Business Skills - 2021 entry

The Business Skills module will allow you to develop a set of business skills covering business re-engineering, and project management (LEAN, Six sigma, and PRINCE 2), You will then use these and other selected techniques for process improvement, waste reduction and project management to help develop the framework for the planning and execution of the 12 month industry-based business improvement project undertaken in CSMM184.

The module will also examine the equally essential roles of innovation, agility, creativity and entrepreneurship within your work context for developing business solutions in a dynamic mining industry environment.

The module introduces a range of business and project management skills that you can use with your technical mining knowledge, and workplace experience to plan a focused business improvement research project. The module will cover critical analysis, project formulation, hypothesis testing, planning tools, to help you prepare to execute and deliver a project within time and organizational constraints. Specific coverage of project management, business and process re-engineering and waste minimisation methodologies will be incorporated.

Different mining companies articulate the skills, attitudes and behaviours that they believe add value and give a competitive advantage. These will be explored and the complementary skills of, for example, innovation, agility, creativity and entrepreneurship will also be considered. Other essential workplace skills such as communication, judgement, flexibility, persuasion, negotiation, leadership and problem solving will be highlighted.

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

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge

Personal and Key Transferable / Employment Skills and Knowledge

The module will be delivered over a period of 12 weeks using online lectures, PowerPoint presentations, documents and reference material in pdf format, mp3 podcasts, videos, e-tivities, discussion boards; and through face to face teaching and group work as part of a residential course. The residential will be in February to assist development of the students Business Improvement Project Plan. Some aspects of the module will also be revisited in the CSMM184 module residential in November.

The business skills module will explore three industry specific methodologies for business improvement and project planning - LEAN, Six sigma, and PRINCE 2. These will be supplemented by an exploration of how other business critical skills such as communication, judgement, flexibility, persuasion, negotiation, leadership and problem solving all play a key role in effective business performance. These will all be tools you can use in planning and execution of the Business impact Project.

At the end of the module you will prepare a full project plan for your Project - the terms of reference, aims and objectives must be agreed between the academic and company supervisor. Project plans must be submitted and approved prior to major research activities in CSMM184 being initiated.

All referral marks are capped at 50%.

Basic reading:

ELE: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Online lectures, PowerPoint presentations, documents and reference material in pdf format, mp3 podcasts, videos, e-tivities, discussion boards;  and links to the University of Exeter electronic library and its comprehensive resources.

Web based and Electronic Resources:

Module is largely delivered by a dedicated ELE website that also involves links to external corporate, professional, educational websites and YouTube.

Other Resources:

The site will have additional literature resources from external professional bodies, technical guides and manuals and use of company annual reports.

Reading list for this module: