Course syllabus

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TEK156 Operations strategy Sp3 VT23 (7.5 hp)

Course is offered by the Department of Technology Management and Economics

 

Contact details

Examiner:

Dan Paulin. Phone: 031-772 8413. E-mail: dan.paulin at chalmers.se

 

Teachers:  

Dan Paulin. Phone: 031-772 8413. E-mail: dan.paulin at chalmers.se

Mirka Kans. Phone: 031-772 1352. E-mail: mirka.kans at chalmers.se

Peter Almström. Phone: 031-772 1283. E-mail: peter.almstrom at chalmers.se

 

External guest lecturer:  

Viktor Emilsson - Product Design Engineer / Technical Preparator Engineer - Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions

 

Course representatives:  

Amy Joelsson, Björn Olsson, Sara Petersson, Chetan Kumar, Emma Zöögling

See People for details.

 

Course purpose

The main aim of the course is to provide you, the students, the opportunity to further develop your knowledge of how to design, manage and improve operations processes.

 

Learning objectives

Learning objectives:

  • Show understanding of how to use operations strategy as a guidance for the organization's operational activities and business strategy improvement.
  • Apply conceptual tools and models for analysing operations' strategy and enhancing the operations performance.
  • Recognize the impact of operations on sustainability and how operations can contribute to a sustainable society
  • Show understanding of how digitalisation, in the context of Industry 4.0, may influence the operations strategy and processes.
  • Formulate an improvement plan for strategic operations strategy alignment.

 

Schedule

The schedule will be available in the course calendar, and under Modules / Schedule. Any changes made to the schedule will appear here (especially if there are any last minute changes). 

Here, you can find the schedule in TimeEdit:  TimeEdit

Please note that late changes will not appear in TimeEdit!

 

Study plan

Here is a link to the study plan on Studieportalen:

Study plan

 

Course literature

The course literature consists of a textbook (to be used throughout this course), articles and case descriptions.

Additional literature may be used and will be announced at Canvas in due time.

 

Textbook

The main course book is available at Cremona/Store:

  • Slack, Nigel & Lewis, Michael (2020), Operations Strategy 6th ed, Pearson Education, UK, ISBN: 978-1-292-31784-7

 

Seminar articles (available through Chalmers Library)

Literature Seminar 1: Operations Strategy

  • Boyer, K.K., Lewis, M.W.  (2002). Competitive priorities: investigating the need for trade-offs in operations strategy. Production and Operations Management, 11 (1) (2002), pp. 9-20.

Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/j.1937-5956.2002.tb00181.x

  • Sull, D., Sull, C., Yoder, J. (2018). No one knows your strategy - not even your top leaders. MITSloan Management Review, Research Highlight, February.

Available at: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/no-one-knows-your-strategy-not-even-your-top-leaders 

 

Literature Seminar 2: Strategic alignment

  • Hudson Smith, M., and Smith, D. (2007), Implementing strategically aligned performance measurement in small firms, International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 106, pp. 393-408.

Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mel-Hudson-Smith/publication/4913255_Implementing_strategically_aligned_performance_measurement_in_small_firms/links/5c8fc1ac92851c1df949ec8d/Implementing-strategically-aligned-performance-measurement-in-small-firms.pdf

  • Trevor, J., Varcoe, B. (2017) How aligned is your organization? Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, pp. 2-6.

Available at: https://hbr.org/2017/02/how-aligned-is-your-organization

 

Literature Seminar 3: Operations’ Systems Improvement

  • Langstrand, J., Drotz, E. (2016). The rhetoric and reality of Lean: a multiple case study. Total Quality Management, Vol. 27, No. 4, pp. 398 –412.

Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2015.1004307

  • Netland, T. H., & Aspelund, A. (2013). Company-specific production systems and competitive advantage: A resource-based view on the Volvo production system. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 33, No. 11/12, 1511–1531.

Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-07-2010-0171 

 

Literature Seminar 4: Business Process Outsourcing

  • Boffelli, A., Fratocchi, L., Kalchschmidt, M., & Silva, S. C. L. da C. e. (2021). Doing the right thing or doing things right: what is better for a successful manufacturing reshoring? Operations Management Research, 14(1/2), 1–16.

Available at: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12063-021-00183-2.pdf

  • Lacity, M. C. Willcocks, L. P. (2013). Outsourcing Business Processes for Innovation. MIT Sloan Management Review, Research feature, March

Available at: http://www.aproaingenieria.es/intranet/uploads/mit_-_outsourcing-business-processes-for-innovation_copy.pdf 

 

Literature Seminar 5: Servitization

  • Landscheidt, S., Kans, M., Winroth, M., Wester, H. (2018). The future of industrial robot business: Product or performance based?. Procedia Manufacturing, p. 495-502. 

Available via DOI 10.1016/j.promfg.2018.06.125 

  • Tukker, A. (2004). EIGHT TYPES OF PRODUCT–SERVICE SYSTEM: EIGHT WAYS TO SUSTAINABILITY? EXPERIENCES FROM SUSPRONET. Business Strategy and the Environment, Vol. 13, pp. 246–260.

Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/bse.414

 

Case Seminar 1: CoolIT

The case description will be made available under Modules / Case Seminars

 

Case Seminar 2: IKEA Goes Online

The case description will be made available under Modules / Case Seminars

 

Course design

In this course, several different learning activities are included: Lectures, external guest lecture, exercises, coaching/Q&A-sessions, group preparations, literature seminars, case seminars, study visit/-s, and individual written exam.

Below you will find a description of the learning activities "Lectures", "Exercises", and "Coaching/Q&A-sessions", "Group preparations", and "Study visit/-s".

Descriptions of the compulsory activities (external guest lecture, literature seminars, case seminars, and individual written exam) can be found under "Examination".

 

Lectures

Lectures are voluntary. They will be organized as a traditional overview of the lecture topic interweaved with group discussions on the topic. It is highly recommended that each participant has studied the material in advance to be able to contribute to the group discussions, and to enhance the opportunity for learning.

 

Exercises

Exercises are voluntary. Here, shorter case descriptions and/or assignments are analysed and discussed in groups as opportunities for applying theoretical concepts introduced during lectures. It is highly recommended that each participant has studied the material in advance to be able to contribute to the group discussions, and to enhance the opportunity for learning.

 

Coaching/Q&A-sessions

Coaching via Zoom is open for the groups responsible for the literature seminar that week. Here, each group leading the literature seminar that week will interact with the teaching team in order to prepare for the literature seminar. 

Q&A-sessions via Zoom are open for all students. Here, you will have scheduled opportunities to consult with members of the teaching team on seminar preparation or other topics related to the course.

 

Group preparations

Group preparations are available for the student groups to prepare before literature and case seminars. Each group decide when and where to meet for preparations, and are encouraged to use (at the minimum) the scheduled times.

 

Study visit/-s:

The purpose of the study visit/-s is/are to include real-life experiences to enhance the students' perceptions of how operations strategy concepts may be applied. 

Before the visit, each group should hand in their response to a preparation assignment (to be presented in Announcements one week before the visit) via Assignments.

 

Examination

You can obtain a maximum of 50 points from compulsory examination activities, and 4 points from voluntary activities.

To pass the course:

  • A minimum of 20 points obtained from the individual written exam is necessary.
  • Active attendance in all compulsory activities is necessary.

A total score of 20-29 points will result in grade Pass (3).

A total score of 30-39 points will result in grade Pass with credits (4).

A total score of 40 points or more will result in grade Pass with distinction (5).

 

The following parts are included in the examination:

Individual written exam (max 50 points)

The purpose of the individual written exam is for the examiner to be able to evaluate each individual's fulfilment of the learning objectives. 

  • The exam will be run as an individual home exam, consisting of essay questions. 
  • The individual home exam will be available in Canvas / Assignments /Individual written exam from March 13th, 2023 at 8:00.
  • The deadline for uploading your individual answer will be March 20th, 2023 at 17.00. Answers will be checked for plagiarism and use of AI-based software, and all suspicious answers will be reported to Chalmers Disciplinary Board.

Examples of exam questions will be uploaded in Modules / Examination. More information about the exam will be provided during the course and in the closing lecture.

Re-exams will also be run as individual home exams. Dates for these can be found in the schedule presented in Modules /Schedule.

 

Literature seminars (participation is compulsory)

The purpose of the literature seminars is two-fold. Firstly, for each student to actively process and reflect over content in more in-depth material. Secondly, for the teaching team to be able to evaluate each individual's fulfilment of the learning objectives.

The course includes five compulsory literature seminars (Friday afternoons), where relevant research articles are being presented and discussed. Each literature seminar is prepared and led by student groups. They are responsible for formulating and distributing relevant preparatory material for the discussion, e.g., in the form of discussion questions. The preparatory material should be made available via Discussions on the course web page during office hours (before 17.00) the preceding Wednesday.

The articles and the preparatory material should be studied by everyone in advance to ensure a high quality discussion.

Missing a compulsory seminar needs to be compensated by interviewing classmates, and writing an extended seminar reflection (1000-1200 words) to be handed in via Canvas /Assignments before Friday at 17:00 during the last study week.

Missing a compulsory literature seminar will also result in a lost opportunity to gain a bonus point from that seminar (for more details on bonus points, see the section "Bonus Opportunity").

 

Case seminars (participation is compulsory)

The purpose of the case seminars is two-fold. Firstly, for each student to apply the course material on real-life situations. Secondly, for the teaching team to be able to evaluate each individual's fulfilment of the learning objectives.

The course includes two compulsory case seminars, where cases are being analysed, solved and discussed. The case material should be read by everyone, and analysed and solved in groups in advance, to ensure a good discussion around the material.

Each case seminar is led by the teaching team.

Missing a compulsory seminar needs to be compensated by interviewing classmates, and writing an extended seminar reflection (1000-1200 words) to be handed in via Canvas /Assignments before Friday at 17:00 during the last study week.

 

External guest lecture/-s (participation is compulsory):

The purpose of the external guest lecture is to include industry witnesses with additional real-life experiences to enhance the students' perceptions of how operations strategy concepts may be applied. 

Missing the compulsory external guest lecture needs to be compensated by interviewing classmates, and writing an extended lecture reflection (1000-1200 words) to be handed in via Canvas /Assignments before Friday at 17:00 during the last study week.

 

Bonus opportunity: Literature seminar reflections (max 4 bonus points; max 1 bonus point per seminar)

Following each literature seminar (no later than the following Wednesday at 17.00 (3 working days)), every student not responsible for leading the seminar, can upload individual critical reflections with references on the content on Canvas (400-600 words. excl the word count for references).

The reflections should be critical reflections, and not just summaries. They should demonstrate that you have understood the content in each article, but focus mainly on combined (synthesised) reflections on the articles including own critical thoughts and experiences on the topic! Good reflections, well developed, and clearly providing own critical thoughts will be rewarded with one bonus point (per seminar).

Reflections will be checked for plagiarism and use of AI-based software, and all suspicious answers will be reported to Chalmers Disciplinary Board.

 

 

General notes

The course web page will be used extensively for providing information from the teaching team to you. Most questions will (hopefully) be answered here, so we recommend that you get yourself well acquainted with these pages, and visit them frequently.

We will use the Discussions page for Q&A's. Please look for answers to your questions there. Please pose your questions there (if you cannot find the answer elsewhere), and we will answer them for all to be able to learn.  

 

Changes made since the last occasion

Several changes has been made to the course since last year.

  1. More exercises have been added
  2. An external guest lecture has been added
  3. A study visit has been added
  4. Q&A-sessions have been added.
  5. Examination activities and grade levels have been changed
  6. The bonus point system has been changed

 

Course summary:

Date Details Due