MANAGEMT 7012 - Business Performance Improvement

North Terrace Campus - Trimester 3 - 2016

This course provides students with the knowledge and skill-set required to formulate and implement sustainable improvement strategies aimed at improving business performance and overall competitiveness. It provides a practical appreciation and understanding of the various improvement strategies and techniques that have come to prominence during the past few decades, including Total Quality Management, Business Process Re-engineering and more recently Six Sigma and Lean Thinking. It considers these approaches and their use against the broader agenda of how to achieve sustainable improvement and the development of sustainable sources of competitive advantage. In particular, students are introduced to the idea of 'process thinking' and related concepts such as cost of quality, complexity, variation etc. i.e. considering the business and identifying improvement opportunities by viewing it from a process perspective. Students are also introduced to methodologies for business review and diagnosis - similar to the approaches used by the major management consulting firms. The later stages of the subject considers implementation issues arising with business performance improvement strategies to ensure that organisations are able to learn and achieve cumulative improvements over time, rather than temporary 'fad chasing' as is often the case.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code MANAGEMT 7012
    Course Business Performance Improvement
    Coordinating Unit Adelaide Business School
    Term Trimester 3
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Course Description This course provides students with the knowledge and skill-set required to formulate and implement sustainable improvement strategies aimed at improving business performance and overall competitiveness. It provides a practical appreciation and understanding of the various improvement strategies and techniques that have come to prominence during the past few decades, including Total Quality Management, Business Process Re-engineering and more recently Six Sigma and Lean Thinking. It considers these approaches and their use against the broader agenda of how to achieve sustainable improvement and the development of sustainable sources of competitive advantage.
    In particular, students are introduced to the idea of 'process thinking' and related concepts such as cost of quality, complexity, variation etc. i.e. considering the business and identifying improvement opportunities by viewing it from a process perspective. Students are also introduced to methodologies for business review and diagnosis - similar to the approaches used by the major management consulting firms.
    The later stages of the subject considers implementation issues arising with business performance improvement strategies to ensure that organisations are able to learn and achieve cumulative improvements over time, rather than temporary 'fad chasing' as is often the case.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Mr Max Zornada

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    The objectives of this subject are to provide students with:
    1. Knowledge and understanding of contemporary foundation concepts and methodologies for improving business performance and operational capability;
    2. An understanding of process thinking, how it is different to functional thinking and how it can be applied to identify opportunities for improvement;
    3. An understanding of concepts and a working knowledge of tools and techniques for managing an organisation’s interface with its customers so as to create satisfied and loyal customers in a consistent and sustainable manner;
    4. An understanding of the cost of quality concept and how it can be used to analyse costs structure and identify improvement opportunities;
    5. An understanding of what process complexity is, how to identify it and how to use it to identify improvement actions;
    6. Skills and working knowledge in team based problem solving, root cause analysis and the Six Sigma DMAIC process methodologies and supporting tools and techniques;
    7. Skills and working knowledge in process redesign, Six Sigma DFSS, the DMADV process and supporting tools and techniques;
    8. Skills and working knowledge of process flow management concepts, tools and techniques;
    9. An understanding of Lean Thinking, concepts, tools and techniques including Toyota Production System concepts, Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen and Kaikaku;
    10. Understanding of concepts, tools and techniques relating to the management of variation, statistical process control and Six Sigma related statistical concepts;
    11. Skills and working knowledge in the use of the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis technique;
    12. Skills and working knowledge of the seven quality problem solving tools;
    13. Skills and working knowledge of the seven management tools for dealing with intangible issues;
    14. An understanding of issues that need to be dealt with when conducting and implementing the outcomes of an improvement project in an organisation;
    15. An understanding of the issues that need to be dealt with in trying to implement operational excellence and business performance improvement methodologies within an organisation;
    16. Complete a project illustrating the successful application of methodologies, tools and techniques covering in the course.
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1 TO 19
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    6 TO 13
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    3,6,7,8,9,11,14,20
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    10,16 AND 20
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    2,6,7,8,9
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    17,18,19
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes

    No information currently available.

    Workload

    No information currently available.

    Learning Activities Summary

    No information currently available.

  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary

    No information currently available.

    Assessment Detail

    No information currently available.

    Submission

    No information currently available.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

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