Recommended Study Sequence

This unit is designed to provide participants with an understanding of the strategic management of technology. It is relevant to managers, engineers, technologists and scientists with current or future responsibilities for managing technological change and innovation. The unit content focuses primarily on strategic technology management at the firm level, though some time will be spent on global issues of technological change that impact on strategic management. Unit material covers two broad themes, one, the identification of global technology trends and strategies, and the forecasting, selection, integration and commercialisation of new technologies within the firm's product range, and two, the selection and implementation of new technologies to assist in improving productivity and efficiency within the firm's operations. Unit available for masters programs only.

This unit gives an overview of contemporary engineering management philosophies and practices to engineers integrating globalisation, quality, technology, people and management systems. The main emphasis is on contemporary issues. The aim is to facilitate a smooth transition of engineers into management roles and to provide necessary competencies for successful performance in engineer-manager roles. The unit will prepare engineers/scientific personnel for management careers in the twenty-first century. Topics include: changing roles of engineers and managers, factors influencing the transition of engineers into management roles, strategies for managing transitions, managing engineering-based organisations and skilled/technical professionals, planning and control systems, decision-making and information systems, team building and group dynamics, motivation of engineers/specialists and/or scientific professionals, interpersonal skills and negotiation skills, communication skills, managing change, human factors engineering, and occupational health and safety issues.

This unit provides the philosophy, tools and computerised techniques for effectively managing large projects and programs in any organisation. Topics include project definitions and examples, research and development, benefits and costs of project management, personnel policies, the mechanics of project planning, developing networks, network validation, scheduling and control, resource analysis and control, cost analysis and budgetary control, and training.

The main objective of this unit is to provide an introduction to operations management, and to be the role of operations in an organisation, not only as an important element of corporate strategy but also as a means of enhancing customer value. This unit will introduce students to a range of quantitative techniques, to enable them to analyse problems in operations management and make decisions or recommendations based on the interpretation of their analysis and other strategic considerations. A series of cases will be used to provide simulated experience in the management of operations and to explore the interaction of the operations function with other functional areas.

This unit gives an overview of contemporary engineering management philosophies and practices to engineers integrating globalisation, quality, technology, people and management systems. The main emphasis is on contemporary issues. The aim is to facilitate a smooth transition of engineers into management roles and to provide necessary competencies for successful performance in engineer-manager roles. The unit will prepare engineers/scientific personnel for management careers in the twenty-first century. Topics include: changing roles of engineers and managers, factors influencing the transition of engineers into management roles, strategies for managing transitions, managing engineering-based organisations and skilled/technical professionals, planning and control systems, decision-making and information systems, team building and group dynamics, motivation of engineers/specialists and/or scientific professionals, interpersonal skills and negotiation skills, communication skills, managing change, human factors engineering, and occupational health and safety issues.

The main objective of this unit is to provide an introduction to operations management, and to be the role of operations in an organisation, not only as an important element of corporate strategy but also as a means of enhancing customer value. This unit will introduce students to a range of quantitative techniques, to enable them to analyse problems in operations management and make decisions or recommendations based on the interpretation of their analysis and other strategic considerations. A series of cases will be used to provide simulated experience in the management of operations and to explore the interaction of the operations function with other functional areas.

This unit is designed to provide participants with an understanding of the strategic management of technology. It is relevant to managers, engineers, technologists and scientists with current or future responsibilities for managing technological change and innovation. The unit content focuses primarily on strategic technology management at the firm level, though some time will be spent on global issues of technological change that impact on strategic management. Unit material covers two broad themes, one, the identification of global technology trends and strategies, and the forecasting, selection, integration and commercialisation of new technologies within the firm's product range, and two, the selection and implementation of new technologies to assist in improving productivity and efficiency within the firm's operations. Unit available for masters programs only.

This unit provides the philosophy, tools and computerised techniques for effectively managing large projects and programs in any organisation. Topics include project definitions and examples, research and development, benefits and costs of project management, personnel policies, the mechanics of project planning, developing networks, network validation, scheduling and control, resource analysis and control, cost analysis and budgetary control, and training.

This unit gives an overview of contemporary engineering management philosophies and practices to engineers integrating globalisation, quality, technology, people and management systems. The main emphasis is on contemporary issues. The aim is to facilitate a smooth transition of engineers into management roles and to provide necessary competencies for successful performance in engineer-manager roles. The unit will prepare engineers/scientific personnel for management careers in the twenty-first century. Topics include: changing roles of engineers and managers, factors influencing the transition of engineers into management roles, strategies for managing transitions, managing engineering-based organisations and skilled/technical professionals, planning and control systems, decision-making and information systems, team building and group dynamics, motivation of engineers/specialists and/or scientific professionals, interpersonal skills and negotiation skills, communication skills, managing change, human factors engineering, and occupational health and safety issues.

The main objective of this unit is to provide an introduction to operations management, and to be the role of operations in an organisation, not only as an important element of corporate strategy but also as a means of enhancing customer value. This unit will introduce students to a range of quantitative techniques, to enable them to analyse problems in operations management and make decisions or recommendations based on the interpretation of their analysis and other strategic considerations. A series of cases will be used to provide simulated experience in the management of operations and to explore the interaction of the operations function with other functional areas.

All operations within an organisation involve some risk. In many cases decisions are made in conditions of uncertainty where the key variables are beyond the control of the decision-maker. In order to maximise the probability of making the optimum decisions, managers must understand how to manage the risks involved. This unit introduces students to the variety of risks commonly encountered by organisations, to provide them with the tools necessary to analyse these risks and objectively evaluate the alternatives available.Unit available for masters only.

This unit provides the philosophy, tools and computerised techniques required for instituting quality control in business processes. Topics include definition of quality control, quality assurance and total quality, control charts for variables, theory of probability, control charts for attributes, acceptance sampling, life testing and reliability, process capability improvement, and Taguchi methods for quality improvement.

This unit provides candidates with an understanding of the fundamental principles of contract law and the commercial legal environment in which business is conducted. It will enable candidates to understand basic common law and statutory principles which apply to commercial transactions; and to understand the nature of commonly encountered special types of contracts relevant to project managers. Topics include the Australian legal system; the Common Law of Contract, its origins and development, its limitations and the development of equitable and statutory remedies; special types of contracts including insurance contracts, agency, and contract of employment; statutory frameworks and tribunals for regulating different aspects of employment; an overview of the nature and range of environmental protection legislation; and some legal aspects of international contract administration.

This unit provides an understanding of the philosophy of manufacturing resource planning and equips the candidate with the tools and techniques needed to integrate various functions, in order to achieve competitive performance standards in small and large manufacturing organisations. Candidates will be exposed to MRPII and its applications to marketing, demand management, aggregate planning, capacity planning, master scheduling, cost control, and its relationships with JIT and TQM. Topics include competition and organisational strategies; the CEO's role in resource management; systems approach and networks; critical elements of manufacturing resource plan; linkage of total productivity; MRPII in marketing, demand management and forecasting; resource requirement planning; rough-cut capacity planning; capacity planning; aggregate production planning; the master scheduling policies; MRPII in manufacturing, purchasing, cost control, engineering and distribution resource planning; MRPII and computer systems; MRPII, JIT and TQM interrelationships; organising and implementing MRPII; MRPII in small companies; and measuring the effectiveness of MRPII.

This unit provides the concepts, tools and techniques needed in purchasing and materials management. It includes purchasing policy and strategy, organising and staffing in purchasing and materials functions, supplier selection and evaluation, price/cost analysis, negotiation skills, inventory management, value analysis and standardisation, purchasing in the international market, government purchasing, and legal aspects of purchasing. Topics include purchasing's role and objectives; purchasing in a dynamic worldwide economy; purchasing strategy and policy; the basic purchasing policy; information technology in purchasing; organising and staffing in a purchase department; purchasing responsibility for quality; supplier selection; development and evaluation; purchasing in the international market; price/cost analysis; the art and science of negotiation; the legal aspects of purchasing; inventory management; purchasing's responsibility for inventory, transportation, purchasing planning and forecasting; value analysis/standardisation, purchasing's role in capital expenditures; measuring purchasing performance; retail, institutional and government purchasing; electronic data interchange.

This unit provides concepts, tools and techniques to enable business and technical managers to effectively manage research and development (R&D) activity in their organisations. Topics include the role and scope of R&D in business, the process of technological innovation -- the need for a conceptual approach, technological innovation as a conversion process, factors contributing to successful technological innovation, strategies for R&D -- the role of corporate planning, R&D as a business, resource allocation to R&D, selecting R&D strategy, strategy versus entrepreneurship, creativity and problem-solving -- the creative process, creative individuals -- main characteristics, creativity in innovation, techniques for creative problem-solving. An integrated approach, project selection and evaluation, financial evaluation of R&D projects, R&D program planning and control, organisation of R&D -- definition of organisation, the human resource, leadership style, industrial characteristics, organisation structures, technological forecasting for decision-making -- the need to forecast, the definition of technological forecasting, inputs to and outputs of the forecasting system, classifications and techniques of technological forecasting.

This unit provides future managers with an understanding of the principles of re-engineering in a defunctionalised organisation that focuses on the customers and the processes. It equips candidates with the necessary tools and techniques for radical redesigning of the operations, processes, organisation and culture of business organisations. Topics include re-engineering -- the path to changing business processes; redesigning techniques and tools -- process mapping and modelling; performance management; key enablers of business process re-engineering; business process architecture; customer requirements -- assessment and customer satisfaction measurement; business process re-engineering -- delayering, downsizing and impact on human resources strategy; and implementation and review of re-engineering software.

This unit helps candidates adapt to turbulent organisational situations, and identify opportunities for new ventures through developing innovative strategies and intra-preneurship skills that will contribute to organisational growth. Topics include concepts of entrepreneurship, intra-preneurship and innovation; lateral thinking; innovation in strategic context; risk-taking in business; opportunity realisation and feasibility analysis; adding value to existing products/services through innovation and innovative management approaches; managing innovation for business growth; product development and life cycle analysis; innovation and global marketplace; commercialising new products and services; issues in marketing new ventures and business plans, intellectual property; and technological forecasting.

This unit provides candidates with the opportunity to explore the latest developments in a particular area and share that research knowledge with other candidates in the area. It is expected to help them gain an in-depth understanding and appreciation of the issues relevant to the conceptual development and practical implementation of concepts or tools in the area of business operations. It will equip candidates with the necessary research skills and critical thinking ability.

The objective of this unit is to introduce students to a range of quantitative techniques to enable them to analyse problems in operations and quality mangement and to interpret their findings both from a tactical and strategic perspective.

This unit will provide an introduction to quality management principles, quality management systems and the quality tools and techniques needed for creating customer value and improving competitiveness and organisational effectiveness.

Achieving customer satisfaction through quality management requires the understanding and use of specialised managerial, technological and statistical concepts and tolls. This unit aims to provide an in-depth understanding of planning approaches and statistical tolls commonly used for managing quality.

The development of quality standards and guidelines that are internationally recognised has become a competitive imperative in the context of globalisation. Simultaneously, firms are increasingly evaluating their quality management efforts by examining how well these are meeting the expectations of customers, employees and other stakeholders. This unit aims to provide an indepth understanding of the issues involved in planning and implementing quality systems and assessing their effectiveness from a business excellence perspective.

Performance measurement provides firms, managers and employees with a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation and its business processes. Performance measures are also a good way for communicating a firms strategy throughout the organisation. Furthermore, performance measurement is the first step in planning and implementing quality and productivity in an organisation. This unit aims to provide an understanding of the principles and practices of performance measurement and it role in enhancing organisational effectiveness.

This unit aims to provide an understanding of the principles techniques and applications of managing assets and to equip students with competencies and skills in planning, procurement, repair, maintenance, replacement and disposal of facilities, equipment and materials. Topics include: concept and types of assets, procurement, reliability, maintenance, replacement and disposal of capital assets, purchasing and replacement strategies and techniques, sourcing and maintenance management.

The unit aims to provide an understanding of the concepts and techniques for managing logistics activities and warehouse effectively. Topics include the role of logistics in the economy and firm, development of logistics management, integrated logistics management concept, channels of distribution, customer service, transportation systems and mathematical models, documentation for exports and imports and government regulations, designing warehouse layout, material handling systems, storage techniques for locating and reducing costs, automated warehouse, barcode systems and uses in warehouse management, paperless warehouse, order processing and information systems, decision support systems for logistics management, logistics performance, managing material flow- logistics/manufacturing interface, logistics/marketing interface, and the strategic logistics plan-global logistics.

This unit provides exposure to real-life industrial problems, and develops candidates' ability to apply the concepts, tools and techniques of total quality management and productivity management. Candidates will undertake a major field work involving developing new systems, evaluating the effectiveness of existing systems, and/or improving existing systems. Candidates will select a problem for detailed investigation and analysis in consultation with their supervisor. After defining the problem and developing the scope of work, candidates will undertake theoretical investigation and prepare a blueprint for field studies. This blueprint (in the form of a working paper of about 3000 words) will include theoretical findings, gaps and limitations, probable solutions to the problem, and methodology for the field study. After completing their field studies, candidates will analyse the findings and prepare a comprehensive business report. The final business report (about 15,000 words) will include problem definition, theoretical studies, methodology for field study, data and its analysis, findings, recommendations, implementation plan, and references. The final report can be submitted separately for A and B (about 7500 words each) or together (about 15,000 words).