Unit 5 - Operations Management

The learning outcomes (or assessment objectives) for this section of the IB Business Management syllabus are:

• The role of operations management (AO2)

The learning outcomes (or assessment objectives) for this section of the IB Business Management syllabus are:

The following operations methods (AO3)

• Job production

• Batch production

• Mass (flow) production

• Mass customization 

The learning outcomes (or assessment objectives) for this section of the IB Business Management syllabus are:

• The following features of lean production (AO1):

  • • Less waste

    • Greater efficiency

• The following methods of lean production (AO2):

  • • Continuous improvement (kaizen)

    • Just-in-time (JIT)

• Features of cradle to cradle design and manufacturing (AO2)

• Features of quality control and quality assurance (AO2)

• The following methods of managing quality (AO2):

  • • Quality circle

    • Benchmarking

    • Total quality management (TQM)

• The impact of lean production and TQM on an organization (AO3)

• The importance of national and international quality standards (AO2)

• Apply a Gantt chart in a given context (AO2) (HL)

• Prepare and analyse a critical path (network) diagram in a given context (AO4, AO2) (HL)

The learning outcomes (or assessment objectives) for this section of the IB Business Management syllabus are:

• The reasons for a specific location of production (AO2)

• The following ways of reorganizing production, both nationally and internationally (AO3):

• Outsourcing / subcontracting

• Offshoring

• Insourcing

• Reshoring

The learning outcomes (or assessment objectives) for this section of the IB Business Management syllabus are:

• Total contribution versus contribution per unit (AO2)

• A break-even chart and the following aspects of break-even analysis. (AO2, AO4)

  • • Break-even quantity/point

    • Profit or loss

    • Margin of safety

    • Target profit output

    • Target profit

    • Target price

• The effects of changes in price or cost on the break-even quantity, profit and margin of safety, using graphical and quantitative methods (AO2, AO4)

• Limitations of break-even as a decision-making tool (AO3)

The learning outcomes (or assessment objectives) for this section of the IB Business Management syllabus are:

• The local and global supply chain process (AO2)

• The difference between JIT and just-in-case (JIC) (AO3)

• Stock control charts based on the following. (AO2, AO4)

  • • Lead time

    • Buffer stock

    • Reorder level

    • Reorder quantity

• Capacity utilization rate (AO2, AO4)

• Defect rate (AO2, AO4)

• Labour productivity, capital productivity, productivity rate, operating leverage (AO2, AO4)

• Cost to buy (CTB) (AO3, AO4)

• Cost to make (CTM) (AO3, AO4)

The learning outcomes (or assessment objectives) for this section of the IB Business Management syllabus are:

• The difference between crisis management and contingency planning (AO2)

• The factors that affect effective crisis management. (AO2)

  • • Transparency

    • Communication

    • Speed

    • Control

• The impact of contingency planning for a given organization or situation in terms of: (AO3)

  • • Cost

    • Time

    • Risks

    • Safety

The learning outcomes (or assessment objectives) for this section of the IB Business Management syllabus are:

• The importance of research and development for a business (AO3)

• The importance of developing goods and services that address customers’ unmet needs (of which the customers may or may not be aware) (AO2)

• Intellectual property protection; copyrights, patents, trademarks (AO2)

• Innovation: incremental and disruptive (AO2)

The learning outcomes (or assessment objectives) for this section of the IB Business Management syllabus are:

• Data analytics (AO1)

• Database (AO1)

• Cybersecurity and cybercrime (AO1)

• Critical infrastructures, including artificial neural networks, data centres, and cloud computing (AO2)

• Virtual reality (AO2)

• The internet of things (AO2)

• Artificial intelligence (AO2)

• Big data (AO2)

• Customer loyalty programmes (AO3)

• The use of data to manage and monitor employees; Digital Taylorism (AO3)

• The use of data mining to inform decision-making (AO3)

• The benefits, risks and ethical implications of advanced computer technologies (collectively referred to here as “management information systems”) and technological innovation on business decision-making and stakeholders (AO3)