Operations Management

Operations management is about the running of the entire engine of a business to achieve maximum efficiency, effectiveness and productivity at the lowest cost possible. It is responsible for the automation of the administration and production of a business or organisation. It is about the way goods and services are produced. This course provides a holistic view of operations management as well as an understanding of the intricate processes utilised to deliver goods and services, such as supply chain, logistics, inventory management, SHEQ and facilities management.

CPD POINTS

SABPP (CN17CPD0059)

40 CPD Points

Having first studied and practiced as an oral hygienist, Dr Frances Wright embarked on her career in operations management in 1986. She specialises in communications, marketing and the implementation of systems and processes that minimise waste, streamline business practices, enhance productivity and maximise service delivery to a varied client base.

Frances completed a BSc Honours Industrial Technology and Operations Management (cum laude), a Diploma in Operations Management (cum laude) and a Certificate in Production Management (cum laude) from the Production Management Institute. She was honoured as the institute’s “”Top Student”” for three consecutive years.

Frances also completed an MBA at North-West University in 2007, where she was also honoured as the top Operations student. She has a PhD in Business Administration with a focus on entrepreneurship from North-West University and acts as a business mentor and trainer for business partners. She founded the not-for-profit People for People Fundraising Trust, where she discovered her passion for operations management.

BASIC REQUIREMENTSTo successfully access and complete this course, you will be required to have a registered email account, access to a computer/laptop/tablet and stable internet connection. You will be required to be familiar with using a computer as you may need to be able to read and download documents in Adobe PDF Reader, view Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, and read and create documents in Microsoft Word.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTSOur online short learning programmes may require additional software applications. These additional software applications requirements will be communicated to you in this information pack and/or on the website course page. UNi4 Online does not provide any additional software applications required for online short learning programmes.

Please note: Google, YouTube and Vimeo may be used in our online course delivery. If any of these services are blocked in your jurisdiction, you may have difficult in accessing our course content.

Our online short learning programmes are broken into self-paced manageable modules designed to be interactive and engaging:

• The programme is available to be viewed on smart devices, which includes mobiles, tablets and personal computers.
• Relevant case studies, articles and recommended reading are part of supplementary resources available.
• Apply and evaluate what you have learned in each module with the self-grading quizzes and assignment submissions.
• View a range of introductory course videos by your Subject Matter Expert.
• Scheduled live webinars are included with the Online Academic Tutor.
• Network, collaborate and interact with your fellow participants and Online Academic Tutor via the discussion forum.

Your dedicated Online Academic Tutor (OAT) will provide you with necessary guidance, offer advice and answer questions on course content, to help you achieve academic success.

• MODULE 0 | Orientation Week 1
  • Navigating the Virtual Learning Environment
• MODULE 1 | What is Operations Management? Week 2
  • Understanding operations management (OM) and its importance in an organisation
  • Understanding the scope of operations management and the goals thereof
  • Understanding the nature of strategic, operational and tactical decision-making
  • Being able to apply the input, transformation and output process model
  • Understanding the difference between services and goods, and the implications in terms of OM
• MODULE 2 | Supply Chain and Logistics Week 3
  • The importance of supply chain management (SCM)
  • Drivers and challenges of SCM
  • The three dimensions of sustainability with respect to SCM
  • Understanding receiving dispatch and warehousing
• MODULE 3 | Forecasting and Inventory Management Week 4
  • Understanding how to forecast demand and plan supply
  • Measuring forecast error and developing action plans to mitigate variances
  • Understanding inventory management, including raw materials, work in progress and finished goods
• MODULE 4 | Capacity and Resource Planning Week 5
  • Planning capacity throughout the organisation
  • Allocating resources in order to fulfil on demand and enable efficient production
  • Understanding the impact of capacity and resource planning the business success
  • Managing constraints in capacity

• MODULE 5 | SHEQ (Safety, Health, Environment and Quality) Week 6
  • Understanding the various components of SHEQ
  • Understanding how to ensure safety and health for employees
  • Understanding the concept of risk management concepts
  • Developing the ability to manage sustainability and quality
• MODULE 6 | Facilities Management Week 7
  • How to manage facilities, taking front and back office service into consideration
  • Choosing the best location for a facility using the facility location model
  • Designing the best service scape for each specific target market
  • How to design the work environment ergonomically, the right way
• MODULE 7 | Production and Process Management Week 8
  • Defining the concept of production processes
  • Developing a process strategy in order to optimise service delivery
  • Understanding the Theory of Constraint and how to overcome bottlenecks
• MODULE 8 | Quality Management Week 9
  • Approaches to quality management: TQM and Six Sigma
  • Process capability
  • Lean systems approach to improving operational efficiencies
  • Managerial implications of implementing lean systems
• MODULE 9 | Wrap-up Week 10
  • Synthesise your learning journey experience
  • Evaluate the course