Agile, Lean and Competitive Enterprise - 2024 entry

In an ever changing world, businesses can stay ahead of the game by using competitive operation and supply chain strategies. Manufacturing and service are two industries that benefit from employing a range of enterprise concepts and techniques, including lean enterprise and agile manufacturing, which have implications to both internal operations as well as supply chains.

Lean production concerns the creation of quality products, consuming less human energy and using less equipment, time and space. Agile manufacturing, on the other hand, is related to bringing new products into changing markets in a responsive way and the ability to be innovative and to thrive in a changing environment.  These two operation strategies have significant implications to and are closely related to supply chain management.

The module will be run in two sub-streams - lean enterprise, and agile manufacturing and others. There will also be advanced topics looking at recent development in operational and manufacturing strategies. One of the key aims is to encourage independent learning, so, while lectures will serve as a guide to topics, you will learn mostly through directed reading, class discussions and a research dissertation.

Prerequisite module: ECM2106 or equivalent.

This module enhances your understanding of key manufacturing and enterprise concepts and techniques, and gives you the opportunity to put your knowledge into practice, by assessing the business environment of a company and formulating continuous improvement strategies. Through practical project work and interaction with industry, you will also improve your professional communication and presentation skills. Furthermore, you will have improved your professional project management skills, including target setting and scheduling and progress control.

This is a constituent module of one or more degree programmes which are accredited by a professional engineering institution under licence from the Engineering Council. The learning outcomes for this module have been mapped to the output standards required for an accredited programme, as listed in the current version of the Engineering Council’s ‘Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes’ document (AHEP-V3).

This module contributes to learning outcomes: SM1m – SM6m, SM1fl - SM3fl, EA1m-EA6m, EA1fl – EA3fl, D1m-D8m, D1fl-D3fl, ET2M – ET7m, ET2fl – ET6fl, EP4m – EP11m, EP2fl – EP4fl, G1m – G4m, G1fl – G4fl.

A full list of the referenced outcomes is provided online:
https://intranet.exeter.ac.uk/emps/studentinfo/subjects/engineering/accreditation/

The AHEP document can be viewed in full on the Engineering Council’s website, at http://www.engc.org.uk/

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge: SM1m – SM6m, SM1fl - SM3fl, EA1m-EA6m, EA1fl – EA3fl, D1m-D6m, D1fl-D3fl, ET2M – ET7m, ET2fl – ET6fl, EP4m – EP11m, EP2fl – EP4fl

1 show a systematic understanding of lean principles, agility strategy, and other manufacturing concepts, including their limitations;

2 demonstrate in writing, in-depth knowledge and understanding of the tools and techniques used to improve competitiveness through lean and agile principles;

3 appreciate the suitability, benefits (etc) of advanced manufacturing concepts in improving industrial competitiveness.

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge: EA2m – EA6m, EA1fl – EA3fl, D1m – D8m, D1fl – D3fl, ET2fl – ET4fl

4 assess the business environment of a company and formulate continuous improvement strategies;

5 analyse business needs and identify suitable business tools to implement a continuous improvement programme;

6 recognise industrial situations that can be improved through leanness and agility.

Personal and Key Transferable/ Employment Skills and Knowledge: G1m – G4m, G1fl – G4fl

7 exhibit professional project management skills, through set assignments;

8 work constructively and supportively within a team, adapting any role required, to develop solutions to typical new business problems;

9 illustrate professional communication and presentation skills.

The module will run in two sub-streams in respect to competitiveness: Lean Enterprise and Agile Manufacturing. Lectures are meant to be a guide on topics and students learn through directed reading, class discussions and research dissertation.

Lean Enterprise:

- introducing the module;

- the principles of lean manufacturing and enterprise;

- value stream mapping and production wastes;

- product analysis and cellular manufacturing;

- pull system, JIT and Kanban;

- continuous improvement schemes;

- Kaisen and Kaikaku, workplace organisation and 5Cs;

- SPC and 6-sigma.

Agile Manufacturing and others:

- the principles of agility;

- agility strategies;

- business systems analysis for agility;

- agility drivers, capabilities and performances;

- virtual enterprise;

- mass customisation;

- strategy formulation, implementation and continuous improvement.

Reassessment will be by a single piece of coursework worth 100% of the module. For deferred candidates, the mark will be uncapped. For referred candidates, the mark will be capped at 50%.

ELE: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk

Reading list for this module: