Unit Synopsis
In today's dynamic business landscape, organisations strive for operational excellence and data-driven decision-making. Operations management and business analytics offer a comprehensive exploration of the synergies between efficient operations and the strategic use of data analytics. The unit explores the contemporary principles and practices involved in the management of both service and manufacturing operations. Taking a strategic approach to operations, you will examine fundamental concepts including process planning, design, and control; quality management, Lean thinking, and Six Sigma continuous improvement; the role of the supply chain in modern operations; capacity planning, facility location, and project-based activities within operational environments. Particular attention is given to the strategic implications of operational design choices in the context of uncertainty and resilience. You will utilise business data from a variety of organisational sources including financial, economic and market information and develop mathematical and analytical models that support effective operational decision making. The unit also provides opportunities to apply contemporary analytics and visualisation tools to interpret operational performance and communicate insights. In addition, you will engage in independent, evidence-based research to analyse operational challenges and propose viable, data-informed solutions that enhance organisational effectiveness.
Details
| Level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 9 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 4 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
There are no pre-requisites for the unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework). |
| Class Timetable | View Unit Timetable |
| Residential School | No Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from Term 2 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Assessment Tasks
| Assessment Task | Weighting |
|---|---|
| 1. Critical Review | 40% |
| 2. Report | 60% |
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Source: SUTE
This is just a comment. I was pleased that the assessment was an assignment and not an exam. I noticed that there was varied Excel competence amongst the student group in this subject, and I certainly am no expert. By having the analytics as an assignment, I could take my time to work it out and practice the required tasks without feeling under pressure. So, I would say keep the assessment as an assignment. The lecturer was terrific! Professional & very supportive - I really enjoyed this subject.
Continue providing staggered assessment support and materials that build confidence in analytical (including Excel) skills relevant to the assessment.
Assessments continue to be based on developing both academic and industry-relevant analytics skills, allowing students to engage deeply in related topics in diverse assessment formats that challenge and extend operations management knowledge and practical skills. The unit, therefore, continues to adopt assignment-style assessment (e.g., business reports) rather than exam-style assessments in order to allow students the time and conceptual development opportunities that are possible with the existing assessment formats. Students are encouraged to engage proactively with their lecturers and classmates to develop these important skills and maximise their opportunities for effective learning
Source: SUTE
Please provide more examples and details for the spreadsheets and case analysis. The A2 is useful but a bit difficult.
Develop more templated example case analysis spreadsheet activities for in-class use.
As requested, the unit now includes a wider set of practice questions each week that includes worked examples in Excel format accessible for independent study throughout the term. This gives students more assessment-relevant practice that they can develop on their own time and build upon during class activities. These activities are further developed during in-class activity exploration, allowing students to follow alongside the lecturer and other students to develop A2-relevant skills, including by crafting and interpreting Excel and Power BI formulas, tables, and visualisations that are grounded in best practice.
Source: SUTE
The unit provided useful insights on operations management and business analytics, specifically how to approach case studies that required mathematical and theoretical modelling. Overall the unit was delivered really well.
Continue with the same moment while including contemporary analytical tools and case studies.
In Progress
Source: In class
If possible, embed Power BI given its increasing use in industry
Embed Power BI dashboard for business analytics
In Progress
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Develop an advanced and integrated understanding of operations managements and business analytics
- Critically analyse and reflect on key principles of operations analytics
- Critically apply a complex systems approach to analytically identify, analyse and investigate the management of operational functions
- Synthesise complex data from a variety of sources and develop mathematical and analytical models as part of the analytical process to identify, interpret, and communicate solutions to complex workplace business problems.
- Interpret and successfully apply knowledge related to recent development of operations management in service and manufacturing industries.
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Critical Review | • | • | • | • | • |
| 2 - Report | • | • | • | • | • |
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | • | • | • | • | |
| 2 - Communication | • | • | • | ||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | • | • | • | • | • |
| 4 - Research | • | • | • | • | |
| 5 - Self-management | • | • | • | ||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | • | • | • | • | |
| 7 - Leadership | • | • | • | • | • |
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | |