BM9721 - Project Management in Operations and the Supply Chain

You will learn through a combination of formal lectures, workshops, tutor-directed study, and independent reading. The lectures and workshops will be highly interactive and will draw upon the directed learning undertaken, your own project management experiences, and discipline expertise from the academic team. The lectures will cover essential project management concepts, theories, and techniques, that will enable you to develop and manage a project in a global logistics, supply chain and operational setting. The workshops will facilitate hands-on practice with the topics, methods, and techniques covered in the lectures by undertaking case studies, leading class discussions and using software to solve project management challenges. The delivery of the lectures and workshops reinforces the links between theory and practice that is central to your learning experience. These interactive sessions will centre on high levels of participation and will provide you with formative feedback. There will be additional reading and online resources listed on the module’s e-learning portal (eLP) that will permit you to undertake further critical and independent research.

You will be supported by the module tutor who is an academic lead for the module. The academic team will deliver lectures and workshops. The lectures will introduce you to core concepts, theories, and principles related to project management in an operations and supply chain setting. The workshops will be undertaken in small groups so that there are opportunities for exploring the subject matter in detail with both the academic staff and your fellow students. These learning activities will be further supported through questions and answer sessions with members of the module teaching team, via the weekly consultation. You will also make use of contemporary project management software for planning, development, and managing your project. A comprehensive eLP site will store the materials needed for the lectures and workshops, alongside a week-by-week learning and teaching plan to guide you through the module. There is an electronic reading list indicating the core texts which cover the essential project management concepts, alongside references to various recommended project management, operations and supply chain management journals, capturing work that is both UK-oriented and international in its setting. Business and management databases will also be recommended, which you should access as the module progresses. Formative feedback will be provided throughout the module through discussion and reflection. You will give and receive feedback from your tutors and fellow students. This will provide you with formative feedback on your work in the interactive workshops, your team activities and will help you to develop your summative individual and team assessment.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:
• Identify the key factors determining the successful delivery of projects in logistics, supply chain and operational settings. [MLO1]
• Demonstrate your understanding of the role of a project in a contemporary operational setting. [MLO2]


Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• Develop effective interpersonal, teamworking and communication skills. [MLO3]
• Develop effective application of a range of project management tools and techniques and the ability to communicate the key outcomes from these analytical applications. [MLO4]


Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
• Reflect on the professional and ethical values as a practitioner in the project management and operations and supply chain discipline. [MLO5]

The summative assessment is a 3,000 individual-based assignment (70%) and a 1,500-word group-based project management report (30%). The individual assignment consists of a critical theoretical review of project management and supply chain management literature and practical evaluation of project management methodologies. The group-based report involves a development of project plan relating to a chosen project. The team of students will initiate a project to enhance the competitiveness of a business and develop corresponding report, including items such as work breakdown structure, to plan and manage the project.

Central to this formative assessment will be your case studies, other related problems or topical issues, particularly items in the news relating to Operations Management where a project has been undertaken or is required. There will be no one or correct answer to these problems, so you will need to elaborate on what you propose and why you propose it. Within your interactive workshops, fellow students will need to add to the debate by critiquing the ideas or proposals presented. Where the workshop tasks relate to problems where IT is required, you will detail how you arrive at your answers to see if they are correct. You will receive formative feedback from tutors on your project idea, individual report and group-based assessment. This will involve face-to-face feedback and will take place during workshops, where you will also be able to share your project idea and documents with fellow students. Detail guidance on the development of the individual assignment and group-based project management report will be given during the lectures and workshops.

The summative assessment will cover module learning outcomes MLO1-MLO5 inclusive.

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Globalisation and technological advancement have created growing opportunities for organisations but have exposed them to threats and challenges. Projects help businesses meet threats and challenges, permitting increased agility and adaptation to their external environment. An organisation will need to manage both their projects and operations effectively to add value and fulfil both short and long term objectives, with numerous employment opportunities resulting from project-based approaches to work and organisational improvement.

The module will develop you as a project management practitioner supported by context specific applications to operations and supply chain applications. You will acquire knowledge and skills to manage the various aspects of a project, including stakeholder management, project scope, cost, schedule and risk, thereby enhancing your graduate employability. Your module and learning experience are underpinned by enquiry-based and research-tutored learning, the latter capturing work that is international in its scope. You will apply advanced software to develop project management documents for a chosen operations and supply chain application as part of a team. You will then write up your experiences, evaluation and reflection in an individual report for the module’s summative assessment.