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Service Operations Management

CORP 3171

Assessment Information – What you need to do

This assignment is an individual assignment.

This assignment will take the form of a report detailing the main areas of investigation. Select a service organisation of your own choice, or a part of such an organisation (e.g. A supermarket; A fast‐food outlet; An educational service; A tourist attraction; A bank or building society; A gym; etc.). For your chosen organisation produce a report, which should address the following tasks:

1. Describe the service concept of the organisation (use the service concept worksheet).

2. Explain how the operations ofthe organisation contribute to the functioning ofthe service concept. Explain the processes, layout, environment,supply chain, etc. of the organization. It is recommended to use some tools such as layout design, process chart,flowprocess chart(FPC), etc.

3. Assess how well the operationsimplement the service concept. Find the main problems and challenges ofthe studiedorganisation and presenttheirmain causes. Itis recommendedtouse afishbonechart(FBC),treediagram, Paretoanalysis, etc.

4. Suggest how both the concept, operation, processes, layout, the delivery system, etc.mightbeimproved.Ifyoudonotseeanyareasforimprovementintheseareas, argue a convincing case from an operations management point of view for maintaining the statusquo.

Apply the concepts, theories, methods, tools and diagrams covered in the module. Incorporate the topicsin operations management that are relevant to the situation under discussion.Demonstrateoriginality,novelty,criticalthinkinganddepthofanalysis.Provide at leasttenacademicreferencesandusethecorrectreferencingformat.Moreguidance and supportfor assignment 1aregivenduring thetutorials(weeks 8and15).

Criteria for Assessment - How you will be marked

The general marking criteria for this assignment are as follow.

Report format, word count, presentation of the report      10%

Description of the service concept      15%

Explanation of the role of operations      25%

Assessment of the implementation of the service concept      30%

Suggested improvements or the case for no‐change      10%

Referencing      10%

Further information on University mark descriptors can be found here.

This assignment is designed to assess the following learning outcomes:

(LO1) Analyse existing and proposed service operations for efficiency and effectiveness

(LO2) Demonstrate the main issues in practical service operations

(LO4) Appraise the problems and opportunities faced by service operations managers as they manage for both conformance and improvement

Assessment Details

Thewordcountis1500(±10%). Therewillbeapenaltyofadeductionof10%ofthemark for work out ofthisscope (1350‐1650words).

There will be a penalty of a deduction of 10% of the mark for work exceeding the word limit by 10% or more.

The word limit excludes tables, figures, references list, abstract (executive summary), table of content, and appendices. Unless you have been given specific instructions, it’s a good idea to follow the generally accepted standard structure. The standard structure has the following order:

• Title page

• Executive Summary/abstract

• Table of Contents

• Introduction (250‐300 words)

• The main body (1000‐1100 words)

• Conclusion and Recommendations (250‐300 words)

• Bibliography and references

• Appendix / Appendices

Titlepage.Showreporttitle,author’sname,date,the person/organization for whom the report has been written. If the title is not set, create one which is brief, straightforward and factual.

Executive Summary. Put the summary at the beginning of the report,to be easily accessible. Ensurethatit makessenseonitsown, andgives abriefbutaccurateaccount of what the report contains (max 100 words).

Introduction. Keep it as brief as possible including the following items:

• The importance andsignificance ofthe report

• Aims and objectives ofthe report

• Methods used in the investigation

• Necessary backgroundinformation

Definitionsofany abbreviationsusedthroughoutthereport.

Main body. Investigation or research, and its findings. Organise your material logically into sections,sub‐dividingasnecessary.Includingthefollowingitemsasmentioned previously.

1. Describe the service concept of the organisation (use the service concept worksheet).

2. Explainhowtheoperationsoftheorganisationcontributetothefunctioningof the service concept.

Explain the processes, layout, environment, supply chain, etc. of the organization. It is recommended to use some toolssuch aslayout design, process chart, flow process chart (FPC), etc.

3. Assess how well the operations implement the service concept. Find the main problems and challenges of the studied organisation and present their main causes.Itisrecommendedtousea fishbonechart(FBC),treediagram,Pareto analysis, etc.

Conclusion and recommendations. Suggest how both the concept, operation, processes, layout,the deliverysystem,etc.mightbeimproved.Ifyoudonotseeany areasforimprovementin these areas, argue a convincing case from an operations management point of view for maintaining the status quo.

Bibliography and references. The faculty standard form of citation is the Harvard system and you should use this.

Appendices. Include any documents or information which add to the reader’s understanding of the report. They should be given numbers and titles and listed in the contents. Refer to them in the appropriate places in the report.

How to Submit your Assessment

The assessment must be submitted by 12:00 noon (GMT/BST) on 19th January 2024. No paper copies are required. You can access the submission link through the module web.

• Your coursework will be given a zero mark if you do not submit a copy through Turnitin. Please take care to ensure that you have fully submitted your work.

• Please ensure that you have submitted your work using the correct file format, unreadable files will receive a mark of zero. The Faculty accepts Microsoft Office and PDF documents, unless otherwise advised by the module leader.

• All work submitted after the submission deadline without a valid and approved reason will be subject to the University regulations on late submissions.

o If an assessment is submitted up to 24 hours late the mark for the work will be capped at the pass mark of 40 per cent for undergraduate modules or 50 per cent for postgraduate modules

o If an assessment is submitted beyond 24 hours late the work will receive a mark of zero per cent

o The above applies to a student’s first attempt at the assessment. If work submitted as a reassessment of a previously failed assessment task is submitted later than the deadline the work will immediately be given a mark of zero per cent

o If an assessment which is marked as pass/fail rather than given a percentage mark is submitted later than the deadline, the work will immediately be marked as a fail

• The University wants you to do your best. However, we know that sometimes events happen which mean that you can’t submit your coursework by the deadline – these events should be beyond your control and not easy to predict. If this happens, you can apply for an extension to your deadline for up to five working days, or if you need longer, you can apply for a deferral, which takes you to the next assessment period (for example, to the re-sit period following the main Assessment Boards). You must apply before the deadline for your assessment. You will find information about applying for extensions and deferrals here.

• Students MUST keep a copy and/or an electronic file of their assignment.

• Checks will be made on your work using anti-plagiarism software and approved plagiarism checking websites.

Return of Marked Work

You can expect to have feedback returned to you on 09th February 2024. If for any reason there is a delay you will be kept informed. Marks and feedback will be provided online. It is important that you access the feedback you receive as this will help to make improvements to your later work, you can request a meeting with your Module Leader or Personal Tutor to discuss your feedback in more detail.

Marks will have been internally moderated only, and will therefore be provisional; your mark will be formally agreed later in the year once the external examiner has completed their review.

More information on assessment and feedback can be found here.

Academic Integrity and Generative AI Use

In submitting a piece of work for assessment it is essential that you understand the University's requirements for maintaining academic integrity and ensure that the work does not contravene University regulations. Some examples of behaviour that would not be considered acceptable include plagiarism, re-use of previously assessed work, collusion with others and purchasing your assignment from a third party. For more information on academic offences, bad academic practice, and academic penalties, please read chapter four of our academic regulations.

Generative AI tools may be used selectively for this assessment, particularly in visualising the contents in figures, tables and maps. Findings from analyses must emerge from students’ knowledge.

Any use of generative AI needs to be appropriately acknowledged. Students should add a statement explaining which technologies were used, how they were used and how this output was then used to complete the assignment. Direct use of outputs should be cited.

Examples of a student acknowledgement statement are shown below:

Statement of acknowledgment 1 - generative AI used when module leader allows it.

I have used (list all AI system (s) used and links e.g., Google’s Bard, https://bard.google.com) to (provide details of how you have used generative artificial intelligence e.g., to breakdown some of the concepts taught on the module). The prompt (s) I have used are (include the prompt (s) e.g., you are an enthusiastic tutor who is also an experienced economist, help me understand the concept of game theory with explanations and examples). What was generated from these prompts was used to (explain how they were used in your submission, e.g., develop a section on game theory exemplars).

Statement of acknowledgment 2 – generative AI not used when module leader allows it.

This assessment has not used any generative-AI.

You can find the library guide on generative AI use here - https://library.dmu.ac.uk/genai

Academic Support and Your Well-being

Referencing is the process of acknowledging other people’s work when you have used it in your assignment or research. It allows the reader to locate your source material as quickly and easily as possible so that they can read these sources themselves and verify the validity of your arguments. Referencing provides the link between what you write and the evidence on which it is based.

You identify the sources that you have used by citing them in the text of your assignment (called citations or in-text citations) and referencing them at the end of your assignment (called the reference list or end-text citations). The reference list only includes the sources cited in your text. The main referencing guide can be found here and includes information on the basics of referencing and achieving good academic practice. It also has tabs for the specific referencing styles depending on whether you require Harvard style used in business or OSCOLA style used by the Law school.

The University has a wealth of support services available to students; further information can be obtained from Student Gateway, the Student Advice Centre, Library and Learning Services and, most importantly, your Personal Tutor. If you are struggling with your assessments and/or deadlines please do seek help as soon as possible so that appropriate support and guidance can be identified and put in place for you. More information can be found on the Healthy DMU pages.