Guidance on Sections and Structure OPM Assessment 010 1. A cover page 2. An executive summary – 1 page, with brief overview / summary of report content. 3. A contents page – 1 page, with all relevant sections and sub-sections with page numbers to show proper structure and organisation of the report. 4. An introduction – approximately 300 words describing briefly the selected organisation and a very short introduction to the nature of their operations. 5. Findings section – 2000 words as main body with four subsections as guided. As a suggestion the below sections and concepts / theories could be included in the report ideally using the Slack Textbooks, Lecture slides and personal research: TASK 1: Topic1 – Transformation Model and 4Vs: – A discussion on the elements of the Transformation Model in operations applied with a few examples to your chosen organisation with examples. – Try to identify the three types of transformed inputs and some types of transforming resources; explain the steps/stages of the main transformation processes at your organisation with real examples; Identify types of outputs and the usual the customer that creates the demand for the product / service. – A table/diagram can illustrate the main transformation process applied at your organisation. – You can show you a mix of types of input and outputs usually occur in your organisation. – You can discuss the complexity of the processes in your organisation. – A discussion of the 4Vs typology of operations theory and apply this with examples to all 4 V. – You can discuss and highlight the overall implications of each V at the organisation by giving examples. – At least discuss one operation in detail for all the 4Vs by aid of a 4Vs diagram / to illustrate the magnitude / impact of each V within your organisation. – You can include some photos / images from the organisation to show the nature of the Vs – You can discuss what each V depends from the external environment, You can give suggestion on how to improve the operations of the Transformation Process and the 4Vs. Topic 2 – Operation’s Performance Objectives: – A brief discussion and examples from the organisation for the operations, societal, and strategic operational objectives. Focus on Operational Objectives: – A detailed discussion theory of the five operational objectives and apply with examples to show how your organisation reaches them. – You can use a polar diagram can illustrate the magnitude of each of the five objectives. – Discuss any objectives trade-off is necessary within your organisation. – You can give examples of Internal and External and Order Winners / Qualifiers – You can add a brief discussion with examples of possible challenges to reach all five objectives at your selected organisation. – You can discuss how your organisation can improve these five objectives improve your organisations competitiveness and give with examples. Focus on Societal and Strategic Objectives: This could include a brief discussion of the implications of Sustainability and the Triple Bottom Line (3Ps) concept with an illustration from your organisation; – Should include a brief discussion on the strategic level objectives at your organisation. Topic 3 – Process Design and Layout Analysis – Discuss how Variety and Volume Matrix at your organisation with a diagram. – Briefly discuss the 5 types of processes for products or 3 types of processes for services. – You can discuss which type of process is most dominant in your organisation and provide some pictures of some steps in that process as example in your organisation. – You can discuss some limitations, improvements, bottlenecks for some processes. – As an option you can draw a Process Map / flow chart with decision points of how you think the process can be mapped with conventional symbols. – Discuss the four different process layouts briefly discuss which layout is close to your organisation’s by some drawing / diagram. – Show the flow of people / material / information in your organisation. – Discuss how and if the layout impacts staff or customer behaviour and ideas to improve the layout. Task 2 Two Challenges and Two Recommendations – Topic 4: Identify two operations challenges: Identify what you think are two possible challenges, critical issues or problems that might emerge within the organisation. Also provide some reasoning as to why you expect such challenges to emerge and how they relate to the sections written before. – Topic 5: Provide two suitable operations solutions: Provide two creative recommendations for improving the overall operations at your organisation and support a justification based on theory and other sources. 6. A Conclusion section – 200 words – as overall conclusion 7. A reference list – minimum of 8 to 10 academic sources in Harvard ref. system. 8. Appendix – optional and content will not be marked so ideally content is in main body of the report. NOTES: − Excellent answer should explain operations theory on each of the three topics and also critically apply the theory to their selected organisation. − Real examples from the selected organisation should be provided throughout the report. − The report content should be complete, creative, relevant and accurate. − Statements used need to be supported by references or own practical experience. − Excellent answers go beyond using just the recommended textbooks, and use additional academic and industry reports relevant to their selected organisation.