Process Improvement at the IMM Grading

IM 56 “Managing International Operations”

With Juliana Hsuan

By M.C. Schlichter22nd of May 2011

Agenda

2

Process Improvement and it’s Relevance

The Analytical Framework

Problem Formulation

Operations Management Overview

Appendix

Process Improvement in an OperationLink of Process and Service QualityProcess Map and ImprovementsThe Five Performance ObjectivesThe Four V’s

Problem Formulation

3

23,1%

76,9%

Q5: Is the grading process at CBS transparent and easy to understand?

Yes

No

Source: Own Data

-The process of grading in the IMM program is neither understood noreappreciated by the students/customers.-It lacks transparency and feedback-What can be done to improve the process with regard to these shortfalls? -How can Operations Management theories help in addressing the issue?

4

Applied Theoretical Framework-The DMAIC- Cycle

Source: Slack, Chambers, & Johnston, 2007, Operations Management, p.598

Define

Measure

AnalyzeImprove

Control

√√

-Problem definition and measurement are covered by the questionnaire-Analyses and Improvement will be addressed by applying OPM theories-Control and a restart of the processes should be undertaken during test phase in one exam

Client

5

General Model of Operations Management-What can be analyzed in OPM?

The Operation’s Competitive

Role & Position

The Operation’s

Strategic Objectives

Operations Strategy

Improvement

Planning & Control

Design

OutputInput

Transformed resources:Materials Information Customers

Transforming resources:Facilities Staff

Operations Strategy

Operations Management

Source: Slack, Chambers, & Johnston, 2007, Operations Management, p.25

6

Elements of Operations Improvement-Which Improvements to Focus on?

Failure Prevention &

Recovery - Stop processes becoming worse

Operations Process

Improvement- Makes processes

better

Total Quality Management- Organizes process

improvement

Source: Slack, Chambers, & Johnston, 2007, Operations Management, p.580

7

Why Process Improvement? -The Importance of Processes in Service Organizations

Design of the Service

Design of the Process

In most service operations the overlap between service and process design is implicit in the nature of

serviceSource: Slack, Chambers, & Johnston, 2007, Operations Management, p.90

8

The Grading Process and it’s Improvement

Define grading criteria in Step 1.Use these criteria in Step 5.Publish the grade and sub categories following the criteria in Step 8.Eliminate Step 4 and less use of Step 9

Under the condition that Step 5 and Step 7 do not take longer (cost of professor and admin staff)

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9

“Mass production” 70% of the papers “Shop production” 30% of the papers

Source: Own Data

Create Store To censor Meeting Grading To admin Into system Publish Appeal

9

The Five Performance Objectives

Quality Being right

Dependability Being on time

Speed Being fast

Flexibility Being able to change

Cost Being productive

Co

mp

etitiveness

- Quality is here defined through transparency

- Dependability is the accuracy of the grading (fairness so to speak)Source: Slack, Chambers, & Johnston, 2007, Operations Management, p.39f

Polar Diagram of the 5 Performance Objectives- The Grading Process Before & After

Cost

Quality Flexibility

DependabilitySpeed

Before

After

5

810

510

10

5

10

58

10

5

- Approx 65% increase in Dependability and Quality in order to allow for max 10% customer dissatisfaction

Source: Slack, Chambers, & Johnston, 2007, Operations Management, p.54f10

11

4 V’s Profile of the Process

Low Volume High

High Variety Low

High Variation Low

High Visibility Low

Number of papers

Difference in grading of the same paper

Difference of throughput

Transparency of grading

After Before

0 10

10

10

10

0

0

0

5

5

5

535.5

-Approx 65% increase in Visibility in order to allow for max 10% customer dissatisfaction-Development to a quality “mass production” service operation

Source: Slack, Chambers, & Johnston, 2007, Operations Management, p.20

12

Issues to Face by CBS

• Feedback quality should definitely be enhanced!

• Realize that this issue is critical for teaching quality and then address it!

“Learning loop” is not supported by the recent methods

• Problem: Students do not even know about the excising feedbacks Transparency!

• The time/ capacity restriction:Should be time neutral

-Savings from Step 4 (two hours per censor)

-Teacher has to pt more work into definitions in the beginning (2 hours)

-Administration needs to process more data (2 hours per person)

-Less appeals results in time saving as well (2 hours per appeal approx 25% less appeals)

• The legal issues regarding the publishing of the grades still need to be figured out

• Process improvement, as presented, is the ideal solution but other steps might be undertaken right away to start improvements and raise awareness of the issue:– Send out e-mail notifications about uploaded feedback forms

– Let students look at the graded papers with comments on it, if they want

Suggestion: Three sessions, to divide the students, where the papers and comments can be looked at in a classroom. One or two people (2 hours per session) need to be present so that no exams get stolen or manipulated.

13

Proposal for Grading Form

-3 7 12

-3 7 12

-3 7 12

-3 7 12

Line of Argument

Practical Relevance

Link of Theory and Praxis

Layout and Language

Grading of IM 44 Marketing Research Paper for M.C. Schlichter

Final Grade: 10 Class Average: 7.2 Participants: 143

-3 7 12Application of

Theories

-3 7 12Data Set Accuracy

-3 7 12Research Question

Appendix

14

15

Questionnaire

0,00 1,00 2,00 3,00 4,00

Comparability of grades

Duration of the grading process

Transparency of the final grade

Understanding of the grading criteria

Fairness of grading

Detailed feedback

Q1: How important are the following criteria for you regarding the grading of exams in the IMM program?

Source: Own Data

16

Questionnaire

0,00 1,00 2,00 3,00 4,00

Nothing but the final grade

Class average

Class average over a period of time (e.g. last two years)

Quartile notations (best and worst 25%)

Specific sub-grading criteria individually graded (e.g. …

Number count of grades (e.g. 10 times grade 4)

Recommendation for "room to improve"

General class feedback

Median

Q2: What would you be looking for in a feedback from CBS regarding your exam?

Source: Own Data

17

Questionnaire

30,8%

69,2%

Q3: Would you mind if these feedbacks where to find on Sitescape under your CPR number?

Yes

No

26,9%

73,1%

Q4: Regarding the IMM exams: Have you appealed for a re-evaluation of one or more exams?

Yes

No

Publishing Issue! Legal constrains are supported.

Potential of time and resource savings if this number can be reduced.

Source: Own Data

Source: Own Data

18

Questionnaire

23,1%

76,9%

Q5: Is the grading process at CBS transparent and easy to understand?

Yes

No

57,7%

42,3%

Q6: Do you think that your personal grade reflects your study effort, attendance/activity in class and your general

understanding of the subject?

Yes

No

Majority of the students sees themselves reflected in grading Fairness of grades is OK.

The problem to face is clearly supported by empirical findings.

Source: Own Data

Source: Own Data

19

Questionnaire

30,8%

69,2%

Q7: Do you know the average grade of any of the 1st semester IMM exams?

Yes

No

50,0%50,0%

Q9: Did you get a more specific feedback on exams during your Bachelor studies, ? If so please specify in question 9.

Yes

No

Students do not know about the feedback sheets. Communication issue part of the transparency problem!

It is possible to give enhanced feedback! If others can, why shouldn’t CBS be able to do so???

Source: Own Data

Source: Own Data

20

Questionnaire

• Would be great to know the average of the class, received the average only for IM48 would prefer to know all the averages

• I didn't receive much more feedback during my bachelor studies, however the degree of transparency was MUCH higher during my bachelor studies. I would actually have to say I am very disappointed and surprised at the very low level of administrative help and guidance that is available at CBS. I had much higher expectations as an international student.

• One could go and look at the exams and comments where written on them by the censor. Also the teachers could be contacted and argued with in person, if needed, before actually going for the official appealing.

• Personal coffee talks where we were told how we can improve and which spots we were missing!

• Got more specified feedback, as I had many oral exams on by BA

• Median, number count of grades, FAIR GRADES!!!!! At IMM: Some people get better grades even though the didn't finished their exam (especially International Management!!!). 4 hour case exam is the most in transparent exam ever! In every class the grading depended very much on the advisors! Some graded very hard others not so much. Very unfair, since it does not reflect the efforts. Then rather one professor should correct them all --> high fairness!!!

Source: Own Data

21

Questionnaire

• Papers which were handed in in order to be allowed to attend the final exam had the teachers notes in them. That helped a lot.

• Feedback at SDU: a bar chart which shows the numbers of each grade + the average grade of the class

• Did my bachelor in another university. Got class average and number of students with what grades.

• Evaluation paper for written exams

• We would always get our exams back with marks and some times comments about which questions/topics we gained or lost points for. It served as a very good tool for feedback on what you could have done differently to improve and also served as a justification and explanation for receiving the grade you did.

• You get feedback after oral exams. But that's it.

• I got more feedback during oral exams when one defended a written project. But is was feedback of 2 min on my oral presentation. Nothing on the 50 pages project. But the 2 min feedback is the most I have ever received in terms of feedback.

• Professor holding the exam was obliged to hold a 2 hours office consultation where all the students taking the exam could have dropped by asking to go through the exam to understand the mistakes and which kind of improvement should be made in the future

Source: Own Data