Operations Management and Operational Research

Summative Guidance - Template

This assessment comprises TWO parts. BOTH parts of the assessment are INDIVIDUAL pieces of

work. BOTH parts will be submitted as a SINGLE document. (You will submit ONE piece of work to

Turnitin containing Part A and Part B).

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT OF THE SUMMATIVE:

1) Create a cover page outlining the name of the university, name of the program and module, name of the tutor, and the name of the student.

2) In a separate page followed by the cover page, start the PART A - Reflective Analysis (2500- 3000 words in length) that counts of 50% of the overall grade.

In your PART A - Reflective Analysis please make sure to address the following:

- At the beginning of the module you have identified ONE personal skill that you aimed to develop and

improve throughout the module. Your Reflective Analysis will detail WHAT YOU DID to improve that

skill and HOW EFFECTIVE your efforts have been. Therefore:

➢ Create a titled Introduction that outlines the importance of the selected skill. In the

introduction you are also advised to describe the general nature of the skill with certain theoretical justification i.e. text-citations/references as well as provide proofs for the necessity of the skill’ improvement (maybe by adding additional information from your work environment which may have influenced your skill’ selection and need for improvement).

Finally, your introduction may be concluded/ end with the purpose of the Part A i.e.

‘Finally, this paper seeks to provide information from a reflective nature of the skill….. etc.’.

The introduction may be approximately 400 words limit.

➢ The main body of your Part A – Reflective Analysis (approximately 2300 words limit) could be divided into sub-chapters while exploring the role of the skill into different fields of study i.e.

‘The importance of time management skill towards productivity’. Make sure that you will

manage to establish a clear evidence of the importance of the skill’ improvement in

relation to the areas where you are most affected by the use of that skill. Finally, and MOST

important while discussing the skill which affects certain fields (i.e. productivity) please

REMEMBER to include THE METHODS that you have used to improve that skill and discuss

HOW EFFECTIVE your efforts have been. It is important to support your ASSERTIONS with

appropriate theoretical information especially while linking the skill in certain areas or

influences.

➢ Conclude your PART A - Reflective Analysis with a conclusion of approximately 300 words.

➢ In a separate page after your conclusion please include the reference list of ALL the resources used and text-cited in the PART A – Reflective Analysis. Your references do not count in the word limit of the PART A.

3) In a separate page followed by the completed part A, please start the PART B - Report (2500-3000 words in length) that counts of 50% of the overall grade.

In your PART B - Report please make sure to address the following:

- For the Part B – Report, it is required to examine a Job Description for an Operation Manager's

position. You are required to select an advert for an Operation Manager's role: you may select an advert

from any online recruitment agency. You MUST include the job advert as an Appendix to your Report.

- Using appropriate theory, literature, techniques and approaches that you have encountered in the module, discuss the following:

• What are likely to be the operational challenges that the successful candidate would face? (20%)

• How would you address the main issues? (80%)

An advisable structure for Part B – Report is the following:

➢ Create a titled Introduction that outlines the nature of Operation Management with specific use of theoretical frameworks/ resources. Finally, your introduction may be concluded/ end with the purpose of the Part B i.e. ‘Finally, this paper seeks to identify possible operational challenges of the operational manager of the advert XYZ…. etc.’. The introduction may be approximately 400 words limit.

➢ The main body of your Part B – Report (approximately 2300 words limit) could be divided into sub-chapters while exploring the operational challenges that the successful candidate would face as well as identify and explain how would you address the main issues. Please REMEMBER to support your ASSERTIONS with appropriate theoretical information especially while identifying possible challenges as well as recommend ways in which you could have addressed the main issues. Finally, feel free to utilize appropriate theory, literature, techniques and approaches that you have encountered in the module i.e. JIT/lean, quality planning and control agile strategies etc.

➢ Conclude your PART B - Report with a conclusion of approximately 300 words.

➢ In a separate page after your conclusion please include the reference list of ALL the resources used and text-cited in the PART B – Report. Your references do not count in the word limit of the PART B.

➢ Appendices (REMEMBER TO INCLUDE THE advert for an Operation Manager's role)

NOTE 1: Please bear in mind that you have the opportunity to upload a draft of your assignment in

the VLE prior of the deadline to check similarity percentage and avoid the risk of committing academic

misconduct.

NOTE 2: Further specifications for the summative assignment’ submission are provided in the document ‘Summative Assessment Brief and Marking Scheme’.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Learning Outcomes from Summative Assignment: (LO1, LO2)

- Demonstrate a broad knowledge of the range of activities that comprise contemporary strategic operations management within a variety of contexts and situations. (LO1)

- Develop personal skills to be able to critically evaluate and improve the performance of

processes within both the operations field and also the wider organizational environment. (LO2)