BS4S101 - Strategic Operations Management and Operational Research 01 Sep 2023 - 31 Aug 2028 | Version 1

Associated Module Information

Module Code: BS4S101
Module Title: Strategic Operations Management and Operational Research
Faculty: Faculty of Business and Creative Industries
Faculty Group: Operations Management
Faculty Sub Group: Operations Management
Module Leader: Sriram Chinnadurai
Module Team: Simon Thomas, Paul Byard, Amy Nguyen, Marilia Angove, Gail Evans, Omoboyede Alalabiaye
First Intended Intake: SEP 2023 Final Year of Intake:
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 7
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100078 - business and management
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 1
Valid From 01 Sep 2023
Valid To 31 Aug 2028

Module Aims

The module aims to provide an appreciation of operational processes, techniques, planning and control systems with reference to both manufacturing and service industries from a qualitative and quantitative perspective.
' To create awareness that SOM is a core function in all organisations operational processes and is the final implementation phase of the strategic planning process.
' To explore the relationship within the value chain between strategy, design, control, human resource, procurement, and other interactions involved in the managing of operational activities.
' To utilise game theory and a range of practical activities to aid the development and synthesise of problems involved in the implementation of strategic operational decisions and research to highlight difficulties of monitoring and controlling those decisions.
' To develop the student's ability and skills in strategic operational management tools and techniques.

Content Summary

Operations Performance (The nature of operations performance, Operations performance at an operational level, The Five performance objectives, measuring performance and Polar diagram)

Operational Research / Supply Chain Network (First Tier Suppliers & Customers, Vertical Integration, Bullwhip Effect, Outsourcing & Partnerships, Supply Chain Dynamics).

Product and Service Innovation (The relationship between innovation, design, and creativity. The importance of product/service development, The strategic role of product and services innovation, The stages of product & service innovation, Performance objectives and product & service innovation).

Technology (Understanding process technology, characterising process technologies, automation, scalability & connectivity, and performance & technology)

Process Design (Volume & Variety, Process Types, Layout & Flow, Job Design and Process mapping).

Capacity Management (Understand the concept of capacity management, discuss measuring the capacity of an operation, examine strategies for responding to demand fluctuations and Forecasting, capacity planning).

Philosophies of change, TQM (Total Quality Management) and lean (Total Quality Management (TQM), Lean operations, Business Process Re-engineering (BPR), Six Sigma).

Operations Improvement (Four aspects of improvement, Risk management and Mitigating failures).

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 10
Seminar 20
Tutorial 10
Independent Study 110
Directed Study 40
Groupwork 10
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Synthesise and critically evaluate a range of theories on the the range of activities that comprise contemporary strategic operations management within a variety of contexts and situations.
LO2 Develop personal skills to be able to implement operations strategies to operations, plan and manage resources to improve the performance of processes in practice..

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Report 1 Develop a case study report that suggests the implementation plan for executing a operation strategy for the client organization. 0 3000 60 No 40
Synchronous Onsite Oral Assessment Presentation (Synchronous Onsite) 1 Boardroom presentation (group work) - Consultants presentation of the issues identified in the research phase of operation strategy along with the relevant theoretical frameworks to be used for development for client organization 10 N/A 40 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Report 1
Presentation (Synchronous Onsite) 1

Reading List

Slack, Nigel, and Mike Lewis. Operations Strategy, Pearson Education, Limited, 2020.

Slack N, and Brandon-Jones A (2019), Operations Management, 9th edition, FT Prentice Hall

Slack N, and Brandon-Jones A (2018), Operations and Process Management: Principles and Practice for Strategic Impact, 5th edition, FT, Prentice Hall

Johnston, R., Clark, G., and Shulver, M. 2012. Service operations management: improving service delivery. Pearson Education. 4th edition

Hill, A. and Hill, T., 2017. Essential operations management. 2nd edition, Macmillan International Higher Education.

Lysons, K. and Farrington, B. (2012) Purchasing and Supply Chain Management, 8th edition, Prentice Hall, Pearson, Harlow

Gupta, M.C. and Boyd, L.H. (2008), \\\"Theory of constraints: a theory for operations management\\\", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 28 No. 10, pp. 991-1012

Fiorentino, R. (2016), \\\"Operations strategy: a firm boundary-based perspective\\\", Business Process Management Journal, Vol. 22 No. 6, pp. 1022-1043

Batista, L., 2012. Translating trade and transport facilitation into strategic operations performance objectives. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal.

Fan, D., Yeung, A.C.L., Tang, C.S., Lo, C.K.Y. and Zhou, Y. (2022), Global operations and supply-chain management under the political economy. J Oper Manag, 68: 816-823. https://doi.org/10.1002/joom.1232

Chen, C.-J. (2019) 'Developing a model for supply chain agility and innovativeness to enhance firms’ competitive advantage’, Management Decision.

Chen, C. (2020) 'Technology adoption, capital deepening, and international productivity differences', Journal of Development Economics, 143, p. 102388.

Chen, X. and? Han, T. Disruptive Technology Forecasting based on Gartner Hype Cycle. IEEE.

Cooper, R.G. (2019) 'The drivers of success in new-product development', Industrial Marketing Management, 76, pp. 36-47.

Online resources