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1. Overview – The major written project in MG 4548 Operations Strategy will involve each student in observing and evaluating the operations strategy of a business system. In general, this project requires the student to identify and evaluate specific key dimensions of the Operations Strategy of a company.
2. Learning Outcomes: Successful completion of this project will contribute to the student’s proficiency in the following learning outcomes:
1. Analyze the concept of an operations strategy and then define its basic elements, emphasizing the need for a close fit between operations and business strategies. (Analysis, Knowledge)
2. Examine the planning and implementing of operations strategies over time, including such common challenges as growth and resistance to change. (Application, Synthesis)
3. Assess the Operations Strategy of a real business system, analyze and evaluate its basic characteristics, and combine key principles to recommend improvements. (Evaluation, Analysis, Synthesis)
3. Content – The theme for the Fall 2013 semester is: ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF THE OPERATIONS STRATEGY OF A BUSINESS SYSTEM
The success of any business system largely depends on it’s effectiveness to identify the critical Performance Objectives on the basis of the current Market Requirements and then, balance these objectives with the Operational Capabilities of the system’s Operations Resources. The reconciliation between the above two sets of factors is an ongoing dynamic process which determines the way the system satisfies the critical necessity of being in constant alignment with the business environment. The Operations Strategy of any system is basically responsible for the above reconciliation between the Market Requirements and the Strategic Decisions taken. Your objective is, therefore, to determine and analyze the key dimensions of the operations strategy of the system you have selected in order to identify, evaluate and offer suggestions to bridge the gaps that possibly exist between the system’s Market Requirements and Operational Resources.
To complete the project you must first select a business system you have access to and collect information with respect to its operations strategy. Studying the information collected, both through the Internet and through a field research, address the following issues:
1. Give some info with respect to the company, product / service line, customer groups, market environment, competition, etc. Identify also the system’s vision for the foreseeable future. Keep this part brief.
2. Identify the critical Performance Objectives (PO) of the system on the basis of the Market Requirements. A generic set of such objectives may include quality specifications, response speed, dependability of both internal and external customers, flexibility to adapt to a changing environment and, of course, cost. Feel free to modify this list to match the specifics of your case.
3. Analyze each of the Performance Objectives and comment on corresponding company’s approach. List trade-offs, priorities, preferences, critical issues, peculiarities, etc.
4. Identify the critical Decision Areas (DA) that relate to Operations Resources and Capabilities and correspond to the above Performance Objectives. A generic set of such Decision Areas may include Capacity decisions, Supply Chain decisions, Technology decisions and Organization & Development decisions. Again, feel free to modify this list according to the specifics of your business system.
5. Analyze each of the Decision Areas and discuss the system’s approach to them. Comment on priorities, critical issues, related goals etc.
6. Now try to identify the relationship between all pairs of (PO, DA). These relationships basically determine the company’s Operations Strategy.
What is the meaning of each particular pair for the specific firm? Which pairs are more critical for your company’s strategy and why? Could you identify any Trade-Offs?
7. Analyze and comment on the company’s effort to balance the Market Requirements with the Operations Capabilities, especially with respect to the most critical pairs of (PO, DA) identified above. List strong and weak points.
8. How successful has the company been with its Operations Strategy in the past? Are there any recommendations you can make? Keep this part simple.
It is strongly suggested that you select a business system you have easy access to and/or were a customer of for some time in the past. Having easy access will probably facilitate information gathering both through personal observation and analysis of the system’s working pattern and, possibly, through an interview with the store’s manager as well. Furthermore, having experienced the system yourself as a customer will greatly increase your insight into the system from the point of view of both expected and delivered quality as well. Finally, the above is a proposed list of guidelines. Feel free to modify this list, as you think fit, to better adjust it to your specific case.
4. Format – Each student will prepare the written project using the following required format:
• Title page – includes the title of the project, the student’s name, the course number and name (e.g., MG 2034 Al L5 Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management), the project due date, and the instructor’s name
• Table of Contents – identifies the sections (introduction, main body, conclusion) in the written project and the associated page number for each section
• Introduction – includes a brief statement of what you intend to accomplish in the project, and a summary of what follows in main body
• Main Body – includes the review of the literature and the application of those ideas to the identified business setting
• Conclusion – includes a brief statement of what you have accomplished through your discussion in the main body of the project
• References – identifies the literature which you have reviewed; please refrain from using Wikipedia and other wiki sources, as generally, they are not considered to be academic sources
• Folder – Place the project in a folder of your choice; it should not be submitted only with the pages stapled or clipped together in the upper left corner
5. Mechanics – Each student should adhere to the following technical requirements:
a. Documentation – APA style; a guide is available at: http://www.acg.edu/sites/default/files/pdfs/APA%20Basic%20Citation%20Guide.pdf
b. Word length – 5000 words (plus or minus10%); it is compulsory to report the number of words at the end of the paper
c. Submission – The project must be word processed, and each student will submit the project electronically and in paper copy
6. Project Due Date – All projects are due in excellent form on a deadline to be decided by the department and announced in due time. Please follow carefully the progress of your work effort so that you will meet this deadline.
7. Evaluation – The written project will be evaluated using the Evaluation Rubric for Major Written Project – Level 6, a copy of which is available on Black Board.
8. Contribution to Final Course Grade – The major written project is 70% of the final course grade.
9. Originality and Authenticity – The rules of academic ethics apply when undertaking this major written project, including the requirements that the student undertakes the major written project without improper or unauthorized assistance from anyone. If it is determined that the project is not done individually and solely by the student, the instructor may grade the major written project as an F.
10. Turnitin – Each student must submit electronically the major written project to Turnitin prior to submitting it to the academic staff.Please try to gain my sources from http://library.acg.edu/welcome
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