Explain what worked well and what did not work well in terms of your company’s operations. 4. With hindsight what have you learnt about operations from the simulation and working from experience, what recommendations would you make if you had to do it all again (with specific emphasis to operational practice).

BACKGROUND:
For this assignment you have been given the responsibility of setting up and managing an airline company through
an online simulation system. This assignment will assess your understanding of operational processes and requires
you to reflect back on your experiences.
For this assignment students will have to work in teams of 3-4 students. On-campus students are advised to form
teams within their respective seminar classes while off-campus students are advised to team up with other offcampus
students via CloudDeakin. Each team must select a “team leader” who will communicate on behalf of the
team, implement the decisions on the online simulation system (in consultation with all team members) and submit
the final report on CloudDeakin. Please be advised that team members are collectively responsible for all
decisions/actions of the team leader. So make sure that the selected “team leader” of your team is acting responsibly!
Every “team leader” hasto submit his/her team’s details – a team name (which can be the name you decide to give
to your airline company), along with the full names, Deakin ID numbers and best contact email address of each team
member. We must receive these details by email to sukanto@deakin.edu.au AND ron.beckett@deakin.edu.au by
5PM AEST on Friday 7th August. Any students who have not got themselves into a team for Assignment 2 by Friday
7th August will be randomly assigned to a team by your lecturer and you will HAVE TO accept the lecturer’s decision!
The online simulation system is offered by a third-party provider (www.interpretive.com) who is paid for the service
by Deakin – so you do not have to pay anything to use their system. Each student will receive an email set to YOUR
DEAKIN E-MAIL ADDRESS by the third-party provider after 31st July with detailed instructions on how to register with,
access and use the online simulation system. You are advised to get into your groups to carefully peruse all
instructions and proceed accordingly. You can contact the third-party provider directly (after you have been
registered) to request any technical assistance with using the online system (note that your lecturer/unit chair cannot
offer any technical support with using the online simulation system as it is not a Deakin University-owned system).
TASK:
Write a 3000-word report addressing the following points:
1. How did you set up the company – this is not about the simulation process itself but an analysis of the
sorts of things that you needed to consider; team structure, skill fit, operational understanding etc.
2. Critically reflect on the operational aspects you employed in your initial set up, and then as you
continued to completion.
3. Explain what worked well and what did not work well in terms of your company’s operations.
4. With hindsight what have you learnt about operations from the simulation and working from
experience, what recommendations would you make if you had to do it all again (with specific emphasis
to operational practice).
ASSIGNMENT REQUIREMENTS:
Due date: Online submission via CloudDeakin end of Week 11 by 11.59pm on 4th October 2015.
Assessment marks: This assignment is worth 50 marks, which is 50% of your final grade.
Word limit: 3000 words maximum (excluding References).
References: Academic and non-academic sources:
You must reference a minimum of six (6) academic/scholarly sources in order to support your answer. These
can include academic journal articles or chapters from academic books (including your textbook). Academic
journals can be found by conducting a search of the Deakin Library academic databases.
Citations and references: all ideas from reading sources must be correctly cited and referenced using the Deakin
author-date (Harvard) system. This also includes data and downloads from the simulation.
Formatting:
– Font: Size 12 Times New Roman, Calibri or Arial
– Line spacing: 1.5, no indentation, but one extra line spacing between paragraphs
– Margins of 2.54 cm
– Headings and sub-headings
– Alphanumeric or decimal outline/numbering system up to three levels for sections
– Page numbers: Roman numbering and Arabic numbering used appropriately
– Header and/or footer: student name, ID number, unit code and assessment task name
Structure:
This is an academic report and must therefore adopt an analytical and critical perspective. You need to
demonstrate a sound grasp of the literature on operations management, and draw from a wide range of
theoretical frameworks and concepts to inform and underpin your analysis.
– Cover Page
– Title Page (including full names and Deakin student IDs of all team members)
– Table of Contents
– List of Illustrations
– Executive Summary
– Background
– Introduction
– Body
– Conclusion
– Recommendations
– References
– Appendices
ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Designated “team leaders” are required to submit the final report on behalf of their team (in MS Word)
online in a designated area within CloudDeakin. The report MUST contain the full names and Deakin
Student IDs of ALL team members along with a declaration that every team member is happy with every
other member’s contribution. This declaration has to be signed off on by ALL members and a scanned
image of the signed declaration inserted at the end of the report (after references & appendix sections).
2. Students MUST ensure the following:
a. The paper is typed, with 1.5 line spacing
b. Page numbers are included
c. We operate absolute deadlines, which means that if you miss the submission date and time your
work will NOT be assessed. We do not operate a 10% per day reduction, so please do make
careful note of this.
3. No extensions will be granted for without the approval of the Unit Chair. If you believe you have
circumstances beyond your control that make you eligible to apply for an extension, you must apply
directly to the Unit Chair, via e-mail and before the due date for assignment submission. Supporting
documentation must be provided.
ASSIGNMENT RESULTS:
Your results and assessor’s comments will normally become available to you within 15 business days of the due
date (unless an extension has been granted). The papers are assessed using a rubric and marks can be accessed
via CloudDeakin. A notification will be posted when the marks are available.
Please note that before results are returned to students, the unit team will moderate the marking process to
ensure that the same marking standards are applied to all students within the unit. We do our utmost to ensure
complete equity in the results, but should you wish to have your mark reviewed then you are able to do so via
the Faculty upon completion of the unit. We do not undertake in-trimester reviews. When making the request
for the Faculty will not accept a review based on statements like “I think I deserve more marks“ or ”I disagree
with the mark”. Please note that receiving a disappointing mark is NOT sufficient grounds to request a review.
Writing and referencing skills:
In this assignment students have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of operations
management through a practical and realistic review of organizational practice in relation to the taught theory.
Researching, writing and referencing are valuable management skills. Effective writing is an essential skill for
good managers because written documents provide busy executives with accurate information and
appropriately informed viewpoints from reliable sources.
Students are also expected to be constructively critical and analytical when writing about what they have read.
This ensures that the conclusions drawn are not biased, and that presented report has objectively reviewed the
issues under consideration.
Please note that all ideas within your essay which have been obtained from your sources, will need to be cited
and referenced using the Deakin author-date (Harvard) system.
It is highly recommended that you obtain and use the following booklet published by the Deakin