Wits DigitalCampus Operations Management Practice
Table of Contents Course Description...3 Course Overview...5 Lecturer...7 Target Audience...7 Course Accreditation...8 About WITS Plus...7 About LRMG...7 Course Details...8 Course Duration...8 Course Dates...8 Course Fees...8 Course Modules, Prerequisites and Delivery... 13 Overview of Weekly Modules... 13 Course Prerequisites... 13 Course Delivery... 14 Course Assessment and Certificate of Competence... 15 Course Registration and Payment... 16 Payment... 16 Registration... 16 Contact... 17 2
Course Description What is Operations Management? How do efficient Operations Management practices contribute to business success? What are the elements of an operational strategy? What is the role that product and process design plays in Operations Management? How can Operations Managers use physical layout, technology and job design to optimise productivity and performance? How do planning and control mechanisms impact on the management of operations? What is the role of stock and stock control in Operations Management? Which stock control techniques should be used in Operations Management? How should projects be managed within an operations environment? In which ways can Operations Management practices support the achievement of organisational strategy? These and other questions will be answered in the DigitalCampus Operations Management Practice course. 3
Course Description Operations Management is concerned with the practices around designing and controlling processes that enable the delivery of a company s services or products. Efficient Operations Management practices ensure that the business strategy is achieved and that customers are satisfied. Reimagine your career when you ve gained knowledge and skills in Operations Management Practice. You will be able to design and execute on an Operations Strategy, implement design products and processes, plan and control operational tasks and deliverables, control stock, manage projects and play a vital role in helping the organisation to achieve its business strategy. As an aspiring business professional in line management, Operations, Project Management or small business management, the DigitalCampus Operations Management Practice course will provide you with the opportunity to reimagine your professional potential in the exciting field of Operations Management. 4
Course Overview In this course you ll learn about: An overview of organisational Operations Management. The basic practices related to Operations Management, such as: design, planning and controlling, stock and stock management, and project management, showing how each can be optimised to boost profitability and productivity. The role of Operations Management in an organisation. How Operations Management contributes to business success and helps the business to achieve its strategic goals. The outcomes and aims of this course are to: Explain the impact of operations management practices on organisational productivity, competitiveness, performance and strategy. Determine the role of design, ranging from product design to job design, on operational effectiveness. Demonstrate the use of planning and control mechanisms to manage an operations plan. Discuss stock and stock control principles and practices that can be applied to optimise organisational operations. Evaluate the role that effective management of projects and organisational processes play in driving organisational improvement. 5
Course Overview Lecturer Wits lecturer Mike Mundy shares his wealth of experience in the field of Operations Management in this course. He has been a senior lecturer in the field of operations and technology at the Wits Business School and Wits Plus for 16 years. With a Master s degree in Operations from the University of KwaZulu- Natal, Mike has had the honour to lecture on an international platform at prestigious universities such as the University of the Netherlands and the University of Wales. His consulting experience ranges from solving operational challenges in the tobacco industry in Tanzania to streamlining process and efficiencies at mining giant Harmony Gold. He has recently consulted to South African corporate giants Afrox and Nedbank. Target Audience The target market of this course is organisational line managers who implement or manage operations plans or want to develop a deeper understanding of operations management. Organisational Project Managers aiming to develop a career in operations management will also benefit from this course. The target audience could also be small business owners who are challenged to understand more about the effective management of operations in their business. 6
Course Accreditation This course was developed by Wits Plus, the Centre for Part-Time Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, and is accredited by Wits University. You will receive a Certificate of Competence from Wits once you have successfully completed the course. The course is presented by Wits Plus in partnership with DigitalCampus, a division of LRMG Performance Agency (LRMG). About Wits Plus Wits Plus, the Centre for Part-Time Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, offers various qualifications and a wide range of high-level short courses to mature professionals. Wits University is established as a Public Higher Education Institution in terms of the Higher Education Act. Wits is recognised as one of the leading Higher Education Institutions in South Africa and is internationally and locally respected by both private and public sector organisations. With Wits Plus you will: Study with qualified lecturers, widely recognised in their fields. Be treated as a professional. Network with other professionals who want to get ahead and stay ahead in their careers. Be assured of the best quality. Get extensive support to give you the best chance of success. 7
Course Accreditation About LRMG As one of South Africa s leading performance and learning consulting firms, The LR Management Group (LRMG Performance Agency) has been empowering people to achieve their potential since 1997, working with companies such as MTN, Telkom, Nedbank, MultiChoice, Engen and Sun International. Applying their unique knowledge of the science of online learning to specially-developed content from Wits, they ve created a cutting-edge platform that provides you with a completely new way of learning. LRMG is a SETA-accredited management group with full accreditation as a training provider. LRMG offers fully-customised learning programmes to people and organisations wanting to ensure maximum returns on people talent investment. LRMG s ISETT SETA accreditation number is ACC02 and full SETA accreditation number is 0986. LRMG can assist businesses in obtaining Category D recognition under the Skills Development element of their B-BBEE scorecard and can provide employers with a Workplace Observation Checklist Template to align learning outcomes with an employee s Skills Development Portfolio of Evidence. 8
Course Details Course Duration Operations Management Practice is a 10-week online course, comprised of eight weeks of consecutive online lectures followed by a final exam in week 10. Course Dates Please visit www.digitalcampus.co.za/courses for details. Course Fees R 12,500.00 VAT inclusive. 9
Course Modules, Prerequisites and Delivery For eight consecutive weeks you will navigate through one module per week: Module 1: An Introduction to Operations Management. Module 2: Design in Operations Management. Module 3: Physical Layout, Technology and Job Design in Operations Management. Module 4: Planning and Control in Operations Management. Module 5: Stock and Stock Control in Operations Management. Module 6: Stock Control Techniques. Module 7: Project Management and Operations Improvement. Module 8: Operations Management and Strategy. During week 9, learners are given study time. During week 10, learners will write final examinations. Overview of Weekly Modules Module 1 An Introduction to Operations Management Module 1 sets the course framework for operations, allowing learners to determine the influence that an operational strategy has on organisational competitiveness and productivity. Learners will be able to explain the role of operations in an organisation and describe the elements of an operational strategy. 10
Course Modules, Prerequisites and Delivery Overview of Weekly Modules Module 2 Design in Operations Management Product design, service design, process design and operations network design is unpacked in this module, so that learners can determine the role that design plays in operations. Module 3 Physical Layout, Technology and Job Design in Operations Management By the end of this module learners will be able to use physical layout, technology and job design principles to optimise operations management and the total customer experience. Module 4 Planning and Control in Operations Management Concepts related to planning and control and capacity planning and control are discussed, providing learners with the insight required to use planning and control mechanisms to optimise an operations plan. Module 5 Stock and Stock Control in Operations Management In this module learners are introduced to stock and stock control as it pertains to operations management. Stock control management principles and synthetic number generation are also discussed. Module 6 Stock Control Techniques A deeper look at stock control techniques is undertaken in Module 6, providing insight into computer controlled stock and resource systems, the Just in Time Toyota way and future trends in stock control. 11
Course Modules, Prerequisites and Delivery Overview of Weekly Modules Module 7 Project Management and Operations Improvement Module 7 exposes learners to the role of project management in operations, providing the tools required to evaluate the role that the management of projects and organisational processes play in driving organisational improvement. Module 8 Operations Management and Strategy Failure prevention and recovery and total quality management is discussed, as well as the future opportunities and concerns for operations as they seek to align their practices with organisational strategy. Learners should be able to assess the importance of operations management practice in supporting the overarching organisational strategy. Course Prerequisites A Grade 12 or matric certificate (or equivalent) is required. In the absence of a Grade 12 certificate, recognition of prior learning will be considered on a case-by-case basis. You don t need prior knowledge of Operations Management to register for this course. This course is presented online so you will need: Access to a computer with internet access (with a working webcam for final exam). A current email address. Microsoft Word software. To be able to read PDF documents using PDF-reading software. To be able to watch YouTube videos. All course material is in English and all assessments are delivered in English. 12
Course Assessment and Certificate of Competence This online course enables you to divide your time between work, family, friends and study. You must set aside five to seven hours weekly to complete each module over the eight weeks of the course. Course Delivery This course is delivered fully online. No matter where you are, you can simply log in to the DigitalCampus online learning portal and continue with your course. We release one module per week. Each module consists of several topics. During a typical week, you must read the topic s content and watch the videos. You will also have the option to answer progress check questions. At the end of each module, you re expected to: Log in to the Discussion Forum and participate in a discussion focusing on the module. Complete an assignment related to the module. At the end of the eight weeks, you are expected to complete a final examination. You can contact the DigitalCampus Learning Journey Manager, Denise Pivacic, throughout the duration of this course via the Q&A forum or email her at denisep@digitalcampus.co.za with your questions. If necessary, Denise will refer your question to the course lecturer, Mike Mundy or the assigned course tutor, who will also monitor the Discussion Forum and contribute where necessary. 13
Course Assessment and Certificate of Competence We ve introduced an optional progress check in each of the modules. These will enable you to evaluate your own grasp of the course content. These progress checks do not count towards your final mark. Wits DigitalCampus short courses follow academically-sound assessment criteria, including Optional Progress Checks, Discussion Forum activities, Assignments and an Examination. All assessments are done online. All these activities count towards your final mark and will be weighted as follows: Accomplishment Weighting Participation in Discussion Forum Activities 5% Assignments 35% Final Examination 60% To write the final exam, you may not have missed more than two assignments. You must receive a combined final mark of 50% to receive a Certificate of Competence from Wits. Note: A Certificate of Competence is far more valuable to your professional career than a Certificate of Completion it shows that you have been assessed against the learning outcomes and have been found competent. 14
Course Application and Payment Registration Register online at www.digitalcampus.co.za. Search for Operations Management Practice and click on the Course link. Complete the registration form and then click Register. Payment In accordance with Wits policies, upfront payment is required to register for the course. The individual registering for the course is responsible for the payment of the fees. Payment options Once-off payment: l R 12,500.00 VAT inclusive. Payment plan: l Please contact our student loan partners EduLoan at: Tel: 0860 55 55 44 Payment methods Electronic funds transfer (EFT). Payfast (i.e. credit card). Company purchase order. For any payment queries, please contact Melanie Holloway, our DigitalCampus Sales Consultant at +27 87 023 0888 or via email at melanieh@digitalcampus.co.za 15
Contact DigitalCampus Learning Journey Manager Denise Pivacic Email denisep@digitalcampus.co.za Telephone +27 87 023 0888 DigitalCampus Sales Consultants Melanie Holloway melanieh@digitalcampus.co.za Veronica Ngalonkulu veronican@digitalcampus.co.za Telephone +27 87 023 0888 Copyright Digital Campus 2014 www.digitalcampus.co.za/terms_and_conditions 16