Improving Business Performance.
Improving Business Performance
Module Overview:
In today’s business arena, there is a variety of data available internally (Key Performance Indicators for example) and externally (Industry Reports) that companies can collect that informs and helps them to report on and understand business performance. In turn this helps them to monitor the delivery of strategic priorities and goals. At the same time, business aspiration to grow, to increase profits and market share and to be better than the competition calls for a focused strategy.
Typical areas of focus for improvement include strategy alignment, marketing practices, organization and operations, but deficiencies that require attention can often be well hidden in the companies and within their policies and procedures.
Against this background, business performance has to be seen holistically looking at a variety of facets..
Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:
1. To appreciate the contribution of the operations function within the formulation of business strategy.
2. To analyse various business situations and recommend improvements using relevant approaches that meet the business needs.
3. To apply business improvement concepts and theory to scenarios and plan an improvement project
Module Assessment
Formative Activities & Assessment
Formative activities are opportunities for you to apply, practice and make sense of the learning materials and content that you have encountered. In this module, these include multiple choice questions, critical analysis of source materials, and reflection on your learning.
Summative Assessment
Summative assessments are the pieces of coursework that you complete which contribute towards your final grade in this module. You should take the feedback that you receive from the completion of coursework in this module and use it to help you improve your performance in future assessments.
Summative assessment in this module is two pieces of submitted coursework. You will be expected to submit your summative assignments via the Turnitin assessment points on the Assessment page in Course Resources.
Assignment
100% Coursework
Submission dates:
CW 1 – By Wednesday 1st July 2015 – 12:00 Noon BST
CW 2 – By Wednesday 29th July 2015 – 12:00 Noon BST
Assignment Specification
Coursework 1 (30%) – 1000 words (+/- 10%)
Write an executive brief explaining how strategy maps could be a useful management tool and system to monitor and control the performance of organisational or business units. Include a short analysis of both the advantages and disadvantages of this approach.
Marking scheme
20%: subject matter knowledge.
20%: critical analysis.
20%: evidence of wider reading
20%: coherence. (This means that the ideas should be smoothly joined together.)
20%: presentation and English.
Coursework 2 (70%) – 3000 words (+/- 10%)
Title: Operational Change: Which way?
Choose an organisation that you work for, or are familiar with.
i. Investigate your chosen organisation to evaluate how it is currently performing, andidentify three operational areas that require change.
ii. Start off by briefly introducing your chosen organisation and explaining what 3changes you have identified and why you believe they should be made.
From the changes that you have identified, select one change that you want to make.
i. Review the module units and identify what methods / criteria can be used to do this.At least 3 references are required.
ii. From the review, choose the methods / criteria that are relevant for your changes andorganization.
iii. Evaluate all proposed 3 changes, using the same evaluation methods / criteria, andfrom your analysis choose the change that you will implement.
Decide upon the approach you will take to manage and implement the change by putting forward a case for using both Radical Change and Continuous Improvement as the means for delivering the required improvements for the organisation, identifying the benefits and disadvantages of using each method.
i. Review the literature on Change and identify what criteria you could use to identifywhich improvement method should be used. At least 3 references are required
Recommend your choice of improvement method(s), giving reasons for your choice.
Radical Change, Continuous Improvement, or both, and why?
Marking scheme
25%: subject matter understanding and judgment
25%: critical analysis.
25%: evidence of wider reading.
15%: synthesis of ideas into a logical, coherent report.
10%: presentation and English.
Assessment Grading
When marking this assignment the academics will be looking for the following criteria:
•Clear legible presentation.
•Good use of spelling, grammar and language throughout.
•Appropriate focus, meeting learning outcomes/assignment criteria.
Logical progression and structure of arguments.
•(Normally) an introduction, a well-developed discussion and a conclusionsummarising the work.
•The introduction will include an exploration of the focus of the assignment anddiscuss the way the assignment has been approached.
•Evidence of a range of relevant supporting reading.
•Use of accurate, evidence based information to support the arguments made.
In addition, the work must include a title page with:
•The name of the university.
•The course title.
•The module title.
•The module code.
•The name of the Associate Academic.
•The student name, number and date.
•State the word count.
•Include a contents page to enable cross referencing between the sections.
•Include page numbers (pages should be numbered at the bottom right).
•Be MS word compatible document
•Be 1.5 spaced, justified and printed on single sides of A4 paper.
•Incorporate a 1” margin and use a font that is at least 12 points.
•Use the Harvard system of referencing and include a bibliography that listsall resources referenced.
Improving Business Performance
