LO1 Know the various tools, techniques and apply suitable tools and techniques in different alternative scenarios of Operations Management

LO2 Apply information management techniques and evaluate them in context of operational functions to achieve competitive advantage and make the organization globally competitive

LO3 Apply and critically evaluate the importance of project management to given business situations (Using PERT / CPM)

LO4 Demonstrate operations strategy in domestic and global context, and evaluate how the use of technology has impacted the operational functions

Assignment title Operations Management

Read the following Scenario, and prepare a Report with the guidelines provided.

Scenario:The learner is acting as Chief Operation Officer (COO) of operation and project for a chosen organization in an emerging economy, particularly in the Middle East (ME) region. Currently, the chosen organization is attempting to (a) enhance its global operation from ME to Europe and (b) develop artificial intelligence capabilities to build competitiveness in the corporate business strategy.

The learner is required to explore operations strategy/principles, the impact of adopting lean strategies on supply chain networks, developing a project management plan, and building quality systems to build operational competitiveness.

Question 1 Report on Chosen Organizational Scenario The report should include the following:

1. Introduction of the Chosen Organization is required. The student must then highlight the principles of operation management that they think are most important to their business organization. These principles must be justified. The operations strategy of the firm must be discussed explaining how it transforms the input as value-added output (product & services). Finally, briefly discuss at least three operational challenges the firm is now experiencing.

2. A review of the operations strategy of the organization, exploring the current and long-term solution to address the challenges the firm is experiencing. The solutions must discuss the internal and external influences that would have led to the need for such action. Drawing from the experiences of other organizations here would add value to your answer.

3. Supply chain management, like other business functions, is a supporting arm of the operations strategy. Here the student must explore at least 3 SCM strategies which are likely to contribute to a successful and or more profitable enterprise. Each recommendation must be justified, considering the current position of the organization. Again, we encourage students to draw from the examples of other firms, sharing their experiences in relation to the question.

4. Students must discuss quality management approaches, highlighting various ways, through examples, in which a quality mindset can add value to the operations at their chosen organization. Students are required to explore several quality managements tools (both offline and online) in the discussion, while exploring quality’s contribution towards a leaner enterprise. Even though you are writing in the context of the organization, you are encouraged to draw from the examples of other firms, sharing their experiences in relation to the question.

5. Discuss how an AI (big data driven) platform can further enhance the overall business operations. You must also discuss the business exposure and risks such initiatives could have on the operations strategy of your organization proposing workable solutions to address them. Even though you are writing in the context of the organization, you are encouraged to draw from the examples of other firms, sharing their experiences in relation to the question.

6. References and writing style: You must strictly adhere to the Harvard Referencing System Format and present the report in an Essay type format where applicable.

Question 2 Project Plan for a Business Scenario

Propose and design a Project Plan for the implementation of AI software to enhance the chosen organization’s proposals to help improve operations in

Task 1. Discuss how the project plan will impact the overall strategic objectives of the organization.

The project plan must be an active plan where the student is encouraged to make real life assumptions and not just engage the reader in theory. The plan should define the following:
● Project objectives
● Organizations objectives
● Project scope
● Project assumptions
● Project roles and responsibilities
● Timeline with Gantt charts
● Risk management with populated template
● Stakeholder management with populated matrix
● Project funding
● Other areas can be discussed

Assuming that below are the stages for your project plan re the implementation   of the new software, you must design a PERT diagram showing its Critical path. You must highlight the drawbacks of applying PERT in the project and recommend ways of mitigating them.

Activity	Description	Immediate predecessors	Estimated duration
A  B C D E F G H I J K L M N	Stakeholder meeting  Training of power users Installation of hardware Testing of hardware Certification and approvals Installation of software –P1 Installation of software – P2 Software testing Software configuration Cloud setup Change management exe. SOP changes Going live in stages Post mortem and problem solving	A  B C C E D E,G C F,I J J H K,L	2 weeks  4 weeks 10 weeks 6 weeks 4 weeks 5 weeks 7 weeks 9 weeks 7 weeks 8 weeks 4 weeks 5 weeks 2 weeks 6 weeks