Harvard process analytics simulation answers

Operation Mangament

Operations Management
2013 July

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Operations management is about how organizations produce goods and services.

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Course Objectives

To recognize the strategic contribution of operations management to an organization’s overall goals

To understand the practical nature of decisions as they relate to operations management

To be able to conceptualize the reasoning that underlies a manager’s operational decisions

To realize, from taking a balanced view of the topic, that the ideas presented in the course do not represent the only possible solutions to the problems managers might face; that there are in fact, differing opinions as to the efficacy of the concepts presented.

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Course Structure

The course is divided into two parts:

Part 1: fundamentals of operations, namely, process concept and modelling, process analytics and critical factors to process performance.
Part 2: focus is on to how to make business processes both effective and efficient. The topics includes operations strategy, quality management, continuous improvement methodologies mainly Six Sigma and Lean, finally Supply chain management.
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Course Materials

Textbook

Operations and Process Management, Principles and Practice for Strategic Impact (2nd Edition 2009);
By Nigel Slack, Chambers, Johnston and Betts; Pearson Education

Nigel Slack is Professor of Operations Management and Strategy at Warwick Business School , Warwick University (UK).
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Course Materials

Operations Management Simulation used for Harvard Business School’s required first-year MBA course, Technology and Operations Management
Process Fundamentals By Ann E. Gray; James Leonard Harvard Business Publishing Product Number 696023-PDF-ENG

Operations Management Simulation: Process Analytics; By Roy D. Shapiro; Frances X. Frei. Harvard Business Publishing Product Number 3291-HTM-ENG

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You will be given access to purchase course materials and run simulation exercises

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How to purchase HBP course materials

pay Finance $17 for the course materials.
Then you can bring Adam the receipt and Adam will inform me.
Upon Adam’s advice, I will send your email to HBP.
HBP will email you the access code to HBP course materials.
Please provide me with your preferred email address.

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PART I Fundamentals of Operations Management

Wk Topic Learning Objectives Course Activities
1 Course Introduction Operations from process perspective Strategic contribution of operations management to an organization’s overall goals Process, layout and job design – issues and technique Process modelling approach and tools Slack’s Chapter 1, 4 PowerPoint slides Papers Case: AAA Roterdam
2 Process Analytics Core concepts – cycle time, throughput, work-in-process and resource utilization To increase student intuition regarding the interplay between the various elements of process analytics with detailed questions and exercises from Harvard’s OM simulation Slack’s Chapter 5 PowerPoint slides Gray’s Process Fundamentals Harvard’s OM Simulation Case: NWC Bank
3 Key factors influencing process performance: Capacity Inventory Demand and capacity – defining and measuring; managing mismatches Inventory – role, policy and measurement Slack’s Chapter 8,9 PowerPoint slides Harvard’s Operations Management Simulation Case: Blackberry Hill Farm
4 Planning & Control Resource planning and control – rules and decision-making Role of information technology – ERP software N Slack’s Chapter 10 PowerPoint slides Papers Case: Suppies4medics.com
5 Part 1- Assessment
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PART II Advanced Topics

6 Operations Strategy (OS) Role of OS in Business strategy hierarchy Decision-making framework Hayes and Wheelwright’s model for implementation Slack’s Chapter 2 PowerPoint slides Papers Case
7 Quality management Perceived quality and the gap model Quality inspection, SPC Total Quality Management: key elements Slack’s Chapter 12 PowerPoint slides Papers Case
8 Continuous Improvement Contemporary methodologies: Six Sigma, Lean People-oriented process transformation Challenges in continuous improvement: people and organization; social and environmental considerations Slack’s Chapter 11, 13 PowerPoint slides Papers Case
9 Supply Chain Management -I Supply chain: past, present and future Dynamic behaviour of the supply chain and rational behind supply chain management Slack’s Chapter 3, 7 PowerPoint slides Papers Case
10 Supply Chain Management – II Global operations management: issues and best practice SCORE (Supply Chain Operations Reference) Models Role of information technology: SCM software
11 Final Exam
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Course Work

Team assignment

Individual assignment

Group Assignment

Mid-Term Assessment

Final exam

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Course Evaluation

Percent of Grade Criteria
15% Team Assignment
15% Individual Assignment
25% Group Assignment
10% Course Participation
15% Mid-term Assessment
20% Final Exam
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Team Assignment

First assignment is to complete in the first half of the course.
A student is assigned a selected case from the textbook. The class will discuss the case first and explore issues and possible solutions.
The student is expected to write the case study, which should focus on the chapters of the text we have covered up to that point.
Please limit your submission to up to 5 pages of content, using a 12 point font and 1½ line spacing with at least 1” margins. Please follow APA format.
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Individual Assignment

Second assignment is to take place in the second half of the course, with due date in Week 8.
Students are encouraged to select your own topic. The focus of your submission should be topical and related to either an actual or potential application you have encountered at work or at UCW. Alternatively, if you wish, your submission can also refer to something that has taken place recently in the news. Please contact me to get approval on your selected topic.
The requirement and format are same as the ones used for Assignment-1.
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Group Assignment

A group of 3 or 4 students is assigned to a special contemporary topic or a major case study in operations management outside of the recommended course materials.
This is an opportunity for students to explore what are the latest developments in operations management. The work includes review the past, current and future of the industrial practice/theory/methodology on a selected topic.

The students are expected to look into two organizations worldwide to see how they benefited (or suffered) from the implementing the related theory or practice; and to identify what lessons we can learn from the example.

Finally the students are also expected to make critical comments on the theory or practice. Each group is to present their findings to the class and make submission afterwards.

Please limit your submission to 10 pages of content (using a 12 point font and 1½ line spacing with at least 1” margins).
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General grading criteria for Assignments

The marks are divided into four broad area:

Assessment of the organization’s current situation (25%): Have you appropriately identified and assessed the organization’s current situation? Is your description clear and accurate?

Analysis and solutions (30%): Operational decisions are based on a proper analysis of the root causes and identifying of various options. In your writing and based on your observations, have you identified a viable recommendation, or set of alternatives to choose from? Is your recommendation within the firm’s ability to reach it and sustain it? Is it in keeping with the organization’s goals?

Assessment of recommendation’s benefits (20%): Have you objectively considered what the future state might be for the organization if it pursues your recommendation? What are the risks of your recommendations? What would need to change for your recommendation to take hold? What timeline do you think will need to be applied to your recommendation?

Proofreading and clarity of your writing will affect your overall grade (25%).

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On Grading Group Assignment

Submission mark: the submission is graded according the general grading criteria as discussed previously.

Final mark: the mark given to each of team members may be different, subject to the following adjustment:

Final Mark = Submission Mark (+ or -) Variance

Variance reflects an individual’s contribution to the group assignment. It is up to + or -10% of the submission mark, based on:

My own rating based review and feedback from group members

Inter-group rating (1 to 5)

Leadership
Participation
Research contribution
Contribution to the writing
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Mid-Term Assessment and Final Exam

Mid-Term Assessment is based on selected exercises from Harvard’s Operations Management Simulation

Final exam:

1 Five questions

Test how familiar you are with topics being covered in the course.
Open book
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Course Milestones

Wk Topic Submission Deadline
1 Course Introduction Operations from process perspective
2 Process Analytics
3 Key factors influencing process performance: Capacity Inventory
4 Planning & Control
5 Mid-term Assessment Submission of Team Assignment, Monday, 10pm
6 Operations Strategy (OS)
7 Quality management
8 Continuous Improvement
9 Supply Chain Management -I
10 Supply Chain Management – II Submission of individual assignment, Monday, 10pm
11 Final Exam Submission of Group Assignment, Monday, 10pm
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Course Participation

You are expected to complete given exercises from Harvard’s Operations Management Simulation.

You are expected to take part in “Grading Fellow Student’s Assignment scheme”. The scheme will be elaborated separately once the course starts.

Your general attendance in online discussions. The online discussion schedule will be published once the course starts.

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APA Guidelines

UCW follows the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). All assignments must be submitted with the correct APA formatting and all sources cited according APA standards.
The UCW Library provides resources and reference materials for students and faculty to utilize in order that their work meets APA standards.
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Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct

Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct:

Please ensure that you read the section on Academic Misconduct in the University Canada West Calendar located in MyUCW. To find the calendar, click on ‘Library Resources’ then ‘Forms and Calendar.’
Plagiarism:
Falsifying Materials:
Cheating :
Turnitin Policy: This course requires you to submit some material in electronic form. When this requirement is in place, it will be noted in the course outline, the assignment, or both. The electronic material will be submitted to a service to which UCW subscribes, called Turnitin. This is a service that checks textual material for originality. Turnitin.com is used increasingly in North American universities. For additional information please visit: https://turnitin.com