BIRMINGHAM CITY BUSINESS SCHOOL

UNDERGRADUATE / POSTGRADUATE DEGREES

COURSEWORK FRONT SHEET

MODULE TITLE: International Operations and Project Management

MODULE CODE: MAN7064

LECTURER: Dr Juanling Huang

ISSUE DATES: June 2020

HAND IN DATES: Friday 28th August, 2020 at 12:00pm Noon

HAND BACK DATES: 25th September, 2020

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria specific to this

assignment:

Learning outcomes and pass attainment level:

1. Critically assess the principles and characteristics governing modern approaches

to the management of operations and the various approaches in their design and
analysis.
2. Evaluate the application of conventional quality control and improvement strategies
for organisations using relevant theories, concepts and models.
3. Critically appraise a range of operations and supply chain management initiatives
and techniques that can be considered in the development of an operations
strategy in a global environment.
4. Determine and apply fundamental project management principles in the
organisation, design and delivery of international projects.

Please see detailed marking scheme at the end of the assignment.

 International Operations and Project Management

Assignment
Rationale
The aim of this module is to explore the diverse range of activities that comprise the area of
International Operations and Project Management. The group project will consist of a presentation
supported by two artefacts. The rationale for choosing this assessment method is that it allows
students to simulate real life experience of working as part of the operations management and project
team involved in the planning and implementation of operations and project management issues in
contemporary international organisations. The presentation covers learning outcomes 1-4 and they
are best assessed in a group setting to mirror what happens in the real world. This approach is in line
with all the programme aims and learning and teaching strategy.

Contacts
Dr Juanling Huang (Module leader) E-mail: Juanling.Huang@bcu.ac.uk
Office: Curzon C259
Tel: 0121 331 5630

Assessment
There are two forms of assessment that will be used during the module. On a regular basis, you will
gain ‘informal formative assessment’ which will be derived to aid your learning. This feedback is not
recorded against your records, but is to be used by you to improve your work further. This feedback
will be gained from your tutors and peers and is available through seminars, workshops and face-to-
face tutorials. Additionally, students will have opportunities to arrange individual tutorials with their
tutor or through emails. The second form of feedback is ‘summative’ and will be the grade and
feedback gained from the business plan you submit at the end of the module (see dates below).
Summative assessment and feedback will be provided via Moodle in line with Faculty policies.

Individual Report (100%) – 3,000 word

This Module focuses on the management of organisational operations that are used to deliver the
product (either a good or service) to the customer and the management of projects – ad hoc or
ongoing. The project requires that a process or supply chain be identified, flowcharted, analysed, and
preparation of project plans using various planning tools.
A: Choose an existing process for providing an international company's goods or services, or a
product or service’s supply chain and document and flowchart the process or supply chain and
critically analyse the process/supply chain and offer an alternative flowchart and rationale supported
by the themes, theories and concepts covered in the module.
B: Assuming the selected organisation wishes to expand its facilities in another country as there are
concerns that all the provisions and facilities for direct selling are all based at one location. Thus in the
event of a major disaster, such as, fire or flood, this important retail provision would be lost for some
considerable time. To reduce this risk it is proposed that the increased capacity should be developed
at another location in a different country. In the review and the labour force availability the board of
directors have selected either Africa or Asia as being the ideal locations. The project team is made
aware that no construction works are necessary for this project, therefore no building plans are
required. It is anticipated that the new provision will be fully commissioned between six months to one
year. The project commencement date will be at the start of the module.
You are required to produce a project plan for the proposed new facility which must include a
schedule, budget, and how the project will be monitored and evaluation of the project risks and how
they will be monitored to ensure everything goes according to plan.
NB: The chosen company/organisation must be discussed and approved by the tutor to ensure
groups are not using the same company/organisation.
The report will include:
 A detailed process/supply chain flow chart including process inputs, process outputs,
activities, activity times, processing and labour requirements.
 An understanding of the relevant theories, concepts and models
  Critical capacity analysis of the process/supply chain, including the strategies used to address
expected customer demand.
 Suggested metrics used to measure the process or supply chains performance, and how a
changed process may improve them.
 Project plan with associated schedule and budget for the new facility including the rationale.
 Address other relevant issues as appropriate, such as:
1. Customer demand and process capacity relationships
2. How production is planned, from customer demand to production schedules
3. Quality Management issues
4. Product/service delivery issues
5. Collaboration and coordination issues
6. Other applicable operations, process or SCM issues or concerns
7. The use of project management tools and techniques

In the assignment, you will need to demonstrate understanding and application of theories and
themes covered in the module.

Feedback
There are two forms of assessment that will be used during the module.

Formative feedback
On a regular basis, you will gain ‘informal formative assessment’ which will be derived to aid your
learning. This feedback is not recorded against your records, but is to be used by you to improve your
work further. This feedback will be gained from your tutors and peers and is available through
seminars, workshops and face-to-face tutorials. Additionally, students will have opportunities to
arrange individual tutorials with their tutor or through emails.

Summative feedback
The second form of feedback is ‘summative’ and will be the grade and feedback gained from the
business plan you submit at the end of the module (see dates below). Summative assessment and
feedback will be provided via Moodle in line with Faculty policies.

Plagiarism
You are reminded of the University’s Disciplinary Procedures that refer to plagiarism. A copy of the
Disciplinary Procedure is available from iCity.
Except where the assessment of an assignment is group based, the final piece of work that is
submitted must be your own work. Close similarity between assignments is likely to lead to an
investigation for cheating.
You must also ensure that you acknowledge all sources you have used.
Submissions that are considered to be the result of collusion or plagiarism will be dealt with under the
University’s Disciplinary Procedures, and the penalty may involve the loss of academic credits.
If you have any doubts about the extent to which you are allowed to collaborate with your colleagues,
or the conventions for acknowledging the sources you have used, you should first of all consult
module documentation and, if still unclear, your tutor.

Recommended reading list and resources

Purchase
Slack, N. and Brandon-Jones, A., (2019) Operations Management, 9 th Edition, Harlow: Pearson

Slack, N. and Brandon-Jones, A., Johnston, R. (2016) Operations Management, 8 th Edition, Harlow:
Pearson

https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/bcu/detail.action?docID=5186458
Essential Reading
Chopra S. and Meindl, P., Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning and Operation, 6th Edition,
Harlow: Pearson
Slack, N. (2018) Operations and Process Management: Principles and Practice for Strategic Impact,
5th Ed, Harlow: Pearson Education Limited [eBook available]
Slack, N., and Brandon-Jones, A. (2018), Essentials of Operations Management, 2nd Edition,
Harlow: Pearson
Recommended Reading
Dalcher, D. Editor (2019), Leading the Project Revolution: Reframing the Human Dynamics of
Successful Projects, New York: Routledge
Payne, J., Roden, E., and Simister, S. J. (2019), Managing Knowledge in Project Environments, New
York: Routledge
Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Mantel, S. J. (2017) Project Management in Practice, 6th Edition,
Hoboken, NJ: Wiley

Background reading (Project Management)

Kerzner, H. R. (2017) Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling and
Controlling, 12th Edition, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons

https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/bcu/detail.action?docID=4845192
 Marking Criteria – Individual Report (100%)
0 – 39% 40 – 49% 50 – 59% 60 – 69% 70 – 79% 80 – 100%
Fail Fail Pass Strong Pass Very Strong Pass Exceptionally Strong Pass
(merit) (distinction) (distinction)
Criterion 1 Critically assess the principles and characteristics governing modern approaches to the management of operations and the various approaches in their
design and analysis.
Mark: Failed to present any Limited detail of General level of A detailed Good level of detailed A very detailed
25% detail process/supply process/supply chain process/supply chain process/supply chain process/supply chain process/supply chain flow
chain flow chart of flow chart of the flow chart of the flow chart of the chosen flow chart of the chosen chart of the chosen
the chosen Company chosen Company or chosen Company or Company or Supply Company or Supply Company or Supply Chain
or Supply Chain Supply Chain Supply Chain Chain Chain

Criterion 2 Evaluate the application of conventional quality control and improvement strategies for organisations using relevant theories, concepts and models.

Mark: Failed to present any Limited detail and General detail and A detailed and critical Good level of detailed A very detailed and critical
detail of Operations critical analysis of critical analysis of analysis of Operations and critical analysis of analysis of Operations
25%
Management and Operations Operations Management and Operations Management and Project
Project Management Management and Management and Project Management Management and Management theories in
theories in the Project Management Project Management theories in the Project Management the company’s / supply
company’s / supply theories in the theories in the company’s / supply theories in the chain’s strategies
chain’s strategies company’s / supply company’s / supply chain’s strategies company’s / supply
chain’s strategies chain’s strategies chain’s strategies

Criterion 3 Critically appraise a range of operations and supply chain management initiatives and techniques that can be considered in the development of an
operations strategy in a global environment.
Mark:
Failed to measure the Limited level of General level of Some good level of Good level of Comprehensive
25% process or supply measurement of the measurement of the measurement of the measurement of the measurement of the
chain performance, process or supply process or supply process or supply chain process or supply chain process or supply chain
and fail to present chain performance, chain performance, performance, and a performance, and a performance, and a very
suggestion for and limited and some suggestion detailed suggestion for detailed suggestion for detailed suggestion for
improvement suggestion for for improvement improvement based on improvement based on improvement based on
improvement previous discussion previous discussion previous discussion
Criterion 4 Determine and apply fundamental project management principles in the organisation, design and delivery of international projects.

Mark: Failed to present Limited level of General level of Some good level of Very good level of Excellent level of project
25%
project management project management project management project management project management management detail with
detail with low level detail with limited detail with relatively detail with good detail with very good excellent academic writing
academic writing academic writing good academic writing academic writing styles academic writing styles styles throughout the
styles throughout the styles throughout the styles throughout the throughout the report throughout the report report
report report report