Following Project Objectives Westford University
Read the following Scenario, and prepare a report with the guidelines provided.
Scenario: The learner is acting as an internal quality consultant for a chosen organization (preferably where the learner is currently working or any other chosen organization in mutual consultation with the instructor). The learner is required to look to explore supply chain strategies, operations management principles/ strategies and quality management systems within the organization against the organization’s long term direction.
The report should include the following and written in word format :
1. Introduction of the Chosen Organization is required. The student must then highlight the operations principles that they think are most important to the enterprise. These principles must be justified. The operations strategy of the firm must be discussed explaining its alignment with the current corporate strategy of the organization. A definition of the inputs, transformation process and output elements of the operations must be presented with a brief overview of the operations challenges the firm now faces. [8 Marks]
2. A review of the operations strategy of the organization, exploring the current and long term solution to address the challenges the firm is experiencing. The solutions must discuss the internal and external influences that would have led to the need for such action. Drawing from the experiences of other organizations here would add value to your answer. [12 marks]
3. Supply chain management, like other business functions, is a supporting arm of the operations strategy. Here the student must explore at least 3 SCM strategies which are likely to contribute to a successful and or more profitable enterprise. Each recommendation must be justified, considering the current position of the organization. Again, we encourage students to draw from the examples of other firms, sharing their experiences in relation to the question. [12 marks]
4. Students must discuss quality management approaches, highlighting various ways, through examples, in which a quality mindset can add value to the operations at their chosen organization. Students are required to explore several quality management tools (both offline and online) in the discussion, while exploring quality’s contribution towards a leaner enterprise. Even though you are writing in the context of the organization, you are encouraged to draw from the examples of other firms, sharing their experiences in relation to the question. [10 marks]
5. Discuss how an AI (big data driven) platform can further enhance the overall business operations. You must also discuss the business exposure and risks such initiatives could have on the operations strategy of your organization proposing workable solutions to address them. Even though you are writing in the context of the organization, you are encouraged to draw from the examples of other firms, sharing their experiences in relation to the question. [8 marks]
6. References and writing style: You must strictly adhere to the Harvard Referencing System Format and present the report in an Essay type format where applicable.
The report shall not exceed 4,000 words and should include relevant examples and illustrations.
Task 1B [20 Marks] – Presentation
Learners must design and present to the Board of Directors, a PowerPoint presentation, briefly answering the following questions.
● A brief insight on the operations challenges currently faced by the organization and an overview of the operations performance criteria that matters most for the firm
● Proposed operations strategy and solutions for the firm while giving examples of the successes of other organizations.
● Highlight the Macro and internal influences that also drove the need for a change in the current operations strategy.
● Supply chain and quality strategies you think will contribute towards addressing the operations challenges and why you think they will
● What attributes the operations manager should have for a successful turnaround of the enterprise and how would these attributes also contribute to the corporate strategy of the firm.
A total of 10 minutes will be assigned for each presentation, with an additional 5 minutes for questions-answers session. Marks are allocated for content, engagement, delivery and Q & A. [20 Marks]
Assignment Task – 2: [30 Marks] – Project Plan
Propose and design a Project Plan for the implementation of AI software to enhance the chosen organization’s proposals to help improve operations in Task 1. Discuss how the project plan will impact the overall strategic objectives of the organization.
The project plan must be an active plan where the student is encouraged to make real life assumptions and not just engage the reader in theory. The plan should define the following :
● Project objectives
● Organizations objectives
● Project scope
● Project assumptions
● Project roles and responsibilities
● Timeline with Gantt charts
● Risk management with populated template
● Stakeholder management with populated matrix
● Project funding
● Other areas can be discussed
Assuming that below are the stages for your project plan re the implementation of the new software, you must design a PERT diagram showing its Critical path. You must highlight the drawbacks of applying PERT in the project and recommend ways of mitigating them.
The report shall not exceed 2,000 words and should include relevant examples and illustrations.