GUIDELINES FOR GROUP OBSERVATION PROJECT

BUS 2103- OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT (BMGN N460)

1. Project Aims
The aims of this GROUP Observation Project are to:
(a) Enable students to apply and practice the principles and tools learnt in the classroom within a
real workplace environment and
(b) Enable the students to examine the complexity of the real workplace environment in order to re-
emphasize the learning of these principles and tools.

2. Field Visits .
Field visits will be organized for students to conduct observations of work processes of an
organization. During these field visits, students will be given briefing and a tour of facilities to
understand the corporate and operational aspects of the organization under review.
3. Project Outcome
Students in groups shall produce a report of up to 3,000 words at the end of the project. The report
shall also include references and diagrams where necessary to explain concepts and processes.
4. Learning Objectives AND Project Scope
Students are required to conduct individual observations of work processes, the plan and design of
manufacturing or service processes within an organizational setting to fulfill the following learning
objectives namely:
4.1 Learning Objectives:
4.1.1 Recognize common and unique aspects of the UAE operating environment;
4.1.2 Determine how the manufacture of a good, or provision of a service, fits into an organizations
overall strategy;
4.2 Project Scope
Students shall focus their observations on the following:
4.2.1 The Vision and Mission and Strategies of the Organization
Students shall understand the core business of the organization by detailing its Vision and Mission
statements, its corporate and finally its operational strategies. The study of the mechanisms of how
overall corporate strategy is translated into operational strategy must be conducted and detailed.
Students should ask the following questions in order to aid their investigations namely:
(a) What operational strategies are being used to create competitiveness in this specific industry;
(b) How these strategies are implemented to achieve these specific corporate goals.
4.2.2 The overall Supply Chain Mechanism
The overall supply chain partners of the organization should be included in the project. Hence
students must identify the complete supply chain partners of the organization under observation
and explain how each will play a vital role in the organizations overall strategy.
4.2.3. Work Processes that create value
Students shall observe and describe the INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT of the organization in the
report in order to understand the entire operational work processes. This must be done in an
appended diagram and in the report content. Each INPUT- PROCESS- AND OUTPUT element must be
identified and explained in detail. Students are also to observe the weaknesses and strengths of
these work processes and ask themselves how these weaknesses could be overcome and strengths
could be sustained.
4.2.4. Special Techniques, processes or skills
Students should also identify special techniques or processes, possession of unique technology, or
skills/talents of manpower that the organization under observation has availed itself to in order to
develop its core competencies.
4.2.5. Quality Management Issues
Observation of quality management issues must also be made. Students should ask how quality
management element is maintained throughout the entire work processes and overall organization.
4.2.6 Capacity Planning
Students should also ask about how the management of the organization plans their overall capacity
in the process of producing value to customers. In this regards, what practical techniques are
involved and how resources are managed to avoid constraints such as ; manpower, raw materials
,technical and process-based issues, are faced every day in the Yard.
4.2.7. Forecasting techniques
Organization does not work in a vacuum. They have to understand the daily work routines of their
own plant and demand for the finished products/services. Students should ask what forecasting
techniques or software systems the organization is currently using to meet their customers periodic
demand and their own requirements for supplies of raw materials.

4.2.8 Layout and Facilities planning
Students are required to make observations about the layout and facilities planning of the Yard.
They should ask questions about the advantages and challenges of the present layout of facilities,
assets, raw materials and work units that will be most optimum in the use of space and efficiency in
work processes due to effective layout planning.
4.2.9 Other Information about the organization
Students shall also detail appropriately the profile of the organization namely the legal name of the
corporation, location, organizational chart, website, manpower size and name of the Chief executive
officer or Managing Director , Annual turnover, annual performance, etc in the report.

5. Rubrics for assessment
The report submitted shall be assessed in the following ways namely:
5.1(a) Accuracy in APPLICATION of concepts learned in class 25%
5.1(b) Strategic organizational Issues clearly identified and discussed 30%
5.1(c) Effective Use of References and Diagram 20%
5.1(d) Concise use of language and appropriate grammar 10%
5.1(e) Effective and appropriate Formatting and paragraphing style 10%
5.1 (f) Appropriate Use of countrys statistics and local information 5%

6. Report Format and Deadline
The report shall use the A4 size with complete content page and appropriate numbering. The report
cover shall bear the names and student identification numbers in the Group. The cover page shall
also include the following signed declaration by the students.
We undertake to treat information obtained by us in the course of the observation and writing
of this report through the official channel of organization with strictest of confidence. The
information is purely used for our studies. Under no circumstances shall we communicate with
other third party, who are not related with this project, without the written approval of the
organization concerned.
_________________
Signed by All students in the Group.

The deadline for the report shall be on the 30
th
May. Late submission will be penalized in
accordance with the Colleges established rules.

7. Final Grade
This Group observation project report shall amount up to 20% towards the final grade.

8. Submission
Each group shall submit ONE report through BBLearn SafeAssign page to be graded.
9. Contact
In the event of doubt, students shall contact the respective instructors to seek further advice.
Instructors:












































The Plan and Design of the manufacturing or service processes of the organization
Students should be familiar with the detailed work processes namely the INPUT-PROCESS-OUTPUT
aspects.









2. Scope of the project
Students are required to make observations of the