Businesses survive by selling products. These products may be goods, like food or washing machines, or services, like banking. Producing these is what the business does to make money. Porter in his model identifies operations as a primary activity that produces these products and services. It is a key element in the transformation model of organisations in which inputs are transformed into outputs with added value.

We take a slightly broader view here and define operations management as "concerning all the processes of how products are made and delivered to the customer" such that it may involve part of Porter's other primary activities of inbound and outbound logistics and procurement. It involves all the parts of the business which produce and deliver the goods or services - a very wide spread. From buying raw materials to transporting the products to the customer and all that happens between, the operations system involves a wealth of different activities which are focused on delivering to the customers what they require.

For a washing machine manufacturer, it involves buying, making and storing parts, ensuring the right parts are available, assembling them into a finished machine and delivering that machine to the right customer. In a bank, it would involve the cashiers' work - exchanging payment, cashing cheques, answering queries - carrying out the transactions, managing accounts and sending statements and letters to customers.

In this unit, you will gain some insight into the scope and challenges of operations for a range of businesses and an overview of some recent developments in the field.

After participating in this course, you should be able to:

• outline the scope of operations using different definitions
• apply the transformational model of operations to a range of service and manufacturing industries
• apply the concept of adding value to operations
• describe the different activities within operations and the interaction between them
• explain the five key features of operations
• describe some design features in operations
• define what quality means from a business perspective.

Introduction

Objectives

Section 1: What are Operations?

Introduction

1.1 Definitions

1.2 Transformation for the customer

1.3 Value added

Summary

Section 2: Running Operations

Introduction

2.1 The operations challenge

2.2 Activities within operations

Summary

Section 3: Design within Operations

Introduction

3.1 Product design and development

3.2 System and process design

3.3 Quality and quality management

Summary

Unit Review Activity

Unit Summary

References

Recommended Reading

Tutor-marked Question Paper

On completion of your course, you will receive two qualifications:

Qualification 1: Operations and Operations Management (Byte Size) Certificate

Operations and Operations Management (Byte Size) Certificate issued by Stonebridge Associated Colleges, entitling you to use the letters SAC Cert after your name.

Qualification 2: Level 1 Operations and Operations Management (Byte Size) Award

This Course leads to an NCFE Level 1 Award Certificate for successful learners. That means that it is independantly accredited at a level of learning equivalent to level 1 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland (in which case GCSE's are at levels 1 and 2 and A Levels are at level 3). In accrediting the programme at level 1, NCFE attests that its learning outcomes are at an equivalent level to a level 1 national qualification.

This award has been designed by Stonebridge Associated Colleges to meet specific learners' or employers' requirements. Accreditation by NCFE is a guarantee of quality. It means that this learning programme has been scrutinised and approved by an independent panel of experienced educational professionals and is quality audited biannually by NCFE.

In order to offer our students the most convenient and flexible distance learning courses, Stonebridge Associated College offers you the option to study for your course via two methods:

• 1. Via the traditional paper-based method.
• 2. Through the online method via ElearnUK.

When you study through ElearnUK you can quickly access your course material online and submit all of your question papers to your tutor online, using your unique student account. You have access to all of your course material immediately, and when you submit question papers, your tutor sends you an email containing your results and feedback.

At the end of the course you will receive an award issued by Stonebridge Associated College, and also gain full awarding body accreditation for the course.

With this course you will have unlimited access to your own personal tutor who specialises in their field of study. It is your personal tutor's role to ensure that you receive constructive feedback and to deal with any queries you may have. You are more than welcome to telephone, fax or email your personal tutor.

You will also have access to a dedicated and friendly team of administrators and course advisors who offer sound and professional guidance and advice when you need it. This ensures that you will never feel neglected and that you will always succeed!

There is no experience or previous qualifications required for enrolment on this course. It is available to all students, of all academic backgrounds.

This is only an approximate figure and is dependant upon how much time you can dedicate to your studies and how well you grasp the learning concepts in the course material. Furthermore, at the end of each lesson there is a question paper that needs to be completed and returned to your tutor. You should allow at least 1 - 2 hours of study to complete each question paper.

The approximate amount of time required to complete the course is: 20 hrs.

Assessment Method

After each lesson there will be a question paper, which needs to be completed and submitted to your personal tutor for marking. This method of continual assessment ensures that your personal tutor can consistently monitor your progress and provide you with assistance throughout the duration of the course.

What's Included

• All study materials
• Study Guide
• Full Tutor and Admin support
• The course fee includes the awarding body registration and certification fee (valued at up to £30.00).

What is NCFE

NCFE is the UK's longest established awarding body, recognised as a highly professional and responsive organisation, committed to maintaining excellent customer service and a friendly approach.

NCFE is recognised as an awarding body by the qualification regulators ('regulators') for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The regulators are the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual) in England, the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) in Wales and the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland.

Accreditation by NCFE is a guarantee of quality. It means that a learning programme has been scrutinised and approved by an independent panel of experienced educational professionals and is quality audited biannually by NCFE. Learners successfully completing NCFE accredited programmes receive an externally accredited and nationally recognised NCFE certificate.

For more information on this award, click here

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