Assessment Information/Brief 2020/21

Module title
Operations and Information
Management
CRN
33320
Level
7
Assessment title
Assignment 1
Weighting within module This assessment is worth 50% of the overall module mark.

Submission deadline date 06/08/2021 - 16.00pm

and time

Module Leader/Assessment set by

Dr Kostas Chaldoupis, Room 611, Maxwell Building, email:
k.chaldoupis@salford.ac.uk

How to submit
You should submit your final assessment for grading no later than 16:00 on the submission
deadline. Your final assessment should be uploaded via Final Version *Not the Draft+ site ‘TurnitIn’
on the L7 Operations and Information Management Blackboard site.

Assessment task details and instructions

Process selection and design are both strategic elements for any organisation as they can
contribute directly to the overall efficiency and effectiveness of operations. Organisations
make decisions on process selection and design based on the variety in products or
services that the system need to handle, the degree of the equipment flexibility and
expected volume output. Using the 5 Performance model organisations can benefit in
producing higher quality products and services and, operating at low cost.

i. By taking as an example a product or a service from an industry that you are familiar
with, critically discuss the main factors that influence the manufacturing/service

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 process design.
ii. Discuss how implementation of the 5 ‘performance objectives’ – quality, speed,
dependability, flexibility and cost - may assist in achieving greater productivity, lower
costs and higher quality.

Please follow a report format. Therefore, you should have a title page, contents page, sections and
sub sections, page numbers, appendix section etc. Please note if you are uncertain on how to
present and structure a report then visit the university library and ask for assistance. Please do use
diagrams, illustrations, tables, graphics etc. wherever these are helpful, and remember that these
do not count towards your word limit. If you do use these, please do not put them in the
appendices if they are part of your discussion. Appendices are the appropriate places to put
supporting material, however, remember if the reader is satisfied with the main points of your
discussion; the supporting information within the appendices may not even be reviewed.
Please try to use theory explicitly at all stages, but do not spend too much time describing a
theory. While you must be explicit about the theories, models, techniques etc. that you use, you
can assume that the reader is familiar with them. What the reader requires is evidence of your
ability to understand and apply the theory and learn from in order to support the development of
your findings and/or ideas.
You must cite all sources on which you have relied, for example textbooks, journal articles, web
pages etc. using the Harvard Bibliographic referencing system. If you do not cite all sources, then
you may be accused of plagiarism, and that may endanger your success in passing the module. If
you are in any doubt about how to reference your work, please obtain guidance from the library
and/or your academic librarian(s) for this module.

You will also need to take the following into account when completing your assignment:
• Quality of executive summary (does it give a brief complete summary of your paper for an
executive to read?)
• Establishment of relevant theory
• Allocation of credit and sources used (have I included references and citations to the
material I have used?)
• Clarity of argument
• Overall report presentation including spelling and grammar
• Adherence to nominated word limit (+/- 10%)
• Word processed (letter size 12, times new roman, 1.5 space), fully referenced (Harvard
Referencing System)

Assessed intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this assessment, you will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

1. Critically analyse the theory, concepts and models of operations management and demonstrate
an understanding of the importance of operations management in global organisations.

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2. Analyse and critically evaluate the ways in which operations are adapted in view of specific
market culture and customer requirements, and the role and importance of operational
excellence in various aspects of competitive advantage.
3. Justify the value of understanding, measuring, reducing and preventing quality costs and
understand the application of basic planning & control techniques.
4. Use the basic tools and techniques to plan and improve all aspects of the operations function
and understand the application of the control systems that can be used for operations
management in a wide variety of environments.

Practical, Professional or Subject Specific Skills

1. Leads by example - as high levels of self-awareness, emotional and social intelligence, empathy
and compassion, and able to identify mental well-being in others. Work collaboratively enabling
empowerment and delegation - acts with humility and authenticity, is credible, confident and
resilient.
2. Judgement and Challenge - Takes personal accountability aligned to clear values. Demonstrates
flexibility and willingness to challenge when making decisions and solving problems - instils
confidence demonstrating honesty, integrity, openness, and trust.
3. Courage & Curiosity - is confident and brave, willing to innovate, seeks new ideas and looks for
contingencies. Manages complexity and ambiguity, comfortable in uncertainty, and is pragmatic.
4. Valuing Difference - engaging with all, is ethical and demonstrates inclusivity, recognising
diversity, championing, and enabling cultural inclusion. Empowers and motivates to inspire and
support others.
5. Professional Reflects on own performance, demonstrates professional standards in relation
behaviour and ongoing development. Advocates the use of good practice within and outside the
organisation.

Transferable Skills and other Attributes

1. Identify and utilise appropriate methods for collecting and analysing data related to operations
management issues.
2. Locate, summarise and synthesise a range of information from published literature and
electronic sources on operations management.
3. Use and evaluate a variety of tools for improving organisational performance
5. Manage effectively their own time and learning.
6. Improve their research skills, and data analysis and presentation. Manage their time to meet
deadlines in both group discussions and in preparation of in-class activities.

Module Aims
The overall aim of the module is to allow students to develop an in-depth understanding of the
increasingly important field of Operations and Information Management. More specifically, the
module aims to provide students with an overview of how to improve different types of
operations, and information systems to contribute to a companies’ competitiveness and strategy.
It will also provide knowledge of concepts, techniques and models that are used for planning,
managing and improving operations and information systems, within organisations in a global
context.

Word count/ duration (if applicable)

The maximum word count is 3000 words (+/- 10%). Your word count is from the introduction to

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conclusion sections. Therefore, it does not include title page, contents page, reference section,
appendices etc. If the assignment exceeds these limits; the work in excess of 3000 is not marked.

Feedback arrangements
You can expect to receive feedback
• Two working weeks (excluding University Seasonal Closing) after the submission date.
• Marks and written feedback will be available on the Level 7 Operations and Information
Management module Blackboard site
o You will need to log into the full site to access the written feedback.
o An announcement will be made informing you of the release.
• Please email the teaching team should you require specific feedback following the release of
your results

Support arrangements
You can obtain support for this assessment by attending your module lectures, seminars and drop
in sessions. The seminars and drop in session provide you with good opportunities to ask
questions to provide clarity and direction on the subject and addressing the assessment brief. You
can e-mail the tutor and visit the module Blackboard site for the regular updates that can directly
support your learning in the subject and in developing your assignment.
askUS
The University offers a range of support services for students through askUS.
Good Academic Conduct and Academic Misconduct
Students are expected to learn and demonstrate skills associated with good academic conduct
(academic integrity). Good academic conduct includes the use of clear and correct referencing of
source materials. Here is a link to where you can find out more about the skills which students
require http://www.salford.ac.uk/skills-for-learning.
Academic Misconduct is an action which may give you an unfair advantage in your academic
work. This includes plagiarism, asking someone else to write your assessment for you or taking
notes into an exam. The University takes all forms of academic misconduct seriously. You can
find out how to avoid academic misconduct here https://www.salford.ac.uk/skills-for-learning.

Assessment Information
If you have any questions about assessment rules, you can find out more here.

Personal Mitigating Circumstances

If personal mitigating circumstances may have affected your ability to complete this assessment,
you can find more information about personal mitigating circumstances procedure here.

Personal Tutor/Student Progression Administrator

If you have any concerns about your studies, contact your Personal Tutor or your Student
Progression Administrator.

Assessment Criteria
1. Quality of executive summary *5+

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2. Clear and focused introduction to the report *10+
3. Critically discuss the main factors that influence the manufacturing/service process design of a
product or a service from an industry that you are familiar with *45+
4. Discuss how implementation of the 5 ‘performance objectives’ – quality, speed, dependability,
flexibility and cost - may assist in achieving greater productivity, lower costs and higher quality
*25+
5. Provide a brief but reasoned conclusion addressing what you consider to be the key operational
findings of the report *10+
6. Evidence of a logical and well-structured and presented report structure with little or no
grammatical or spelling. Also, good, frequent and consistent use of at least ten academic
references and evinced through the Harvard Bibliographic referencing system *5+

Criterion / 90-100 80-89 70-79 60-69 50-59 40-49 0-39

Mark range

Overall Standard Standard Distinctive Merit work Acceptable Below Significantly

level comparable comparable work for for Masters for Masters Masters below
to journal to Masters level pass Masters
(indicative publication conference level standard pass
– not for paper standard
grading) publication

Scope Outstanding Excellent Clear focus. Clear scope Scope Poorly Little or no
clarity of clarity of Very good and focus, evident and scoped, scope or
focus, focus, setting of with some satisfactory with focus
includes boundaries boundaries omissions or but with significant evident.
what is set with no includes unnecessary some omissions
important, significant most of issues. omissions and
and omissions or what is and unnecessa
excludes unnecessary relevant. unnecessary ry issues.
irrelevant issues. issues.
issues.

Understandi Outstanding Excellent Very good Good with Basic with Poor with Little or no
ng of with critical with critical with critical some limited little understandi
subject awareness of awareness awareness awareness awareness awareness ng of
relevance of of relevance of of of of subject
matter
issues. of issues. relevance relevance relevance relevance matter is
Outstanding Excellent of issues. of issues. of issues. of issues demonstrat
expression of expression Outstanding Ideas are Limited ed.
ideas. of ideas. expression expressed, expression
of ideas. with some of ideas.
limitation.

Comprehens Excellent Very good Good Limited Little or no Poor use of

ive literature independen independen secondary secondary extension taught
Literature
review. t secondary t secondary research to research to of taught materials.
Evaluation research. research. extend extend materials. No
and synthesis Sources are Sources are taught taught Poor synthesis.
of source evaluated evaluated materials. materials. choice
material to and and Evidence of Limited and
produce an synthesized synthesized evaluation evaluation synthesis of
outstanding to produce to produce of sources, of sources, materials.
contribution. an excellent a very good with some deficiencies
contribution. contribution. deficiencies in choice
in choice and
and synthesis.
synthesis.

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 Critical Standard of Excellent A very good Critical Analysis Little or no No valid
analysis critical standard of standard of analysis with evident but analysis. analysis.
based on analysis – critical critical some uncritical.
showing analysis – analysis. questioning Sources are
evidence
questioning excellence Sources are of sources, not always
of sources, in questioned understandi questioned,
understandin questioning appropriatel ng of bias, with limited
g of bias, of sources, y, and a independen independen
independen understandi very good ce of ce of
ce of ng of bias, understandi thought. thought.
thought independen ng of bias,
ce of showing
thought independen
ce of
thought

Structure of Well Argument Well- Structured Argument Argument No

argument, structured, has structured and fairly has some is evidence of
leading to compelling excellent and convincing structure unstructur argument or
and structure persuasive argument and ed, no conclusion.
conclusion
persuasive and argument leads to developme recogniza
argument persuasiven Insightful conclusion nt towards ble
that leads to ess, leading conclusion that conclusion conclusion
a valuable to very draws summarises with .
contribution significant together key issues. limitations in
to the field of insights and key issues summary of
study, relevant and possible issues.
paving the future work. future work.
way for
future work

In Year Retrieval Scheme

Your assessment is not eligible for in year retrieval.

Late submission
All work submitted late will be capped at the pass mark of 50%, there is no sliding scale
Reassessment
If you fail your assessment, and are eligible for reassessment, you will need to resubmit in a date
that will be notified to you. For students with accepted personal mitigating circumstances, this will
be your replacement assessment attempt. Students should be aware that there is no late
submission period at reassessment (this includes those students who have an accepted PMC
request from a previous attempt). If a student needs to be reassessed, s/he will be given a new
assignment brief with a deadline, which will be provided by the School.

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