BSc (Hons) Operations Management

UCAS code: G220

Overview

What is Operations Management?

Operations Management is the largest single area of management. It analyses and determines how best to organise all of the operations that underpin the modern world - from transportation and retailing to the provision of medical care and education.

On this practical course - which is continually updated to reflect current thinking - you will be actively involved in real or realistic Operations Management projects, often working in groups with your fellow students. You will underpin this hands-on experience with an in-depth theoretical knowledge and range of analytical skills developed through courses on operations strategy, forecasting, quality, risk analysis and many other relevant topics.

You will also have the opportunity to extend the degree to four years by taking up an industrial work placement at a major organisation, giving you valuable experience and helping you decide on your career direction.

Career opportunities

As an Operations Management graduate you will develop a valuable combination of analytical, constructive and communications skills.

You will be able to formalise, measure and understand operation problems; plan and design production and service processes, and work effectively as part of a team. This set of knowledge and skills is particularly attractive to employers and will ensure you stand out in the competitive job market.

The centrality of Operations Management to industry means there are a huge range of career options available to you. Our graduates typically become management trainees before taking on responsibility for particular operations in a range of settings including manufacturing, the service industries and the public sector. Many go on to pursue careers in related fields such as project management, marketing, finance or strategy.

Requirements

A-level: ABB.

General Studies: Accepted as one of 3 A-levels

GCSE: Maths and English Language, minimum grade B

International Bacc: 32 pts overall with 16 pts from best three HL courses
BTEC: Overall grades DDM

IELTS: 6.5

Candidates offered places are invited to an open day.

First Year

What does the first year course involve?

In the first year all Operations Management students take an introductory course in Business Analytics, (MSCI 100) before Christmas and an introduction to Operations Management (MSCI102) after Christmas. In addition students normally take one other Management School subject and a third subject which can be selected from within the Management School or the rest of the University.

In the MSCI100 course students are taught some statistical and mathematical skills integrated in a management context. Students will also be introduced to some computing skills, in particular word processing using WORD and spreadsheets using EXCEL. In the OM course (MSCI 102), lectures cover the problems and concepts of operations management within the context of the total management of organisations and an emphasis is placed on three major themes viz., quality, efficiency and service. There are also a number of case exercises based on real projects and, in this context, an emphasis is placed on the communication skills involved in making recommendations and the reporting of results of projects to managers.

All lectures and case exercises are integrated with workshops in which supervised experience of structuring and solving problems can be gained. These workshops are typically in groups of about ten students.

Formal requirements

Majors in Operations Management must take MSCI 100 as well as MSCI 102, which together make up one Part I subject.

Other Years

What courses do I take in year 2 and 3?

In the second and third years there is a considerable degree of flexibility and choice for the student to be able to explore in more depth those areas of technique or application which are of particular interest to him/her. In total around twenty individual courses are on offer within the department. These are organised into four categories; operations management, project management, quantitative methods and computing and business information systems. A brief outline of a sample of these courses is given below.

Operations Management Core Modules

Supply Chain Management

The term ‘supply chain management’ was first used in the early 1980s to refer to the notion that manufacturing firms should think of their own internal operations as an integrated whole, rather than as separate departments such as purchasing, stores, production, finished good warehouse, distribution and so on. It was quickly extended to cover relationships with suppliers and with immediate customers – the idea being that working more closely and co-operatively with these counterparts would enable a kind of integration and co-ordination that would lead to reduced inventory, better quality and delivery performance and reduced cost for everyone involved. Today, supply chain management is a prominent concern in large organisations, and is among the most active areas of research in the academic operations management community.

Quality and Risk Management

Introduces the concepts of Quality Management and Risk Management and teaches in depth some aspects that are of particular relevance to Operations Managers. The course will put the "quality revolution" in context and give a basic understanding of some of the analytical issues associated with the management of quality. It will also deal with the two main strands of risk management: the technical analysis of risk and our understanding of societal perceptions of risk.

Demand Forecasting and Revenue Management

Whenever you book an airline ticket and wonder whether you paid less than the passenger sitting next to you, you’re showing an interest in demand forecasting and revenue management. These two areas have seen major developments in recent years with increased applicability: to air travel and tourism, to car rentals, extending all the time into new fields such as telecommunications. After an introduction showing how organisations can use a forecast of demand as it depends on price to ‘optimize’ revenue, the first half of the course considers the different approaches to demand forecasting. The second half of the course describes various optimisation models that are used to ensure an organisation such as an airline attracts sufficient customers paying the highest possible price in order to maximize profit.

Many organisations rely on demand forecasting and revenue management techniques. This course offers the operations management student insights into this exciting new area, including the basic concepts of forecasting and optimisation, while further developing his/her skills in using Excel, report writing and model building.

Innovative Development in Operations Management

There have been a number of innovative developments in Operations Management that have sought to organise resources in a significantly new manner in order to make a big step change in performance. This course discusses these key innovative developments in detail, including those that have led to extensive modernisation of service sector Operations Management as well as those that have revolutionised manufacturing management. There will be an emphasis on the importance of successful innovation in the current competitive environment, and the key role of Operations Management in sustaining a competitive advantage and bringing about service improvements. Topics covered will include modularisation and customisation; Lean thinking; Theory of Constraints; Workload Control, POLCA & CONWIP; performance measurement/management and the planning & control of call centres.

Project management and consultancy skills

Project Management Skills - Management science often takes the form of projects within organisations and there are several courses in the programme covering project management skills. One type of skill reflects problem solving abilities, including problem recognition, the setting of objectives, problem formulation, data collection, analysis, interpretation and so on. Other skills concern communication abilities and include teamworking, interviewing, negotiating, writing effective reports, and the making of oral presentations. In these courses skills are learned by means of realistic practical case exercises.

Business Analytics

A number of quantitative analytical skills are developed, including simulation, network planning, decision analysis, linear programming and statistical techniques. The emphasis is on understanding the real business problems to which these tools can be applied.

USA-Canada

Students on the OM/ USA-Canada degree scheme (N221) take appropriate courses for credit at their chosen university in Canada or the USA during their second year.

Formal requirements

Majors in Operations Management must take MSCI 224 unless MSCI 103 was taken at Part I and AC.F 261 must be taken unless AC.F 100 was taken at Part I. Normally MSCI 281 and 282 are taken in the second year and MSCI 381 and 382 are taken in the final year. In total, at least 5 units must be taken from the department's courses. The Degree Requirements link on the left of this page gives full details of the other compulsory courses.

Assessment

This scheme of study is assessed on the basis of 16 half-units of assessment.

Approximately half of the total assessment is by coursework, depending on a student’s choice of courses. Many exams are "open book", i.e. students may take books and notes into the examinations and refer to them, and are designed to test students ability to make use of methods and ideas rather than simply to remember material.

Management Science & Operations Management