Programme in Production, Operations and Productivity Management

PLEASE NOTE:  No intake for 2012 due to the revision of the study material

Qualification Code: 7184-6

"No student of organizational or business life should therefore be without, at the very least, an understanding of the role, objectives and activities of operations management."

(Nigel Slack et al 1995)

Production/operations management education is vital if South African businesses hope to compete internationally or remain competitive in their domestic markets. Persons who may benefit from this new programme include the following: students who hope to acquire a basic understanding of the role and functioning of production/operations management; students who are responsible for the supervision of the production/operations function and wish to learn more about the different tasks and responsibilities of production/operation managers; students who are managers and wish to learn about the strategic aspects of production/operations management as well as some of the new developments and challenges in this field of expertise; and students wishing to learn about the basics of productivity management.

The objectives of the new programme are as follows:

•  to provide nonformal-oriented education in production/operations and productivity management
• to present a modularised (the study material is arranged in different modules), progressive (each module builds on the knowledge of the previous one) learning package
• to cover both the basic and some of the more advanced concepts and techniques of production/operations and productivity management
• to accommodate different target groups of students ranging from factory-floor workers to supervisors and senior managers

The study material is presented according to the outcomes-based approach and the content of the modules includes some of the most pertinent and relevant topics in business today, namely productivity, material/information/customer processing, strategic production/operations focus and performance objectives, design of products and services, location of capacity, layout and workflow, job design and work organisation, process technology, capacity management, master scheduling and MRP, inventory and supply chain planning and control, just-in-time (JIT), quality assurance, project management, measurement of operational performance, failure prevention and recovery, total quality management (TQM) and continuous improvement.

Specifically, the programme is aimed at people currently employed or those wishing to take up employment as first-line supervisors, junior to senior management level in the production/ operations function of any business/organisation or institution.  It is recommended for persons involved in both the manufacturing and service industries, especially for all production/operations employees, their supervisors and managers wishing to have a comprehensive exposure to the field of production/operations and productivity management.

Evaluation and examination

Students will be evaluated in each of the four modules by means of both assignments (formative assessment) and a formal written examination (summative assessment).

Formative assessment:
For the purposes of the formative assessment, two assignments are set of which the student must complete one for self-assessment purposes (not to be handed in) and hand in the other (a compulsory assignment) before on or the due date. Self-assessment means that the student will compare his/her own answer with a recommended solution which will be provided once the student has completed the particular module. The compulsory assignments are formally assessed by the lecturer and/or his/her appointed external marker.

Note: The compulsory assignment provides a student the opportunity to obtain a year mark which will be used in the calculation of his/her final mark. In this twelve-month Programme in Production/Operations and Productivity Management, the year mark will comprise ten percent (10%) and the examination mark ninety percent (90%) of the final mark for each of the two modules.

Summative assessment:
For the purposes of the summative assessment, one two-hour examination counting 70 marks must be written for each of the four modules. The examination will consist of both multiple-choice and essay-type questions. In order to pass the programme, a student must obtain a final pass mark of at least fifty percent (50%) in each of the two modules. Furthermore, a subminimum of forty-five percent (45%) has to be obtained in the examination in order to pass a particular module with a final mark of fifty percent (50%), given that the student was able to obtain a year mark of a hundred percent (100%).

The examinations will be conducted at official Unisa examination centres throughout South Africa and at selected cities in other countries of Africa and the rest of the world. In the case of this programme, the examinations in each of the four modules will be written in January/February of the year following the initial registration. Should the need arise, one supplementary examination opportunity per module will be allowed and these examinations will be written in May/June of the year immediately following the year of initial registration. No year mark is applicable in the supplementary examinations and the minimum pass mark for the supplementary examination per module is 50%.

Note: for all supplementary examinations, an additional examination fee of R110,00 per module (South African based students) is payable before the student will be allowed to write the examination. Students based in other African or overseas countries should enquire as to the exact amount of the above additional supplementary examination fee when necessary.

Credits

• Level 6
• 48 credits

A student can also obtain credits for a Unisa module in Production and Operations Management (MNO202-B and MNO301-D) which form part of the formal BCom degree.

ODL - Open Distance Learning
The Unisa “tried and tested” ODL method of tuition is followed in this course. The method is based on self-learning and uses a complete study package to impart knowledge and assist students to learn application skills in the particular field or discipline. The study package for each of the four modules comprises a study guide and a number of tutorial letters containing details of the assignments and feedback on the assignments.  

The feedback tutorial letters are despatched to students at intervals, such as after the completion of a particular module and before the examinations are written. The study package has therefore been specifically designed to make adult learning through distance teaching easier but still meaningful.

No direct class contact is provided for, but students may contact the relevant lecturer in person, by e-mail, by telephone/facsimile (fax) if the need arises or if they would like any part of the course explained. However, in order to make the ODL method manageable, certain guidelines for contacting lecturers have been laid down (ie how to make an appointment to consult a lecturer, the office telephone contact hours, the preferred use of e-mail to seek clarity regarding an aspect contained in the study material, et cetera) and these will be communicated to students when they register.

The advantages of the ODL method include the following: it makes it possible for a student to learn at his/her own pace and at any place in the world (greater flexibility); it is relatively inexpensive and affordable compared to residential universities or contact training providers (lower cost); and the study content is well documented in the study guides (high degree of dependability).

Overall, the knowledge transfer and acquisition of application skills should have an important impact on a student’s working career and progress. The course therefore provides a meaningful learning experience by an internationally recognised tertiary distance education university (high quality experience).

Registration, date of commencement and fees

Registration procedures

In order to ensure a quick (effective) and effortless (efficient) registration process, the following registration procedures are advised:

• Complete a CBM (Centre for Business Management) registration form in full and clearly indicate the code of the course / programme you are registering for, including the relevant module codes. Remember to SIGN the declaration at the end.
  
• Return the completed CBM registration form together with certified copies of the first page of your identification document (ID) and National Senior Certificate (matric or grade 12 certificate) either by post (CBM Registration Office, PO Box 392, Unisa, 0003, Attention: The Programme Leader, Programme in Production/Operations and Productivity Management) or  by facsimile (fax) +27 12 429 4565 or +27 12 429 3890 or +27 0 866 82 9213 (fax-to-e-mail).
  
• Allow between 48 and 72 hours after faxing your application to elapse, after which time you ought to receive a notification from the CBM informing you of your provisional student number (also referred to as a “TP” number) and providing you with Unisa’s banking details (ie name of bank, account number, branch number, deposit reference to which you must add your recently allocated student number). You can then make direct electronic payments to Unisa. You may also use these account details to deposit a cheque if this is your preferred method of payment.
  
  Note: if you selected payment by credit card on your CBM registration form, the indicated amount will automatically be debited against the credit card number provided as per your instructions and authorisation. Should you not receive the said provisional student number and Unisa banking details after 48 hours have elapsed, please contact the registration manager for the course / programme urgently. He or she will advise you further on what avenues to follow to expedite your registration or possibly on what outstanding information you will need to submit to the registration office.
  
• As soon as payment has been received (by any of the payment methods indicated above), your student status becomes “active” and your study package (prescribed book if applicable, study guides and tutorial letters, et cetera ) will be despatched by normal registered post. 

Commencement Date 

This programme only allows one intake per calendar year. The registration periods and official commencement dates are indicated below:

Note: you must register for all four modules of the programme concurrently and partial or “split-up” registrations (ie registering for two modules in  one academic year and the other two modules in the next academic year, for example) will not be permitted  at all.

Fee per candidate 

The all-inclusive fee (no VAT – value added tax – is payable) per candidate is ZAR6 950,00. This includes the whole study package (study material comprising a prescribed textbook, if applicable; study guides; tutorial letters, et cetera), examination fees (however, excluding supplementary examination fees in the event of this being necessary).

Full payment is required in order to become an “active” student and receive your whole study package. Only in exceptional cases and with the prior approval of the Programme Leader (ie confirmed purchase order from your employer or other special arrangement) can registration proceed without payment in full. 

Contact persons
Prof LP Krüger
Tel:   (012) 429-4884
Cell: 082 809 2064
E-mail: krugelp@unisa.ac.za
Fax to e-mail: 086 641 5345

Prof RJ Steenkamp
Tel:   (012) 429-4842
Cell: 082 882 0215
E-mail: steenrj@unisa.ac.za
Fax to e-mail: 086 682 9213

Fax: (012) 429-4565/3463/3465