University of Technology Sydney

210701 Business Operations Principles

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2024 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Business
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Postgraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought business operations and supply chains into the spotlight. Effective operations management can significantly contribute to the success of intra- and inter- business operations through improved productivity and enhanced competitive advantage. Leaders are being challenged to adapt to manage inventories and ramp up their digital and risk-management capabilities. This subject covers the fundamentals of operations and supply chain management, readying students to design, operate, and improve the processes and systems that are used to create products and deliver services. Students are introduced to operations and supply chain management concepts, methods and decision-making tools that can assist to influence stakeholders and solve global and domestic problems while maintaining ethics, sustainability and business values.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
1. Understand foundational concepts of operations and supply chain management with a focus on ensuring ethics and sustainability, in business operations, including in Indigenous contexts
2. Apply technical skills and leverage tools learnt to solve problems in operations and supply chain management in order to build supply chain resilience for sustainable and inclusive growth
3. Demonstrate fundamental practices applicable to sustainable supply chain management
4. Analyse approaches to managing operations and supply chains in both inter and intra organisational settings, as well as managing cross-cultural issues across organisations and communities

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

This subject provides a broad introduction to operations and supply chain management principles and develops awareness of the critical need for effective operations and supply chain management in today’s volatile and disruptive environment. Students learn about the fundamentals of operations and supply chain management and develop an understanding of key transactional and operational business practices, processes and systems within and across organisations. Through this course learners are able to practice how to select and apply appropriate operations methods, tools and techniques in different contexts – including Indigenous contexts – in order to build supply chain resilience for sustainable and inclusive growth. Contemporary business models and frameworks such as the Supply Chain Operations
Reference (SCOR) model are discussed to provide an understanding of key operations and supply chain measures and metrics.

This subject contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes:

  • Social responsibility and cultural awareness
  • Professional and technical competence

This subject contributes specifically to develop the following Program Learning Objective for the Master of Supply Chain Management:

  • Evaluate and apply principles of ethics, sustainability, and knowledge relevant to Indigenous contexts to guide supply chain managers in making informed, positive decisions to engage with Indigenous businesses and build resilient supply chains for sustainable and inclusive growth (3.1)

Teaching and learning strategies

This subject is delivered online using a range of resources, self-directed study and live interactive sessions with the academic. Students engage in the essential content through various formats (lecture slides, notes, webinars, videos, articles, real case studies) online and student-led dialogue through online discussions and interactions via Canvas. The teaching and learning strategies have been designed to enable students to make progress in their achievement and maximise their accomplishment of the learning outcomes. Various teaching and learning strategies adopted are as follows:

  1. By conducting self-paced study, learners will contribute to the discussions on the influence of business operation principles on firm performance. This will enhance learners’ ability to progress successfully throughout the subject and complete assessment items effectively.
  2. The online collaborative sessions will provide opportunities for group activities and discussion, self-assessment, peer review and formative feedback from the subject facilitator. Online collaborative sessions with the facilitator will be conducted at a set time.
  3. Formative and summative feedback will be provided to all learners and will take several forms, including independent learning activities and online collaborative sessions with the facilitator to support and enhance student performance outcomes via assessments.

Content (topics)

  • Introduction to operations and supply chain for services and manufacturing, and their ethics, sustainability, and business values, including Indigenous contexts
  • Strategic approach to products, services and SC design
  • Forecasting, demand management, and Inventory management
  • Sourcing/Procurement, Logistics and Distribution
  • Process design and analysis, and project management
  • Quality Management Benchmarking principles, concepts and tools

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Identification of operations/supply chain problem (Individual)

Objective(s):

This addresses subject learning objective(s):

1 and 4

Weight: 20%
Length:

A word limit of 500 words max, excluding references is intended to encourage a brief and succinct analysis (with a leeway of 10% in either direction).

Criteria:
  • Level of detail of the research conducted when selecting the focal firm and their supply chain and identifying the relevant problem.
  • Completeness of the Covid-19 environmental analysis
  • Coherent communication and clarity of the discussion

Assessment task 2: Unbundling process and systems (Individual)

Objective(s):

This addresses subject learning objective(s):

1, 2, 3 and 4

Weight: 40%
Length:

850 words max, excluding references

Criteria:
  • Depth and rigor of operations and supply chain analysis
  • Suitability of practices/methods chosen for the identified problem
  • Coherent communication and clarity of the report

Assessment task 3: Design a new supply chain

Intent:

e-poster or infographic (20%)

Critical Reflection (20%)

Objective(s):

This addresses subject learning objective(s):

1, 2, 3 and 4

Weight: 40%
Length:

500 words total, excluding references (250 word Critical Reflection); 1 page (250 words equivalent) e-poster or infographic

Criteria:
  • Depth and rigor of analysis as demonstrated in the e-poster
  • Design of the new supply chain model via the infographic
  • Extent of analysis conducted demonstrating newness in the supply chain
  • Critically reflect on your experiences of re-bundling the processes and systems new supply chain

Minimum requirements

Learners must achieve at least 50% of the subject’s total marks.

Recommended texts

There is no prescribed textbook required.

References

Resources from various sources will be used throughout the course.