OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT - 2025/6

Module Overview

Operations management relates to the scoping, planning, directing and controlling of the facilities, processes and people required to transform resources into products and services.  The principles of operations management are used in every industry and every environment.  All organisations perform the functions of strategic planning, process design, supply chain management, forecasting and scheduling, work management, innovation and quality management.  The same skills are required whether operations managers are working in private manufacturing organisations, the public sector, service organisations or not for profit businesses.

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

SOTUNDE Deji (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 4

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None.

Module content

Indicative Content includes:-

• Introduction to Operations Management


• Winning Customers and Competing Effectively


• Operations Processes and Life Cycles


• Managing Inventory and Supply Chain Relationships


• Managing Capacity and Demand


• Managing Queuing and Customer Satisfaction


• Quality Management and Continuous Improvement


• Lean Production and Operations Strategy 

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

The alternative assessment for Group Presentation/Poster coursework is an Individual Presentation/Poster.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate:

Knowledge of relevant theories of operations management and a practical understanding of how these theories are used in a variety of business contexts

An ability to critically identify the key challenges facing operations managers today and in the future

Critical thinking skills are required to select, interpret and evaluate basic concepts and their practicality in specific operations

 Thus, two summative assessments for this module consist of:

• A group presentation/poster –  (addresses learning outcomes 1,2,3 and 4)


• An hour multiple-choice examination – (addresses learning outcomes 1,2,3 and 4)

The questions are based on short scenarios to assess the application of knowledge (theory to practice) beyond recall and retention capacity. This allows students to demonstrate they can select, interpret and evaluate basic concepts in context to validate their depth of understanding of the different operations management theoretical frameworks, tools and techniques.

The formative assessment and feedback

Oral formative feedback in seminars to weekly exercises and workbooks

System-generated non-graded marks to weekly exercises/knowledge checks/quizzes on SurreyLearn

Students will be given formative feedback by completing exercises and workbooks provided via SurreyLearn before attending seminars and answering multiple-choice questions from the online textbook resources. Video case studies will also be used in lectures and seminars in addition to discussion folders in SurreyLearn to help develop a deeper understanding of key concepts throughout the module.

 

Module aims

• Explore key challenges facing operations managers today and in the future
• Provide a theoretical and practical understanding of how operations management fits in with other management functions in today's business environment
• Consider key aspects of operations management in different sectors

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

• Develop a sound disciplinary knowledge required to understand and interpret the contribution that operations management plays as part of the management of businesses in all sectors


• Enable students to apply critical thinking to key issues facing operations managers


• Encourage a deep approach to learning with an emphasis on collaborative learning using real-world operations management examples and in-class problem-solving. 

To achieve the above, the module will specifically exploit the conjunction of manufacturing and service, to explore the challenges that arise comparing these two operations environments. This links to the programme learning and teaching strategy.

The learning and teaching methods include lectures supported by seminar workbook exercises, video case studies and textbooks written specifically for the subjects covered in the module.  The teaching and learning format is designed to allow students to understand operations management through the integration of theory and practical application.  Lectures will involve the explanation of theoretical concepts of operations management, online captured content, and further guided learning resources from the textbook which will allow students to test and apply their understanding in a variety of contexts.

In addition, there will be weekly seminars which will focus on reviewing operations management real-life case examples and exercises designed to help develop an in-depth understanding of the topics taught in the lectures with an introduction to contemporary business issues such as globalization and sustainability. The exercises will include the use/interpretation of qualitative and quantitative information found in real-life case examples which are required for theory-to-practice application, a key employability theme.

This strategy will be supported by guided study (provided through lecture notes, course textbook and SurreyLearn) and independent learning via the online resources for the module textbook and SurreyLearn discussion folders. 

Total student learning time (including live contact time, reading and self-study) – 150 hours

 

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MAN1059

Other information

The module enables students to develop the critical thinking skills required to engage with operations-related issues in different contexts through an application of disciplinary knowledge of concepts, frameworks and techniques that will feed into other compulsory and optional modules in their programme of study.

These skills will be developed and refined through the student’s active participation in the weekly lectures/seminars. The lecture/seminars will include the use of qualitative/quantitative information, sustainability issues with global awareness found in contemporary real-life case examples, and required to interpret theory to application, a key employability theme. The seminars will also help build a support network and develop problem-solving skills and decision-making abilities.

Overall, it will contribute to a student’s ability to be resourceful, resilient and confident in responding effectively to typical challenges encountered in an operation - a key transferable skill sought by employers.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.