TRIBHUVAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
MBS (II Semester)
Course Outline & Session Plan
Course : MSC 517- Production and Operations Management
Credit : 3 (48 contact hours)
Session : Summer 2022
Facilitator : Dipendra Karki (dipendra.karki@hotmail.com)
Course overview
MSC 517 is a three-credit management science course that examines the subject of production and operations management (POM) and discusses its importance to the overall strategy and competitiveness of a firm. In addition, this course focuses on specific tools used to manage and enhance a firm’s operations and production, such as facility layout, product design, aggregate planning, inventory management, and forecasting.
Understanding of this course enables the students to develop the skill and concepts that are useful for the production and operations management of manufacturing and service industries, which have become so complex due to the challenges and opportunities presented by the recent competitive trends in the corporate sector.
The class discussions will not only deal with the concepts and principles of production and operations management but they will also focus attention on their application in real life situations. It will also deal with the problems that arise in making decisions through the selected exercises, project works and cases. The course is also designed to equip the students with tools and techniques of production and operations management.
Course Objectives
The course aims at equipping students with the in depth knowledge and skills in production management. It indicates abilities in the students to apply the acquired knowledge in facility and layout planning, managing procurement and inventory, designing and implementing aggregate plans and schedules and control quality, output and costs.
Course Description
This course contains basic concepts and introduction, production planning and scheduling, materials management, managing for quality, maintenance management, recent trends in production management.
Nature of the Course
This is an introductory course in production and operation management. Accordingly, the key focus of this course is to provide students with the basic concepts, principles, techniques and practices of production and operation management.
This course is an applications-oriented course. Lectures are based on the material in the text, and other material if assigned, and will be related to current events as much as possible where appropriate. Throughout the semester we will relate the textbook material to real problems in manufacturing and service industries in an effort to understand and evaluate current practices in the industry.
Delivery of the course
The primary method of instruction in this course will be interactive lectures. The approach of faculty during the session will be as a facilitator of the course. Necessary conceptual and methodological inputs will be covered using active learning methods, e.g., group discussion, seminars and case study.
Students will be expected to actively participate in classroom discussions, and read and solve problems out of class. It is expected that you come to class prepared – that is, you have read the assigned chapter(s) prior to class. The sessions will be interactive and facilitated by the instructor to discuss in depth of the subject being dealt. There will be lectures by the instructor, case analysis and presentation by students, feedback on presentations and assignments will be provided to students on their progress.
I will always try to briefly mention the materials to be covered in the next class. If a student wants to read ahead, which is a very good idea, the outline shows the topics that we cover throughout the session. In my view, the most important goal of this class is to cover the most important material thoroughly, and we will pace our class to achieve this goal. Please remember that materials covered in this class are cumulative, i.e., material covered in earlier parts of the class will be used as the basis of our studies later. Thus, please strive not to get behind. In order to enable students to base their learning upon real world occurrence, a comprehensive project assignment is incorporated in the internal assessment towards the end of the session. The project assignment will serve as both a learning vehicle for students and demonstrable output of the course. Students should prepare reports of their project work and make the presentation.
Case Analysis and Presentation
The student is expected to read the case assigned by the Faculty thoroughly and address the issues. A report on the case analysis should be submitted to the Faculty before presentation. The case analysis and presentation can be completed in-groups of ……… students. Each student should actively participate in analysis and presentation failing which marks would be deducted. The end-term exam will consist of case analysis for which students should prepare themselves accordingly.
Time Demand
Students are advised to be regular and punctual in the class. Students should attend the class and homework must be completed regularly to succeed in this course. They must ensure the required attendance to be eligible for appearing the University’s Term-End Examination. Students arriving the class late (over 10 minute) are considered as absent. Students failing to attend 80 % of classes shall not be allowed to appear in the semester-end examinations.
Many students underestimate the amount of time and effort required to learn. I strongly believe that attendance has a large benefit for students who attend class regularly. My experience has indicated that the more successful students attend class regularly. The material presented in class and the input of other students cannot but further your understanding of the material covered in this class.
Examinations and Grading
1. Examinations
a) Examinations will cover the assigned reading materials, lectures, and topics discussed in class. Exam questions will take a variety of forms including, but not limited to, essay questions, short answer questions, objective questions and problem solving opportunities.
b) Two examinations will be given in this course: a midterm exam and a comprehensive end-term exam at the regularly scheduled exam date.
c) A group project will be required where each student will be a member of a group and will be expected to do his/her share of the work.
Evaluation Criteria
The students’ academic progress will be evaluated on a continuous basis throughout the trimester, with respect to the following components.
Test Activities | Weight | Marks |
Attendance | 4% | 4 |
Class room activities: Quizzes & Class tests (Individual) Home Assignment (Individual) Class participation & Presentation (groups) | 8% | 8 |
Project work/Asignment | 12% | 12 |
Mid-term Exam | 16% | 16 |
Sub-total | 40% | 40 |
End-term Exam | 60% | |
TOTAL | 100% | 100 |
In internal evaluation the minimum pass mark is 60%
Semester-end Examinations
The semester-end examination shall have a total weight of 60 percent. The semester-end examination shall be based on problem solving questions, analytical questions, and case studies or any other formats as demanded by a course. The duration of the examination shall be 4 hours for each course.
External examinations shall be conducted as presented in the following table:
External Evaluation: 60 Marks | |||
Evaluation Components | Number of Questions and Choice | Weight in % | Marks |
Case Analysis, Situation Analysis, Extended Problem Analysis as suitable to the course. | Compulsory Questions (Q .N. 1) | 30 | 18 |
Long Questions, Problem Solving, Critical Analysis Oriented questions | Analytical Questions with one choice. (Three questions of 15 marks each to be solved by students) | 45 | 27 |
Concept Oriented Short Answer Questions | Six Short Answer Questions with One Choice Questions (Five Questions of 5 marks to be solved by students | 25 | 15 |
Total Marks | 100 | 60 |
Marks Range | 90 & above | 80 – 89.9 | 70 – 79.9 | 60 – 69.9 | 50 – 59.9 | Below 50 |
Grade | A | A- | B+ | B | B- | F |
Grade Point (GPA) | 4 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 3 | 2.7 | < 2.7 |
CGPA | 4 | 3.70 – 3.99 | 3.30 – 3.69 | 3.00 – 3.29 | 2.70 – 2.99 | < 2.7 |
Remarks | Distinction | Very good | First Division | Second Division | Pass | Fail |
Session Plan and list of Activities:
Each session will consist of two hours net. The session plan of the course is as follows:
Session | Topics to be dealt | Supplementary activities* |
1-6 | 1. Basic Concepts and Introduction 1.1 Concept 1.2 Transformation model 1.3 Manufacturing versus Service Operations 1.4 Historical Development of Operations Management 1.5 Types of production system 1.6 Operations strategy 1.7 Global view of operations 1.8 Achieving competitive advantage though operations 1.9 Concept and types of Productivity | Faculty Presentation, discussions and some exercises Case analysis I: by students “Phulbari Guest House” Quiz/test |
7-20 | 2. Production Planning and Scheduling 2.1 Product Development: Operational issues in product life cycle 2.2 Product Development Process 2.3 Quality Function Deployment 2.4 Value Engineering 2.5 Manufacturing Process and Service Process 2.6 Capacity Planning Decisions 2.7 Aggregate Planning Strategies 2.8 Location Planning: Strategic Importance of Location 2.9 Factor Affecting Location Decisions 2.10 Methods of Evaluating Location Alternatives 2.11 Layout Strategies: Strategic Importance of Layout Decisions 2.12 Types of Layout 2.12 Designing Product Layout: Assembly Line Balance 2.13 Overview of the Operations Planning and Scheduling System: 2.15 Loading 2.16 Priority Sequencing 2.17 Forward Scheduling, Backward Scheduling 2.18 Expediting 2.19 Optimized Production Technology | Topic Presentation by students, discussions and feedback from the faculty – G1, G2 Faculty Presentation, discussions and some exercises Assignment – I – Discussion on related article. – Case analysis II: “Plant location problem for Govt. of India” Quiz/test |
Mid-Term Examination | ||
21-28 | 3. Materials Management 3.1 Objective and Importance of Material Management 3.2 Procurement Activities 3.3 Material Handling 3.4 Material Requirement Planning (MRP) 3.5 Warehousing 3.6 Inventory Management 3.7 Inventory Costs 3.8 Inventory Control System 3.9 ABC Inventory Planning System | Topic Presentation by students, discussions and feedback from the faculty – G3 Faculty Presentation, discussions and some exercises -Case analysis III: “Home-style Cookies” Quiz/test |
29-34 | 4. Managing for Quality 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Definitions of quality 4.3 Concepts of total quality management 4.4 Quality management system 4.5 Quality costs 4.6 7 tools for the quality journey 4.7 Statistical process control 4.8 Control charts for variables and attributes 4.9 Acceptance sampling 4.10 Six sigma 4.11 Process capability. | Topic Presentation by students, discussions and feedback from the faculty – G4 Faculty Presentation, discussions and some exercises Assignment- II -Case analysis IV: “An American Tragedy: How a good company died” Quiz/test |
34-48 | 5. Linear Programming & Dual, Formulation, Simplex method, Maximization, Minimization problem, Big M-method, Duality in LPP. 6.Transportation Problem, VAM, Optimality test, Balanced & Unbalanced TP, closed path formation, Degeneracy in TP, Maximization problem 7. Assignment Problem HAM method, Balanced and unbalanced AP, Minimization and Maximization problem in AP. | Topic Presentation by students, discussions and feedback from the faculty – G5-G8 Faculty Presentation, discussions and some exercises Projects shall be discussed and assigned Quiz/test |
End-Term Examination and Project Presentation |
Note: Students are required to come prepared for every session as stated above. In addition, Faculty may introduce new and relevant cases/ topics/articles and students shall be assigned to go through them, analyze and make the presentation. The faculty may also conduct some quizzes and class test without prior information.
List of Text and Reference Books:
- Adam, E., and Ebert R. (2007). Production and Operations Management Concepts, Models and Behaviou..5th ed., Prentice-Hell of India Private Limited, New Delhi.
- Chase, R. B., Aquilano, N. J., and Jacobs, F. R. (1999). Production and Operations Management: Manufacturing and Services. 8th edition. Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Company, New Delhi.
- Hillier F.S.,and Liberman G.J. (2005). Introduction to Operations Research: Concepts and Cases. Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi.
- Karki, D., and Timilsina, P. (2021). Production and Operations Management. Advance Saraswati Publication, Kathmandu.
- Krajewski L, Ritzman L., and Malhotra, M.(2007). Operations Management Process and Value Chains.8th ed., : Prentice Hall, New Delhi.
- Regmi L., Joshi, P.R., Chaudhary, A.K., and Fago, G. (2012). Production and Operations Management. Buddha Publication, Kathmandu.
- Shrestha, S., and Silwal, D. (2000). Production and Operations Management. Taleju Prakashan, Kathmandu.
- Stevenson, W.(2012). Operations Management.11th ed., Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi.
- Sthapit, A. B., Yadav, R.P., Tamang, G., Dhital, S. and Adhikari, P. (2015). Production and Operations Management, Asmita Books and Distributors (P) Ltd., Kathmandu.
- Vohra N.D., (2004). Quantitative Techniques in Management. Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi.
Research Article Presentation | Synopsis For the purpose of presentation, each student should prepare and distribute a brief (1-2 page) outline or synopsis of the Reading he/she is presenting to the other class members and the Faculty before the presentation begins, failing which marks would be deducted. The synopsis should begin with course title, name of the student presenting the article, and full description of articles (author/s, title of the article, name of the journal, volume and number, year/ month of publication, and pages). The synopsis, among others, should consist of such things as purpose of the study, hypotheses, study methodology, models and variables used, analysis of data, major findings, and conclusions/implications. |
Case Analysis | Synopsis 1. Case Synopsis 2. Facts of the case 3. Issues of the case 4. Theory based analysis 5. Recommendation |