Assignment Brief

Postgraduate Study

Module Title: Module Code: Submission Date:

Managing Business Operations M45BSS

Assignment Number Assignment Title

One Case Study

19th April 2013 4pm

Module Leader Tutor's Name:

Amrik Singh ab3251@coventry.ac.uk Amrik Singh

Module Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of, and critically review, the operations and process management of todays organisations 2. Critically evaluate how operations management can contribute to competitive advantage 3. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the areas of indicative content from the lectures.
Please note the following: If you do not submit your assignment by the submission date without an approved extension or deferral request you will fail this module, and you will not be allowed a resit attempt. The extension or deferral request must have been approved prior to the deadline for submission. From September 2010 late coursework submission penalties will cease. Any work submitted late will be given a mark of zero. The resit module mark will normally be capped at 40%. The right to re-assessment in a failed Masters Dissertation is not automatic and is at the discretion of the Assessment Board Paper-based Submission Checklist: Your work must be typed and printed using 1.5 line spacing and Arial font size 12 Your answer to each task should be submitted on a separate sheet of paper All footers must contain your student ID number and page numbering Your work must be in the correct page order and contain all the required information Any media you have used (e.g. DVDs) must be clearly identified with your name, student ID and enrolment number Submit your assignment on time Please ensure that you retain a duplicate copy of all the work you submit for assessment

On or before the submission date, your work must be handed in electronically via the TURNITIN icon on the M45BSS Moodle page, by the above deadline at 4.00 pm.

GUIDELINES AND BACKGROUND TO THE ASSIGNMENT:

Task One (50 % of module mark) M45BSS CASE STUDY INDIVIDUAL COURSEWORK 1) Select two companies of your own choice which have contrasting operations a. They may be from different industries Car v Furniture b. They may be from different sectors Service v Manufacturing c. They may be companies you have worked for/with. You can use online resources, EBSCO or online journals in the Library, Newspapers, Operations Management Books; other texts. 2) Briefly describe the background and operations of the companies and reasons for choosing them. 3) Select two different topics from the lectures delivered. i.e. Supply Chain Management and Quality Management. 4) Compare, contrast and critically analyse the two companies of your choice, with regards to the two topics from the lecture series. a. Critically analyse the similarities and differences in operations. b. Critically analyse the two topics similarities and differences in relation to the two companies.

Word limit: 2000 words Assessment Guidance The report should clearly indicate an understanding of the topics chosen and their relevance; the current state of knowledge and opinion; and the questions to be addressed. It should be well presented, informative to the reader and not contain any serious errors of grammar, spelling and technical content. A good answer should clearly demonstrate: an understanding of the topics chosen an ability to critically analyse an organisation in terms of its operations competence in using the Harvard system to reference sources. Outcomes assessed: LO 1, 2 and 3 Criteria for Assessment This table details the weightings of the five criteria by which your work will be assessed.

Criteria 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Content (and Learning Outcomes) Knowledge and Understanding/Application of Theory Evidence of Reading, use of resources and research Referencing and Bibliography Presentation, Grammar and Spelling Total Less penalties applied for under or over the word count

Proportion of overall module mark 25% 50% 15% 5% 5% 100%

Please refer to the Marking Scheme for information on how work is assessed and graded.

How to pass this module

In order to pass this module, you need to: ensure that you have fully met all the learning outcomes and tasks as detailed in this Assignment Brief (if you do not meet one or more of the learning outcomes, you will not be able to pass) cover all the assessment criteria sufficiently submit all the work required by the given deadline Word Count Limit You must indicate the number of words you have used on the front page of your Assignment Submission Sheet. When you calculate this you must include any quotations and footnotes you have used but you do not need to count the Bibliography or any Appendices. If you go more than 10% over or under the word count limit stated in the Assignment Brief you risk losing marks as a 10% penalty applies. The contents of your Bibliography and Appendices are not normally given a specific mark, but they may contribute to your overall mark, for example, under the heading of Structure, style, language and presentation of work. We therefore recommend that you only use Appendices for supporting material and not for the substantial part of your work. Plagiarism As part of your study you will be involved in carrying out research and using this when writing up your coursework. It is important that you correctly acknowledge someone elses writing or thoughts and that you do not attempt to pass this off as your own work. Doing so is known as plagiarism. It is not acceptable to copy from another source without acknowledging that it is someone elses writing or thinking. This includes using paraphrasing as well as direct quotations. You are expected to correctly cite and reference the works of others. The Centre for Academic Writing provides documents to help you get this right. If you are unsure, please visit www.coventry.ac.uk/caw. Assessors are able to spot cases of plagiarism. The School insists that coursework is submitted through a plagiarism detection system known as Turnitin. Copying another students work, large sections from a book or the internet are examples of plagiarism and carry serious consequences. Please familiarise yourself with the CU Harvard Reference Style and use it correctly to avoid a case of plagiarism or cheating being brought. If you are unsure please refer to your tutor. Marks and feedback will be provided to students 2 weeks after the assessment deadline.