Capacity Management, and Process Mapping

N1582 Resit

Link To Model Learning Outcomes

This assessment covers the following learning objectives:

• Critically review established principles on operations management in a variety of contexts (private and public sector) covering both manufacturing and service-based organisations, to enhance organisation efficiency and effectiveness.
• Critically evaluate the appropriateness of different approaches for improving the management of operations and evaluate the appropriateness of quality management techniques.
• To defend operations management decisions and approaches using management science analytical techniques and tools appropriate for both manufacturing and service-based operations.

Assessment Instructions 

To prepare and complete your portfolio, you will need to choose a manufacturing or service operation and analyse it by applying appropriate operations management tools and techniques. You must, thereafter, provide a written report featuring data and analysis based around four (4) key concepts from the module, followed by a summary section, which provides a critical and reflective perspective on these. Operations process exist everywhere, but if you have any challenges in choosing one, please get in touch with your workshop tutor to discuss this.

General Information About The Portfolio

The report should be 2000 words in length. Please keep in mind thefollowing points:

The description of this assessment is the same as your Assessment 1 (Portfolio), and the word count is also 2000.

• You need to address 4 topics. You can choose these from the list in the Portfolio structure section below.
• You must choose a different organisation for this resit – you cannot use the same organization or operation as in your initial attempt.
• To prepare your portfolio, you should follow the guidance given above for Assessment 1 (Portfolio), along with any feedback given in response to your initial attempt (where applicable)
• This is not an essay assignment, and you should not describe or analyse theory and models in isolation. You will be assessed primarily on how you apply the concepts and models from this module to a real operation, evaluate its effectiveness, and identify and recommend improvements that could be made. However, you should include academic references where relevant e.g. the source of models used in your report. Any quotations from such sources should be properly referenced including page numbers, with full details included in the references section. For a guide to correct referencing, please see http://www.sussex.ac.uk/s3/?id=37
• The report will contain a lot of diagrams and tables, and the text in these does not count towards the overall wordcount – however it is important that you use tables and diagrams for their true purpose (e.g. pasting long sections of text or analysis into a table is not the true purpose of a table, but using a table to present steps in a process, or clearly present data would be fine)
• It is important to determine which concepts or models from the module are most relevant for the organisation and operation that you have selected. Typically, this might include the content areas from the first few lectures and then some additional topic areas. For example, you may wish to describe a retail service or a restaurant, using the 4Vs/ITO, service concept, process mapping analysis, and then select Capacity Management and Lean Management as additional areas of analysis, to highlight different ways of managing demand and eliminating wasteful stages. However, whichever concepts you choose, they must all be relevant to the organization and operation that you have selected.
• Throughout this module, there will be references to trends and external factors that can (and do) impact operations, such as COVID-19 and technology. In your portfolio, you can include references to these (where relevant) and evaluate their impact on your chosen operation.
• Throughout the portfolio, you will need to focus on both the presentation and clarity of any models, diagrams and tables, as well as the quality of your analysis
• Consider how to best present your portfolio to make it look as professional as possible e.g. using a contents page
  Tables and Figures must be labelled with a caption, “Figure 1: Diagram of….” etc. with the text referring to the Figure, or table, as Figure 1, etc.

N1582 Portfolio Structure

Introduction, which should include a summary of the organisation’s strategic position and subsequent performance objectives (keep this focused upon how such positioning influences the nature of its operations – this should not be a general overview of the organisation).

Analysis Sections: Choose 4 from the following individually graded sections:

• ITO and 4V analysis (together these constitute one topic in the portfolio)
• Service concept (and the operational implications of this)
• Layout plan
• Process map
• Capacity management analysis (queues)
• Quality management
• Inventory analysis

…or any other relevant elements from the module (please email if you would like to check suitability)
Conclusion: This is a discussion of the analysis in your portfolio. This should take a critical approach e.g. evaluating the overall effectiveness of the operation, recommendations for improvements that could be made. You will be marked highly for work that also includes deeper critical evaluation and consideration of issues such as balancing competing criteria (trade-offs) and awareness of constraints

References: please use Harvard referencing throughout.

Appendix: This can contain supplementary information that does not belong in the main report (e.g. tables of extra data, photographs of location) – however, it is not a requirement of your portfolio. Anything contained in the appendix will be read by marker (to contribute to overall understanding of your portfolio and chosen operation) but does not contribute to your grade. The appendix does not contribute to the overall wordcount. Please decide carefully whether you need to include an appendix or not – if it does not meaningfully contribute to the report, do not include one.

You should also make sure that you are fully aware of the School’s policy on plagiarism. You should be aware that you cannot later claim that you did not know the rules and regulations. Copying material from similar essays that can be found on essay websites is not acceptable and can lead to disciplinary action. See http://www.sussex.ac.uk/s3/?id=35  for full information.

Various websites claim that they help students by showing them what is expected on a typical assignment such as in Operations Management. These tacitly encourage plagiarism and copying, which does not demonstrate true understanding. It is more important to develop your own voice and your own abilities in writing and research, and to show that you can see how operations function in any real-world setting. All assignments are scanned via plagiarism detection software

Submission

Each student must submit their completed portfolio assignment electronically via Canvas.

N1582 Assignment Criteria

This assessment will be marked using the criteria listed below.

Interpreting Marks

You can interpret your overall mark using this table.

Writing Well And Avoiding Academic Misconduct

• Plagiarism, collusion, and cheating in exams are all forms of academic misconduct which the University takes very
  Every year, some students commit academic misconduct unintentionally because they did not know what was expected of them. The consequences for committing academic misconduct can be severe, so it is important that you familiarize yourself with what it is and how to avoid
• The University’s Skills Hub guide to study skills gives advice on writing well, including hints and tips on how to avoid making serious mistakes. You will also find helpful guides to referencing properly and improving your critical writing skills. Make use of the resources
• If you are dealing with difficult circumstances, such as illness or bereavement, do not try to rush your work or hand in something which may be in breach of the rules. Instead you should seek confidential advice from the Student Life Centre.
• The full University rules on academic misconduct are set out in the Examination and Assessment Regulations Handbook.
  If you do not think that you should be taking this assessment, or if you have any additional questions, please get in touch as soon as Possible

Marketing Process And Ensuring Marking Fairness 

The University takes several steps to ensure marking fairness.

Assessment Convening: The module convenor is usually the lead marker, designs the assessment, and specifies the marking criteria.

Calibration: When there are several markers:

• They calibrate their marking expectations and scale, usually in a meeting before the marking begins. They usually mark a few submissions together and discuss the characteristic of poor to excellent works using the marking criteria.
• The module convenor checks the marks and distributions by each marker to ensure similarity and fairness across groups. By analysing the data, any unexplained anomalies are identified and compensated.
• Moderation: A sample of the marked submissions/scripts (including some from each mark classification) is then looked at by a moderator to confirm the accuracy of the marking (if they feel there is a problem, they may recommend a third person to review all scripts).
• External Examination: The sample is then sent to an external examiner to confirm that the marking has been appropriate and internal procedures have been followed.
• Finally, a Module Assessment Board (MAB) then considers the overall distribution of marks, taking into account any complaints or problems raised concerning each module, and a Progression and Award Board (PAB) agrees awards for successful candidates and resit/sit opportunities for failed modules/assessment