Module: Business Processes & Lean Thinking

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	Business Processes & Lean Thinking
Module Code	MT338 (ITS) / MNA1017 (Banner)
Faculty	DCU Business School	School	DCU Business School
Module Co-ordinator	Raymond Treacy
Module Teachers	Pj Byrne
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

None

Description

Managing business processes is a significant challenge in most organisations. Poor business processes leads to underperformance in manufacturing and service based organisations alike. Lean thinking is an operations management discipline which aims to identify, map and analyse the activities forming a process. Lean as a technique is a systematic approach to reducing or eliminating activities that don't add value to the process. It emphasises removing wasteful steps in a process and taking only the value-added steps forward. The Lean method ensures high quality and customer satisfaction. This module will provide students with the knowledge, techniques and skills to analyse and develop existing operations processes, models and frameworks that are commensurate with world class organisations. Students will be able to analyse critically the literature and existing organisational practices so as to be capable of understanding the role and practice of process analysis within organisations, demonstrating potential improvements in practice.

Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate a knowledge of the key principles and concepts of Lean thinking.
2. Evaluate the various forms of waste associated with a Lean analysis.
3. Compare and contrast Lean tools such as Value Stream Mapping, Visual Management, Kaizen, SMED, 5S, and TPM in business process improvement.
4. Analyse existing operational processes and suggest improvements that support business process improvements.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	24	No Description
Assignment Completion	45	No Description
Independent Study	56	No Description
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

What is a process

Lean and Lean thinking, the backstory

Lean tools and practices – Improving process flow

Waste identification

Business process mapping

The Lean Toolkit – An assessment of the broad array of additional tools and techniques of Lean

Kaizen – a practical approach

Lean case analysis

An introduction to Lean Six Sigma

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Assignment	Lean improvement project report	100%	Sem 2 End

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Other Resources

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