Mark Scheme - Assignment

Level 5 Operations Management

General overview – word count

The recommended minimum word count is 3,500 words. Anything above +10% (3,850 words) will not be marked.
Appendices and reference list are excluded from the word count and will not be marked.

Context
Choose a company (or context) with which you are familiar:
- It can be a real company or a fictional company (r a large national / multinational / global company)
- The company must be an organisation for which operations management is applicable, for example a
manufacturing company or a retail organisation.

Provide one page (up to 200 words) with background information on your chosen company:
- Name of the organisation
- Size of organisation
- Main markets where it operates (geographical locations)
- Examples of products and services
- Key competitors

© ABE 2017 1
Task 1 – 850 words

Discuss how your chosen organisation can benefit from total quality management (TQM) within its operations
management.

Task Indicative content Total

1 • Quality as one of the key objectives of operations management.
• Purpose of total quality management (TQM).
• Explanation of TQM as being radically different from traditional approaches to quality as it
focuses on people rather than processes.
• Monetary and non-monetary benefits of TQM
• Any negative dimensions of TQM 25
Level Mark Descriptor
0 No rewardable material
1 1-9 • Lack of, limited or incomplete knowledge and understanding of importance of quality in
operations management
• Lack of understanding of TQM and how it is different from traditional approaches to quality.
Does not understand the relevant operations management context of TQM
• Lack of ability to evaluate the benefits of TQM
• Lack of ability to evaluate the negative dimensions of TQM
• Lack of ability to present a balanced discussion
2 10-14 • Adequate knowledge and understanding of importance of quality in operations
management
• Adequate understanding of TQM and how it is different from traditional approaches to
quality. Does not understand the relevant operations management context of TQM
• Adequate ability to evaluate the benefits of TQM
• Adequate ability to evaluate the negative dimensions of TQM
• Adequate ability to present a balanced discussion
3 15-18 • Sound knowledge and understanding of importance of quality in operations management
• Sound understanding of TQM and how it is different from traditional approaches to quality.
Does not understand the relevant operations management context of TQM
• Sound ability to evaluate the benefits of TQM
• Sound ability to evaluate the negative dimensions of TQM
• Sound ability to present a balanced discussion
4 19-25 • Extensive knowledge and understanding of importance of quality in operations management
• Extensive understanding of TQM and how it is different from traditional approaches to
quality. Does not understand the relevant operations management context of TQM
• Extensive ability to evaluate the benefits of TQM
• Extensive ability to evaluate the negative dimensions of TQM
• Extensive ability to present a balanced discussion

© ABE 2017 2
Task 2 – 850 words

a. Analyse the financial and non-financial consequences of any two types of supply chain risks associated with the
organisation. (12 marks)
b. Discuss a supply chain risk management (SCRM) approach you would propose for the organisation. (13 marks)
Task Indicative content Total
2a • Meaning of risk in the context of supply chain
• Unambiguous identification of types and sources of supply chain risks
• Financial consequences of the supply chain risks
• Non-financial consequences of the supply chain risks 12
Level Mark Descriptor
0 No rewardable material
1 1-4 • Lack of, limited or incomplete knowledge and understanding of risks in supply chain
• Lack of ability to identify types of supply chain risks for the organisation. Identified one or no
supply chain risk for the organisation.
• Lack of ability to analyse financial consequences of the risk(s) identified
• Lack of ability to analyse non-financial consequences of the risk(s) identified
• Lack of ability to present a balanced analysis
2 5-9 • Adequate knowledge and understanding of risks in supply chain
• Adequate ability to identify two types of supply chain risks for the organisation.
• Adequate ability to analyse financial consequences of the risk(s) identified
• Adequate ability to analyse non-financial consequences of the risk(s) identified
• Adequate ability to present a balanced analysis
3 10-12 • Sound knowledge and understanding of risks in supply chain
• Sound ability to identify types of supply chain risks for the organisation. This would include
identifying two supply chain risks and also their sources.
• Extensive ability to analyse financial consequences of the risk(s) identified
• Extensive ability to analyse non-financial consequences of the risk(s) identified
• Extensive of ability to present a balanced analysis

Task Indicative content Total

2b Approaches to supply chain risk management (SCRM) 13
Level Mark Descriptor
0 No rewardable material
1 1-4 • Lack of knowledge and understanding of approaches to SCRM
• Lack of ability to identify an approach to SCRM for the organisation
• Lack of ability to explain the identified approach or present a balanced discussion in context
of the chosen organisation
2 5-9 • Adequate knowledge and understanding of approaches to SCRM
• Adequate ability to identify an approach to SCRM for the organisation
• Adequate ability to explain the identified approach or present a balanced discussion in
context of the chosen organisation
3 10-13 • Sound knowledge and understanding of approaches to SCRM
• Sound ability to identify an approach to SCRM for the organisation
• Extensive ability to explain the identified approach or present a balanced discussion in
context of the chosen organisation

© ABE 2017 3
Task 3 – 850 words

Discuss the potential benefits and limitations of adopting each of the following as a part of the supply network
strategy for the organisation.
i. Single-sourcing
ii. Multi-sourcing

Task Indicative content Total

3 • Meaning of single sourcing and multi-sourcing
• Benefits and limitations of single-sourcing for an organisation
• Benefits and limitations of multi-sourcing for an organisation 25
Level Mark Descriptor
0 No rewardable material
1 1-9 • Lack of, limited or incomplete knowledge and understanding of meaning of single-sourcing
and multi-sourcing as a part of supply network strategy
• Lack of understanding of both benefits and limitations of single-sourcing in context of the
chosen organisation
• Lack of understanding of both benefits and limitations of multi-sourcing in context of the
chosen organisation
• Lack of ability to present a balanced discussion
2 10-14 • Adequate knowledge and understanding of meaning of single-sourcing and multi-sourcing
as a part of supply network strategy
• Adequate understanding of both benefits and limitations of single-sourcing in context of the
chosen organisation
• Adequate understanding of both benefits and limitations of multi-sourcing in context of the
chosen organisation
• Adequate ability to present a balanced discussion
3 15-18 • Sound knowledge and understanding of meaning of single-sourcing and multi-sourcing as a
part of supply network strategy
• Sound understanding of both benefits and limitations of single-sourcing in context of the
chosen organisation
• Sound understanding of both benefits and limitations of multi-sourcing in context of the
chosen organisation
• Sound ability to present a balanced discussion
4 19-25 • Extensive knowledge and understanding of meaning of single-sourcing and multi-sourcing
as a part of supply network strategy
• Extensive understanding of both benefits and limitations of single-sourcing in context of the
chosen organisation
• Extensive understanding of both benefits and limitations of multi-sourcing in context of the
chosen organisation
• Extensive ability to present a balanced discussion

© ABE 2017 4
Task 4 – 850 words

a. Analyse the strategic importance of effective logistics in the organisation’s supply chain management.
(13 marks)
b. Discuss the adoption of just-in-time (JIT) inventory management in context of your chosen organisation.
(12 marks)
Task Indicative content Total
4a • Meaning and definition of logistics
• Linkage between logistics and competitive advantage
• Various advantages achieved from logistics: quality, time, cost, dependability, and variability
advantages 13
Level Mark Descriptor
0 No rewardable material
1 1-4 • Lack of, limited or incomplete knowledge and understanding of meaning and definition of
logistics
• Lack of ability to link logistics and competitive advantage
• Lack of ability to analyse the advantages achieved from logistics: quality, time, cost,
dependability and agility advantages achieved from logistics
2 5-9 • Adequate knowledge and understanding of meaning and definition of logistics
• Adequate ability to link logistics and competitive advantage
• Adequate ability to analyse the advantages achieved from logistics: quality, time, cost,
dependability and agility advantages achieved from logistics
3 10-12 • Sound knowledge and understanding of meaning and definition of logistics
• Extensive ability to link logistics and competitive advantage
• Extensive ability to analyse the advantages achieved from logistics: quality, time, cost,
dependability and agility advantages achieved from logistics

Task Indicative content Total

4b • Approaches to inventory management
• Meaning of JIT
• Benefits of adopting JIT in an organisation
• Limitations of JIT in an organisation 12
Level Mark Descriptor
0 No rewardable material
1 1-4 • Lack of, limited or incomplete knowledge of various approaches to inventory management.
• Lack of knowledge of meaning of JIT.
• Lack of ability to analyse benefits of adopting JIT in context of the chosen organisation.
• Lack of ability to analyse limitations of adopting JIT in context of the chosen organisation.
• Lack of ability to present a balanced discussion
2 5-9 • Adequate knowledge of various approaches to inventory management.
• Adequate knowledge of meaning of JIT.
• Adequate ability to analyse benefits of adopting JIT in context of the chosen organisation.
• Adequate ability to analyse limitations of adopting JIT in context of the chosen organisation.
• Adequate ability to present a balanced discussion
3 10-12 • Sound knowledge of various approaches to inventory management.
• Sound knowledge of meaning of JIT.
• Extensive ability to analyse benefits of adopting JIT in context of the chosen organisation.
• Extensive ability to analyse limitations of adopting JIT in context of the chosen organisation.
• Extensive ability to present a balanced discussion

© ABE 2017 5