| Grading To gain a PASS grade, a student must satisfactorily cover the following topics according to the Learning Outcomes mentioned above: LO 1.1 / 1.2: Understand the role of operations management in an organisation Operations management: design, management, and improvement of the systems that create an organisation’s goods or services; production of goods and services; resource procurement, conversion into outputs, distribution to Users Strategic objectives: the importance of effective operations management; role of operations; operations strategy; quality; timing; reliability; flexibility; cost; strategic decisions Performance management: benchmarking; targets; performance indicators; use of environmental research; the balanced scorecard; profit; growth; competitiveness; value for money LO 2.1 / 2.2: Understand the importance of managing quality in an organization Quality: definitions; quality gurus; evolution of quality; product quality and service quality, 5 gaps model; benchmarking; best practice; self-assessment; vision; continuous improvement Quality models: development eg Japanese, USA, European, Deming, Baldridge, European Foundation of Quality Management, Six Sigma; current focus, future Trends Monitoring organisational performance: principles of models underpin organisational performance; types of performance measures and how to determine and set them; cost-benefit analysis; risk analysis; the value of a customer-focused culture; the importance of prevention rather than correction; importance of developing a continual improvement culture and how to involve others; planning, proposing, implementing and evaluating change; identifying wider implications of change within an organisation; Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) LO 3.1 / 3.2 / 3.3 and 3.4: Be able to plan a strategic quality change in an organisation Planning for a strategic quality change: gap analysis; degree of change; change strategies – creating a climate of change, workforce participation, communication, stakeholder participation, action planning, timescale, agreeing roles, ensuring resources, final feasibility review; purpose; aims/objectives; resources; targets Designing systems: process, objectives, systems and operations; layout and flow of processes; the impact of technology on operations and systems; Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy, principles, methods and techniques Resources, tools and monitoring systems: facilities; workforce; machinery; transportation; technology; quality systems; quality circles; ISO 9000 / EN 29000; TQM; managing and monitoring quality Wider implications: improved business performance, corporate image, reputation, standing; competitor response; impact on other functions and departments LO 4.1 / 4.2 / 4.3: Be able to implement a strategic quality change in an organisation Implementation of strategic quality change: timing; resource planning; staff training; communication; action planning; monitoring and evaluation criteria Quality culture: self-managed teams and quality circles; matrix structures; senior management commitment; workforce commitment; workforce empowerment; partnerships with suppliers; external auditing; customer service policies; Kaizen, continuous improvement LO 5.1 / 5.2: Be able to evaluate the outcomes of a strategic quality change in an organization Evaluation of strategic quality change: monitoring and evaluation techniques; action learning; change agents; catalysts; empowerment; performance measuring; developing communication channels; task and role realignment; piloting; ice-breaking; business performance indicators; customer feedback; effect on sales and profit Guidelines for the Assignment: ò Use standard Arial font size 11. ò Use 1.5-line spacing. ò Have a 2.5-centimeter margin on the left hand side of the page and a 2-centimeter margin on the right hand side. ò Include page number on the all the pages of the assignment. ò Headings: use 16-point Arial Bold for first level headings, and 14-point Arial Bold for second level headings. If a third level heading is required, use 12-point Arial Bold. ò Attach a completed Statement and Confirmation of Own Work to the front of the paper copy of your assignment. ò The first page of your assignment should be a title page, which should also state your Name, Edexcel BTEC ID number and the Name of the Centre where you are studying. ò The first page should also contain footer with page number, candidate’s name, unit number, and submission date. ò Include a table of contents. ò Start each task on a new page and include the question at the top of the page. ò Ensure any diagrams, screen shots, PowerPoint slides, etc. fit correctly on the page and are referenced, for example, Fig. 1, Fig. 2, etc. ò Check spelling, grammar and punctuation. ò You should also ensure that you proofread your document, because the above checks do not always pick up every mistake. ò Use accurate Harvard referencing and include a bibliography. ò Ensure you are aware of the word limit for the assignment (2500-3500 word limit) and any regulations that apply if you exceed the word limit. ò Include the total word count at the end of the assignment. ò Mandatory submit to ‘Turnitin’ and in case the similarity percentage is more than 20% to revise till within the range of 20%. Note: All work must be submitted to LMS via soft copy; all assignments should be properly referenced. ________________________________________________________________________________ Textbooks Indicative resource materials Bank J – The Essence of Total Quality Management, 2nd Edition (Prentice Hall, 1999) ISBN 0135731143 Beckford J – Quality: A Critical Introduction, 3rd Edition (Routledge, 2009) ISBN 041599635X Bicheno J – The Quality 75: Towards Six Sigma Performance in Service and Manufacturing (PICSIE Books, 2002) ISBN 0954124405 Brue G – Six Sigma for Managers: 24 Lessons to Understand and Apply Six Sigma Principles in any Organization (McGraw-Hill Professional, 2005) ISBN 0071455485 Journals/newspapers Production, Planning and Control (Taylor and Francis) The TQM Magazine (Emerald) A good daily broadsheet, eg The Times, The Guardian or The Financial Times Websites www.businesscases.org/newInterface www.efqm.org www.hbsworkingknowledge.hbs.edu www.hse.gov.uk www.hsl.gov.uk www.iso9000.org | 