Course Title: Case Studies 2: Product and Processes Re-engineering

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Case Studies 2: Product and Processes Re-engineering

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

MANU2134

City Campus

Postgraduate

115H Aerospace, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering

Distance / Correspondence or Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2011

MANU2134

City Campus

Postgraduate

115H Aerospace, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering

Distance / Correspondence or Face-to-Face or Internet

Sem 1 2007,
Sem 2 2007,
Sem 1 2008,
Sem 2 2008,
Sem 1 2009,
Sem 2 2009,
Sem 2 2010

MANU2134

City Campus

Postgraduate

115H Aerospace, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering

Face-to-Face or Internet

Sem 2 2012

Course Coordinator: Dr. Arun Kumar

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 4328

Course Coordinator Email: a.kumar@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 57.03.020

Course Coordinator Availability: Monday 1:00 to 3:00 pm


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None


Course Description

The aim of this course is to present the principles involved in innovation management, both product and process innovation. The role of product innovation is considered, both from the viewpoint of establishing an entirely new business venture and from within a larger corporation. The development and preparation of a detailed business plan are important tasks in the innovation process, and the key elements of a business plan are studied. The operation and structure of a business from a systems or process viewpoint is examined, and as a result methods of process improvement or innovation are considered. In considering this, the specific aspect of knowledge management in an innovative environment is considered. The course may be considered in four elements; the foundations of technical product and process innovation (1 to 3), opportunity assessment and business plan development (topics 4-6), innovation in corporations (topics 7-9), and topics on business process innovation in corporations and how to manage it (topics 10-12).


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

1 Acquire a sound knowledge regarding the concepts of product and process innovation, and their wider business implications
2 Describe the product innovation process as it relates to technology based developments and the various steps in this process and related factors.
3 Be able to identify technology based opportunities, assess their feasibility, and develop and implement business plans to bring these opportunities to a successful commercial outcome.
4 Understand the corporate environment, and in particular how innovation can impact on commercial success. As part of this identify different innovative cultures and how to develop these.
5 Gain an ability to understand, develop, and interpret business models of organisations, and as a result be able to identify improvements in business processes to enhance the effectiveness of organisations.


see above


Overview of Learning Activities

Students completing this subject would be able to:
*(a) demonstrate a good understanding of systems approaches to the innovation process, both product and process innovation;
*(b) assess the various factors and then assemble the relevant information and materials to prepare a viable business plan as part of the development and management of a technology-based business;
*(c) appreciate the technological and business systems that need to be integrated to successfully manage innovation in both small and large-scale technological businesses, and understand the underlying cultural and knowledge management issues influencing such systems
*(d) apply a systems approach to business process innovation in corporation, and be able to understand and utilise current tools to characterise and measure the effectiveness of such innovation.


Overview of Learning Resources

These resources are available online. You can download them once you are enrolled in the course.
• Walker, J.H. Course Guide Notes, MANU 2134, Case Studies 2: Product and Process Reengineering, SAMME, RMIT University, 2005.
Additional Materials

These will be supplied to you in hard copy once you are enrolled in the course.
• Doukas, L. (Editor), Reading Notes for MANU 2134, Case Studies 2: Product and Process Reengineering, SAMME, RMIT University, 2005.
Prescribed Texts & References
The following textbook is prescribed and you must buy it:
• Legge J and Hindle K “Entrepreneurship: How Innovators Create the Future” McMillan Education Australia
The following text is also suggested, but is not mandatory
• Rouse W.B. “Strategies for Innovation: Creating Successful Products, Systems and Organisations” Wiley Series in Systems Engineering.
These two textbooks comprehensively cover Modules 1 to 7 (inclusive), and Rouse also introduces the remaining Modules. These texts are complementary in that Legge and Hindle covers all aspects of the business planning process for new innovations with examples and case studies across a wide range of industries and products, and Rouse focuses on a systems based approach to innovation in technology-based enterprises with case studies in the field of computer systems and software.You MUST have the prescribed text available to do your studies in this course, consequently we recommend that you purchase Legge and Hindle. Copies are available in the RMIT university and other university libraries. URL – http://www.rmitbookshop.com.au/gua.html

Recommended Resources
Further references for Modules 1 to 6 are:
• Timmons J.A. “New Venture Creation: Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century” Irwin Books (This is a US book with numerous case studies, and in Chapter 11 contains a further example of a Business Plan).
• Betz F “Managing Technological Innovation” 1998, Wiley
• Betz F “Strategic Innovation Management” 1994 McGraw Hill (both Betz texts provide a sound overview of technology innovation systems)
• Golis C. “Enterprise and Venture Capital” Allen & Unwin (This reference is included for those students who go beyond the academic content of this course, and wish to develop and grow a new business and need to access capital to achieve their objectives).
Topics 7 to 12 are addressed through the Course Notes and draw upon a number of Case Studies. However, students are recommended to the following:
• Farrell L C “The Entrepreneurial Age” 2001, Allworth Press.
• Stewart T A “ Intellectual Capital” 2000, Nicholas Brealey Publishing
• Davenport T.H. “Process Innovation” Harvard Business School Press
• Hammer M and Champy J. “Reengineering the Corporation” Allen & Unwin
• Simons R. “Levers of Control: How Managers Use Innovative Control Systems to Drive Strategic Renewal” Harvard Business School Press
• Kaplan R.S. and Norton D.P. “The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action” Harvard Business School Press.
Farrell and Stewart are excellent practical based sources of information for Modules 8 and 9 respectively. Davenport looks at how process innovation can improve performance and identifies the “enablers” of process innovation. Whereas Davenport addresses business process redesign, Hammer and Champy covers the design of a new process, or more specifically “re-engineering”. Both Simons and Kaplan and Norton describe particular approaches to innovation in management processes. The former using “levers of control” and the latter a “balanced scorecard”. For students undertaking this course online, additional innovation textbooks can be purchased from online sellers like Amazon (highly recommended). URL – http://www.amazon.com

RMIT UNIVERSITY LIBRARY supports the Distance Students by providing the following ONLINE RESOURCES:
• access to online data bases
• library catalogue searching
• document delivery service
• online question and answer service
• guides and tutorials for information literacy including referencing
• complete textbooks and journals

For more information visit the RMIT web sites:
http://www.rmit.edu.au/library/info-trek 
http://www.rmit.edu.au/library/assistance 
http://www.rmit.edu.au/library/contacts


Overview of Assessment

Assignment 1
Start this assignment week4 and submit week 6
Summarise understanding of concepts of course. A limit of 1000 words written on A4 papers with a font size of 12.
10% maximum contribution to the final grade.

Assignment 2
Start this assignment in week 7 and submit in week 9
Present a justification to proceed with a technology based business opportunity. A limit of 2000 words written on A4 papers with a font size of 12.
20% maximum contribution to the final grade.

Assignment 3
Start this assignment in week 10 submit in week 13
Prepare the key elements of a business plan based on the opportunity identified in Assignment 2. A limit of 4000 words written on A4 papers with a font size of 12.
40% maximum contribution to the final grade.

Class Test:
This will be given in week 13
covering Modules 7 to 12.
30% maximum contribution to the final grade.