Note: Modules offered each academic year are subject to change. Listed below are the modules and timetable for 2021/22.
This module is concerned with the process of creating and delivering products and services and aims to introduce students to the core theories, concepts, models, tools and techniques associated with operations management. The prototype organisation transforms inputs (raw materials, money, information, human resource, knowledge) into outputs (finished goods, service, and waste) examples thus considered include manufacturing plants for producing physical products, universities providing education, hospitals which aim to transform sick patients into healthy patients.
The module will consider: the key issues involved in managing the operations function; pertinent theory; approaches for managing the improvement of the operations function; and demonstrate operations management's strategic importance to organisations. The module explains the experience and insights of contemporary operations management in both manufacturing and service contexts, and within the context of end-to-end supply chains.
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This module offers students a solid grounding in supply chain management as a foundation for understanding more advanced supply chain management (SCM) concepts throughout the during of the programme. Global Supply Chain Management focuses on effective planning and management of integrated product, information and financial flows from the supplier's suppliers to the customer's customers. In today’s enterprise, the boundaries of function, organization, and geography are increasingly blurred. The enterprise's procurement, manufacturing, distribution, and sales organizations must be aligned to efficiently and effectively serve the ultimate customer. Suppliers and vendors must become partners in the integrated supply chain organization. Today these relationships and processes increasingly extend around the world, creating a globally-integrated supply chain. In this module, the focus is on the particular challenges posed by being positioned in an international supply chain, linking the module to other international management challenges.
This module describes and analyses the operations of the main international financial institutions and markets, it demonstrates the essential elements of finance, and it provides practical examples of managing risk. This module will also cover the use of financial data for decision-making, and introduce the principles underlying the construction of financial information for business enterprises.
The recent trend of digital data calls for organizations to make data-driven decisions. Business analytics is the intersection of business, statistics, and technology, offering tools and techniques to help organizations make decisions with data. The aim of this course is to introduce students to the core tools, techniques and analytical and statistical thinking in business and management so that they are able to make decisions under uncertainty across both manufacturing and service dominated environments.
This module aims at offering a set of tailored analytical and methodological tools, appropriate for conducting research in operations and supply chain management that will be fundamental for carrying out research projects based on empirical data in these areas. This module will position operations and supply chain research methods, detailing the main characteristics, core research needs and the concept of research quality in OSCM. The module will review different research methods frequently used in OSCM as well as adjacent applied management areas such as R&D, Innovation, logistics etc. Survey design, case research, action research, experimental design and longitudinal field studies will be examined in this module.
In today’s rapidly changing business environment, project management becomes more and more important for firms and organisations. It is vital to understand the tools, approaches and strategies for managing projects and project-based organisations. This module introduces students to project management approaches and concepts, and provides students with an understanding of project management and its central role in modern private and public sector organisations.
The Operations Analytics module is an advanced course on operations management. Based on the previous modules, this course provides the students with a deeper understanding of operations management in complex environments. Focusing on the design, optimisation and management of operations in the manufacturing, production and service industry, this course equips the students with tools, models and techniques to evaluation the trade-offs and make decisions with respect to quality management, cost reduction and resource utilization, so that firms can deliver the goods and services to their clients in a more efficient and effective way.
Supply chain management focuses on the flow of products, services, finances and information from raw materials to consumers. Based on the previous modules, this module is about gaining a deeper understanding of how to manage supply chains and logistics systems with a strong focus on analytics skills. On the module, we will explore the nature of supply chains and essential models in supply chain management. These include sourcing decisions, logistics management, supply chain contract management, as well as other emerging topics in supply chain management. On completion of the module, you will have gained a deeper understanding of the many decisions that face supply chain managers in an increasingly complex and dynamic global environment, as well as the theories, models and analytical tools that can be used to inform these decisions.
Procurement plays a critical role in strategic supply chain management. As supply chains have become more globalised, procurement has evolved from a transactional buying activity to a strategic business operation. This module aims to introduce students to the range of issues and related decisions that procurement managers have to face. Through the examination of core procurement principles, frameworks and tools, they will gain an understanding of how to plan and execute a procurement strategy that supports corporate goals and broader business objectives. This module examines activities which are central to the strategic management of procurement such as management of the purchasing process, supplier relationship management, category management, negotiation, commodity planning, cost, price, and value analysis; and purchasing ethics.
The objective of this course is to equip students with tools, models and techniques to be more effective in making decisions. This module will help students develop the skills in structuring decision-making process, building decision models, assessing risks, as well as decision-making under uncertainty. This module will also use practical examples and state-of-the-art decision support software to facilitate students’ learning process.
Suppliers play a central role in enabling firms to develop and launch new products. As part of a supply network, they can be sources of knowledge as well as materials. Integration of supplier capabilities into the product development process benefits from a shared understanding by both developer and supplier of their dependencies and how best to manage their relationship. This module is designed for students who wish to develop their understanding of the complex management issues associated with the development of new products. It explores the development imperative, the strategic choices, the underlying process and the challenges of organising. The module is based on a combination of case studies and readings which challenge students to analyse product development issues in differing industries and countries and to discuss these issues in class.
This module aims to prepare the students to understand, identify and shape the responsibility of businesses vis-à-vis society and the future generations. It seeks to help students to think critically about ethical issues that arise in the real business world and analyse the impact of business decisions on a variety of stakeholders. While there are no easy recipes for what corporations should and must, our departing assumption is that learning to effectively manage ethical, social, and environmental issues can produce positive results for the manager, for the company, and for society at large.
Students will be given the opportunity to either work on a specific managerial issue for a company of their choice or academically investigate a research question of their choice, supervised and supported by an experienced member of faculty or a chosen industry expert.
Having successfully completed this module, the student should be able to:
