UNIVERSITY OF SUNDERLAND

AND
MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE OF SINGAPORE
IN TASHKENT

Course : BA (Hons) in Business & Financial Management

BA (Hons) in Business & Marketing Management
BA (Hons) in Business & Management

Module Code and Title : UGB165 Introduction to Business Operations and Services

MDIS Module Leader : Teng Chiang Hong, Steffen Cuthbert

Assessment : Individual Assignment

Submission Due Date : XX January 2020

Word Length : Maximum 3000 words

Please refer to AQH-F15 Guidance for Students on the
penalty for Exceeding the Limit for Assessed Work.

Weighting within Module : 100%

____________________________________________________________________________

Assignment Submission
Students are required to submit their coursework through JIRA. Only assessments submitted
through JIRA will be marked. Any other submission including submission to your study centre
in hard copy will be treated as a non-submission.

If your centre supports Turnitin©, a copy of your Turnitin© originality report must be
submitted in conjunction with your assignment.

PLAGIARISM/INFRINGEMENT STATEMENT
All Assessments are subject to the University’s Policy on 'Cheating, Collusion and
Plagiarism'. Students found guilty of this are subject to severe penalties.

This is an INDIVIDUAL piece of work - If there is evidence that the work is not wholly
attributable to you, the University's policy on 'Cheating, Collusion and Plagiarism' will be
applied

Link to University Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy

● https://docushare.sunderland.ac.uk/docushare/dsweb/View/Collection-8155
 Assignment Brief

Subject: Individual analysis of the included case study material

Notes:
1. Maximum of 3000 words. You may use tables and diagrams
which will not be included in the word count.
2. The assignment must be presented in a form that complies with the basic
conventions of a report format (see Guide to Basic Study Skills).
3. An electronic copy of your assignment has to be submitted to Turn-It-In via
‘Canvas’ by the hand-in date.

Assessment

Your work will be assessed against the following criteria:

1. Knowledge – Your work should show knowledge of the module content.
2. Understanding – Your report should demonstrate an understanding of UGB 165
Introduction to Operations and Services.
3. Insight – Your report should show an ability to analyse the ‘case study’ in the light of the
module content and your own reading.
4. Clarity – Your report should be well structured and clearly presented.

Notes:

1. The assignment must be presented in a form that complies with the basic conventions of
a report format (see Guide to Basic Study Skills).
2. Word count – 3000 words

Assignment Guidance Notes:

Business Report Structure.

Size 12 font, spacing 1.5, include word count at the end of the report.

Report Presentation
● Front Sheet – Name / Student Number / Programme / Module / Date / Workshop Tutor Name
● Table of Contents
● Introduction
● Main Body of Report – Analysis of theory and practice related to this ‘case study’
● Conclusion and Recommendations
● References - 10 to 20
● Appendix – not included in word count

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 General guidance and typical distribution of word count would be:

Introduction – 250 words

Main body analysis – 2000 words
Conclusion and Recommendations – 750 words (collective)

The criteria for grading the assignment will be:

The assignment will be graded for individuals on the basis of the specific criteria outlined in the
Generic Assessment Criteria (Undergraduate) on the following page.

Note:

The “Presentation” element of the Generic Assessment Criteria (Undergraduate) will also be
used (additional to the above assignment guidance notes) to assess the report structure.

Refer to the Meridian Investments Bank case study (below) for this assignment:

Banking Operations Case Study

Meridian Investments Bank (MIB) was incorporated in London in 1990 and has nearly 30 years
of lending and investing experience in the United Kingdom. MIB offers a diverse range of
products and services including savings and fixed deposits; residential and commercial property
loans; car loans; shipping loans; unsecured business loans and insurance.

MIB started off from a single retail banking outlet and has since expanded to 10 branches by
early 2019 with a new branch opened approximately every 3 years. Strategically located in the
city, each branch has its own operations manager and operates independently from one another.

By 2010, although MIB had established itself as a reputable retail bank providing higher than
average investment returns for its customers, it was increasingly plagued by poor operations
management. As each branch was managed independently, the overall layout and design of
banking counters were different; queue systems, signage, banking instructions and processes also
varied from one branch to another. Customers often had to return to counters to clarify processes
and were also not spared from the long waiting times and delays in completing their transactions.

Whilst the branches were connected to a shared information and database system, it was a
rudimentary system introduced during MIB’s early expanding years and was poorly maintained
since then. Its poor functionality and lack of proper database updates resulted in individual
branches maintaining its own format of database offline that was unique to its branch. As such,
customers’ information was not readily available between branches. For instance, when a
customer from branch A visits branch B to carry out a transaction, the employee from branch B
needs to contact branch A to verify customer information and details before completing the
transaction.
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 In addition, while some branches may adopt up-to-date and modern technologies for its
customers, others rely on a hybrid of electronic and manual form filling processes to complete
transactions.

Internally, disgruntled MIB employees are not fully aware of workflows, processes and types of
services available across all branches. Employees working in different branches do not have the
opportunity to meet one another due to a lack of centrally organised corporate functions, and also
treat employees from other branches as outsiders. When employees from one branch are
deployed to another branch during unforeseen manpower disruption situations (e.g. medical
leave), they adopt the processes from their own branch, resulting in further chaos.

Although the bank is performing well in the market, it is not competitive in core offerings such
as shipping loans; its unsecured business loans are also not profitable as a result of bad debtors.
However, these offerings remain operational, causing a strain on the bank’s resources.

In December 2019, market consolidation led to a large bank successfully acquiring MIB. The
new owners are aware of the existing issues in MIB and have promoted you to the role of
Assistant Director of Banking Operations, reporting to the Director of Strategic Banking.

Assignment
As the newly appointed Assistant Director of Banking Operations for Meridian Investments
Bank, you have been asked by its new owners to prepare a 3000 word report to explain how you
would introduce a companywide operations improvement strategy and implement it within 3
months. This improvement strategy must include the tools and techniques that you have learned
in this module UGB 165.

Your assignment report should consist of:

1. An introduction which explains the focus of the assignment.

2. The main body of the text where you develop and explain how you would introduce and
implement a companywide operations improvement strategy in Meridian Investments Bank in
line with the stipulations above.

3. A conclusion briefly reiterating the focus of the assignment and summarising the
improvements you have identified.

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 Generic Assessment Criteria – Undergraduate Bachelor’s degree
These should be interpreted according to the level at which you are working

Categories
Grade Relevance Knowledge Analysis Argument and Structure Critical Evaluation Presentation Reference to Literature
P 86 – The work examined is exemplary and provides clear evidence of a complete grasp of the knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the Level of the
a 100% qualification. There is also unequivocal evidence showing that all the learning outcomes and responsibilities appropriate to that Level are fully satisfied. At this level it is
s expected that the work will be exemplary in all the categories cited above. It will demonstrate a particularly compelling evaluation, originality, and elegance of argument,
s interpretation or discourse.
76-85% The work examined is excellent and demonstrates comprehensive knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the Level of the qualification. There is also
excellent evidence showing that all the learning outcomes and responsibilities appropriate to that level are fully satisfied. At this level it is expected that the work will be
excellent in the majority of the categories cited above or by demonstrating particularly compelling evaluation and elegance of argument, interpretation or discourse and
there may be some evidence of originality
The work examined is of a high standard and there is evidence of comprehensive knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the Level of the qualification.
70 – There is also clearly articulated t evidence demonstrating that all the learning outcomes and responsibilities appropriate to that level are satisfied. At this level it is
75% expected that the standard of the work will be high in the majority of the categories cited above or by demonstrating particularly compelling evaluation and elegance of
argument, interpretation or discourse.
Directly relevant to A substantial Good analysis, Generally coherent and May contain some Well written, with Critical appraisal of up-to-
60 – the requirements knowledge of clear and orderly logically structured, using distinctive or standard spelling date and/or appropriate
69% of the assessment relevant material, an appropriate mode of independent thinking; and grammar, in a literature. Recognition of
showing a clear argument and/or may begin to readable style with different perspectives.
grasp of themes, theoretical mode(s) formulate an acceptable format Very good use of source
questions and independent position material. Uses a range of
issues therein in relation to theory sources
and/or practice.
Some attempt to Adequate Some analytical Some attempt to construct Sound work which Competently Uses a variety of literature
50 – address the knowledge of a fair treatment, but a coherent argument, but expresses a coherent written, with only which includes some
59% requirements of range of relevant may be prone to may suffer loss of focus position only in broad minor lapses from recent texts and/or
the assessment: material, with description, or to and consistency, with terms and in uncritical standard grammar, appropriate literature,
may drift away intermittent narrative, which issues at stake stated only conformity to one or with acceptable though not necessarily
from this in less evidence of an lacks clear vaguely, or theoretical more standard views format including a substantive
focused passages appreciation of its analytical mode(s) couched in of the topic amount beyond library
significance purpose simplistic terms texts. Competent use of
source material.
40 – Some correlation Basic Largely A basic argument is Some evidence of a A simple basic style Some up-to-date and/or
49% with the understanding of descriptive or evident, but mainly view starting to be but with significant appropriate literature
requirements of the subject but narrative, with supported by assertion formed but mainly deficiencies in used. Goes beyond the
the assessment addressing a little evidence of and there may be a lack derivative. expression or material tutor has
but there are limited range of analysis of clarity and coherence format that may provided. Limited use of
instances of material pose obstacles for sources to support a point.
irrelevance the reader
F 35 – Relevance to the A limited Heavy Little evidence of coherent Almost wholly Numerous Barely adequate use of
a 39% requirements of understanding of a dependence on argument: lacks derivative: the writer’s deficiencies in literature. Over reliance
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i the assessment narrow range of description, development and may be contribution rarely expression and on material provided by
l may be very material and/or on repetitive or thin goes beyond presentation; the the tutor.
intermittent, and paraphrase, is simplifying writer may achieve
may be reduced to common paraphrase clarity (if at all) only
its vaguest and by using a
least challenging simplistic or
terms repetitious style
The evidence provided shows that the majority of the learning outcomes and responsibilities appropriate to that Level are satisfied – for compensation consideration.
30 – The work examined provides insufficient evidence of the knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the Level of the qualification. The evidence provided
34% shows that some of the learning outcomes and responsibilities appropriate to that Level are satisfied. The work will be weak in some of the indicators.
15-29% The work examined is unacceptable and provides little evidence of the knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the Level of the qualification. The evidence
shows that few of the learning outcomes and responsibilities appropriate to that Level are satisfied. The work will be weak in several of the indicators.
0-14% The work examined is unacceptable and provides almost no evidence of the knowledge, understanding and skills appropriate to the Level of the qualification. The
evidence fails to show that any of the learning outcomes and responsibilities appropriate to that Level are satisfied. The work will be weak in the majority or all of the
indicators.

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