Operational Audit report of Retail Food Group Limited

  The overall objective of the Operational Audit Report is to prepare a 1,500 word Operational Audit report on an aspect of the operations of Retail Food Group. The study must concentrate on the operational aspects of the operation identified. While there may be marketing or strategic issues involved, it would not be appropriate to devote all the analysis to the development of marketing or strategic plans. The aim of the assignment is not only to demonstrate an understanding of how the operation supports or hinders the attainment of the organisation's objectives, but also to identify any outstanding operational problems, and make recommendations for improvement, focussed at Board level Task Description: The overall objective of the Operational Audit is to prepare a 1,500 word Operational Audit report on an aspect of the operations of an organisation selected by the individual. The aim of the assignment is not only to demonstrate an understanding of how the operation supports or hinders the attainment of the organisation's objectives, but also to identify any outstanding operational problems, and make recommendations for improvement, focused at Board level. Criteria & Marking: Operational Audit Reports will be assessed on a rubric, based on the UQBS Case Study Rubric, attached. Any type of organisation or process may be selected, but choice of a very simple or well-known situation limits the student’s ability to demonstrate the level of analysis and problem-solving required for higher grades. Be careful though to ensure you do not choose something too complex. It is better to do something simple well, than something complex, poorly. The audit must concentrate on the operational aspects of the operation considered. While there may be marketing or strategic issues involved, it would not be appropriate to devote all the analysis to the development of marketing or strategic plans. The aim of the assignment is not only to demonstrate an understanding of how the operation supports or hinders the attainment of the organisation's objectives, but also to identify any outstanding operational problems, and make recommendations for improvement. If it is your view that there are no outstanding problems or issues, this view must be justified in terms of the analysis of the objectives and the operations you have examined (unlikely). How to get started: As a preliminary step, each student should prepare a proposal for the conduct of the audit. That should include how the scope will be determined, identification of the stakeholders involved, the methods employed, any data collection required, and how that data will be analysed. A good starting point is to take the framework adopted in the text - namely to consider the strategy of the organisation and its operational strategy, the design of the productive system, and the operation of the productive system. For examples of analyses, you may consult the text, the on-line Web studies, and the references listed. For ideas on process characteristics it is worthwhile reviewing the relevant chapters of Russell & Taylor or other Operations Management texts to identify the operational category of your examination. It should be recognised though that not all real processes fall neatly into one of the standard categories described in your texts. However, the framework should still be used to help identify major issues of managerial concern and the typical characteristics of such a process. It is essential also that consideration is given to the objectives, or method of obtaining competitive advantage, adopted by the organisation. Audit Report The objective is to prepare an Audit Report for the Audit Committee (usually comprised of a subset of board members), not exceeding 1,500 words (excluding references and appendices), on the completed project (penalties will apply for exceeding the word count). Ensure that written expression is concise, and make appropriate use of good communication strategies. The word numbers shown are just a rough guide. The report should include the following: • Executive Summary: Brief one-page overview of the study together with your findings/recommendations, justification, and implementation plan. − 200 words • Introduction: Introduce the topic/case study including why this topic is relevant to the business/performance of the organisation. You need to specify the objectives and scope of the audit. You also need to identify the stakeholders, the methodology you will use, any data you need to collect, and how that will be analysed – 150 words. • Conduct of the study: Outline what you did, who you spoke to, and any other sources of data that were used. Include a brief description of the business or organisational objectives and context including its method of obtaining competitive advantage. Detail what you found. Include any literary research you found relevant to the topic − 350 words. • Analysis of the processes or operations involved: Compare and contrast with best practice. Identify any problems encountered. Did anything go wrong? Identify the risks: Explain the risks if this issue is not adequately addressed by the organisation − 350 words. • Recommendations: What recommendations are you making to the Board? Justify these in terms of corporate strategy, cost/benefit, mandatory activities or processes. Ensure your recommendations are doable. Include an implementation plan (give the board something to recommend that is justified, doable, and includes a way forward) − 350 words. • Conclusion: put the study into perspective, in the context of the objectives, demonstrating whether or not they have been met. − 100 words. • References: List any articles/Websites you explicitly refer to in your report (APA or Harvard preferably) (likely to be between 5 – 15). Submission: This report is to be submitted via TurnItIn and the Blackboard Online Submission Folder (additionally, you may wish to email the report to the lecturer). Students should be aware of the University’s guidelines regarding the issue of plagiarism and citation of sources. Weight and assessment criteria: This assessment is marked out of 30 marks. The assessment item “Individual Operational Audit Report” is assessed on a rubric, based on the UQBS Case Study Rubric, attached to this overview. The overall grade is assessed in accordance with the Course Grading noted in the Course Profile. Feedback provided to students will consist of the rubric, the marking guide, an overall mark and qualitative feedback by way of comments. Note that items for which no extension has been granted submitted after the due date and time incur a late submission penalty. The penalty is at the rate of 5% (0.4 of a grade) of the total available marks for that particular piece of assessment, for each calendar day or part thereof that the item is overdue. Students are encouraged to discuss this assignment with the lecturer to clarify its requirements should students be unclear on any details.