Advanced Engineering Management Programme (AEMP)

ORGANIZATIONAL AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

(LM O2M 20 credits)

Operations Management (OM)

Dr Yufeng Zhang
Senior Lecturer in Operations Management,
Birmingham Business School, Birmingham University
Email: zhangys@bham.ac.uk
Tel: 0121 414 6695

Office Hours: Mondays 11-13pm, Thursdays 12-13pm

Room 239, the University House (O3)

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS

The aim of any manufacturing, servicing, industrial, or public sector operations
is to deliver goods and services of the quality, quantity, cost and availability
that will satisfy the customers' needs while at the same time making most
effective use of resources. This can only be achieved through competent
design of products, processes and operations systems, and effective strategic
planning and control of the key tasks. This module will provide an insight into
how Operations Management (OM) principles and techniques can ensure the
effective creation, production, provision and delivery of products and services.
The teaching and learning process is facilitated through course readings,
lectures, videos, worked exercises, contemporary case studies and supporting
module-specific internet resources.
Key topics covered by this module have been structured into two main parts.
The 1st part allows students to learn basic operations theories and concepts
by focusing on Operations in Context, Operations Strategy, Operations
System Design, Global Network Operations and Supply Chain Management.
The 2nd part of this module includes a series of leading practice and enabling
technologies around building operations capabilities for innovation, efficiency,
and flexibility.

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OBJECTIVES AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the course all students will be expected to be able to:

understand the characteristics of operations systems and the various

approaches that may be adopted in their design.

understand main features of network organisations that support

effective operations.

apply techniques and technologies available for the design and control
of operations.

select and implement appropriate strategies and methods for the

improvement and optimisation of operations.

use the frameworks and techniques presented to develop strategies,

design, plan and control manufacturing and servicing operations.

METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
One group assignment to count for 30% of the total mark
Assessment
One 3-hour exam to count for 70% of total mark
You will be briefed by the tutors on the style and content of this years
assignments.

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KEY TEXTS
Core Reading:
*Slack, N., Brandon-Jones, A., Johnston, R. and Betts, A. 2012. Operations and
Process Management: Principles and Practice for Strategic Impact, 3rd Edition.
London: Pearson.
(*Core text: essential purchase)
Zhang, Y., Gregory, M. and Neely, A. 2016. Global Engineering Services: Shedding Light on
Network Capabilities. Journal of Operations Management, volume 42/3, pp. 80-94.
Zhang, L., Akwei, C. and Zhang, Y. 2016. Exploring how complex solution-based capabilities
(CSC) are developed and integrated in engineering companies. Journal of Production
Planning and Control, In Press doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2016.1166281
He, T., Ho, W., Zhang, Y. and Dey, P. 2016. Organising the business processes of a product
servitised supply chain: A value perspective. Production Planning and Control, vol 27, no. 5,
pp. 378-393. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09537287.2015.1128571
Esfahbodi, A., Zhang, Y. and Watson, G. 2016. Sustainable supply chain management in
emerging economies: Trade-offs between environmental and cost performance. International
Journal of Production Economics, In Press doi:10.1016/j.ijpe.2016.02.013.
Zhang, Y. and Zhang, L. 2014. Organizing complex engineering operations throughout the
lifecycle: A service-centred view and case studies. Journal of Service Management, Vol. 25,
Iss. 5, pp. 580-602. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-07-2013-0182.
Zhang, Y., Gregory, M. and Shi, Y. 2014. "Managing Global Engineering Networks (GEN)
PART I & II: Theoretical Foundations and the Unique Nature of Engineering", Proceedings of
the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture, vol.228
issue 2, pp. 163-180.
Zhang, Y. and Gregory, M. 2013. Towards a strategic view of engineering operations.
Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering
Manufacture, 227(6), 767-780.
Zhang, Y. and Gregory, M. 2011. Managing global network operations along the engineering
value chain. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 31(7), 736-764.
Zhang, Y., Gregory, M. and Shi, Y. 2008. Global Engineering Networks (GEN): Drivers,
Evolution, Configuration, Performance, and Key Patterns. Journal of Manufacturing
Technology Management, 19(3), 299-314.
Zhang, Y., Gregory, M. and Shi, Y. 2007. Global engineering networks (GEN): The
integrating framework and key patterns. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical
Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture, 221(8), 1269-1283.

Complementary Reading:
Baines, T.S, Lightfoot, H., Peppard, J., et al. 2009. Towards an operations strategy for
product-centric servitization. International Journal of Operations and Production Management,
29(5), 494-519.
Barnes D, 2008. Operations Management: An International Perspective, Thomson Learning.
Bellamy, M., Gosh, S. and Hora, M. 2014. The influence of supply network structure on firm
innovation. Journal of Operations Management, 32, pp. 357373.
Christopher, M. 2000. The Agile Supply Chain: Competing in Volatile Markets, Industrial
Marketing Management, 29(1), 37-44.

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Cousins, P., Lamming, R., Lawson, B. and Squire, B. 2007. Strategic Supply Management:
Principles, Theories and Practice, Prentice Hall.
Dale, B., van der Wiele, T. and van Iwaarden, J., 2007. Managing Quality, 5th ed., Blackwell.
Fisher, M. 1997. What is the Right Supply Chain for Your Product? Harvard Business Review,
75 (2), 105-116.
Grant, R.M. 1991. The resource-based theory of competitive advantage. California
Management Review, 33(3), 114-135.
Greasley, A., 2009. Operations Management, Wiley.
Heizer, A. and Render, B., 2010. Operations Management, 10th ed., Pearson.
Hill, A. and Hill, T., 2011. Essential Operations Management, Palgrave MacMillan.
Johnston, R. and Graham, C., 2008. Service Operations Management: Improving Service
Delivery, 3rd ed., Prentice Hall.
Krajewski, L. and Ritzman, L. 2007. Operations Management: Processes and Value Chains,
9th ed., Addison-Wesley.
Lamming, R. 1996. Squaring lean supply with supply chain management, International
Journal of Operations & Production Management, 16(2), 183-196.
Mason-Jones, R., Naylor, B. and Towill, D.R. 2000. Engineering the leagile supply chain.
International Journal of Agile Management Systems, 2 (1), 54 - 61.
Metters, R. and Marucheck, A. 2007. Service Management- Academic Issues and Scholarly
Reflections from Operations Management Researchers, Decision Sciences, 38(2), 195-214.
Porter, M. E. 2008. The five competitive forces that shape strategy, HBV, 86(1), 78-93.
Powell, W.W. 1990. Neither Market nor Hierarchy: Network Forms of Organisation. Research
in Organisational Behaviour, 12, 225-236.
Russell RS and Taylor BW, 2008. Operations Management: Quality and Competitiveness in a
Global Environment, 5th Ed. Wiley.
Slack, N., Chambers, S. and Johnston. R., 2010. Operations Management, 6th ed., PrenticeHall.
Slack, N., and Lewis, M., 2008. Operations Strategy, 2nd Ed. Prentice Hall.
Sturgeon, T., Van Biesebroeck, J. and Gereffi, G. 2008. Value Chains, Networks, and
Clusters: Reframing the Global Automotive Industry, MIT working Paper.
Verma, R. and Boyer, K. 2010. Operations and Supply Chain Management: World Class
Theory and Practice, South-Western.
Verganti, R. 2011. Designing breakthrough products, Harvard Business Review, Vol.89(10),
pp.114
Van Hoek, R. I., Harrison, A. and Christopher, M. 2001. Measuring agile capabilities in the
supply chain, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 21(1/2), 126
148.
Womack, J., Jones, D. and Roos, D. 1990.The Machine That Changed The World, MacMillan,
Womack, J. and Jones, D. 1996. Beyond Toyota: How to root out waste and pursue
perfection, Harvard Business Review, Sept-Oct, 140-158.

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TEACHING PROGRAMME
(2016-7 Autumn)
Teaching will be organised over seven 3-hour sessions in the week commencing on
Monday 31st October 2016. The topics to be addressed are presented in sequential
order below:

PART I- BASIC OM THEORIES AND CONCEPTS

Session 1:
Lecture:
Reading:

Monday 31st October 2016 AM

Introduction to Operations Management (OM)
Slack Ch.1

Session 2:
Lecture:
Reading:

Monday 31st October 2016 PM

Operations Strategy
Slack Ch. 2; Zhang 2013

Session 3:
Lecture:
Reading:

Tuesday 1st November 2016 AM

Global Network Operations
Slack Ch. 4 & 5; Zhang 2016

Session 4:
Lecture:
Reading:

Tuesday 1st November 2016 PM

Supply Chain Management
Slack Ch. 3 &7; Zhang 2011

PARTII: BUILDING OPERATIONS CAPABILITIES

Session 5:
Lecture:
Reading:

Wednesday 2nd November 2016 AM

Operations for Innovation
Slack Ch. 6; Zhang 2014

Session 6:
Lecture:
Reading:

Thursday 3rd November 2016 AM

Operations for Efficiency
Slack Ch. 11, Zhang 2008

Session 7:
Lecture:
Reading:

Thursday 3rd November 2016 PM

Operations for Flexibility
Slack Ch. 14, Zhang 2007
Module Review & Revision

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