Postgraduate Course: Operations Improvement (MBA) (CMSE11247)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | The course provides an integrated introduction to the improvement of operations to support strategic objectives. The course provides participants with opportunities in class and online between classes to share their expertise and explore the practical implementation of a range of contemporary techniques for operations improvement. |
| Course description |
The course comprises three themed blocks: design, control, improvement. Vertically cross-cutting these themes, each block also addresses the problems and solutions for each theme triggered by the wider focus on intra/inter-organisational operational networks and the increasing importance of data/digital in operations.
Syllabus:
Introduction - the context of operations improvement
Design of operations processes, services and products
Planning and control of operations once designs are in place and operational supply chains; lean operations; operations strategy
Ensuring quality of services and products produced and (wherever possible) improving on these
Managing quality systems; improving the operations
Student Learning Experience
The course includes a series of lectures, a guest speaker, and case discussions. The course provides participants with opportunities to share their expertise and explore the practical implementation of a range of contemporary techniques for operations improvement. The course is taught in ten sessions. Each of the three course themes is covered in three sessions. The final session provides a chance for the students to discuss their ideas for the group online presentations and integrate the key points of the course. At the start of each session students will take part in a short Q&A of key learning points.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | For Business School PG students only, or by special permission of the School. Please contact the course secretary. |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
| Course Start Date |
13/01/2025 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
78 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Group assignment 20% (LO1, LO3, LO4)
Individual assignment 80% (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4) |
| Feedback |
Feedback consists of on-going support provided by the course lecturer to the groups throughout the duration of their projects; group feedback provided at the end of the projects; and on-going generic feedback provided through the course website in regards to the cases covered approximately once every two lectures.
Feedback on formative assessed work will be provided within 15 working days. Summative marks will be returned on a published timetable, which has been made clear to students at the start of the academic year.
Students will be provided with electronic written feedback for all coursework. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Analyse and critically evaluate an organisation as a network of transformation processes and propose pathways to improvement.
- Describe and critically discuss the implementation of a range of operations improvement techniques, including Lean/Six Sigma, the Business Excellence model, the use of Balanced Scorecards, service design, process models, OM Systems (ISO9001, ISO27001 etc) and Operational Risk Management;
- Analyse and critically discuss how operations improvement has increasingly required the analysis of operations across networks of organisations and not just within a single organisation;
- Analyse and critically discuss how Data is utilised to achieve operational improvements.
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Reading List
| A customised text is provided in the Learn environment. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Cognitive and Subject Specific Skills:
Relate operations strategy to broader concepts of business policy covered in other courses.
Integrate the concepts discussed in the course and relate them to real-world organisational scenarios, suggesting possible methods for operational improvement.
Transferable Skills:
Successfully undertake independent reading and enquiry.
Articulate convincing arguments in writing.
Engage in active debate about one's own managerial practice and experience.
Design and deliver an online resource. |
| Keywords | Operations Process Improvement Service Risk |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof David Bamford
Tel:
Email: David.Bamford@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Ross Muir
Tel:
Email: rmuir310@ed.ac.uk |
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