Purpose: This syndicate assignment assesses students ability to formulate a fully integrated operations and technology solution to a realistic and complex management problem in the (South) African context, based on the key TOM principles and techniques covered in the course. The assignment also develops and tests students team-working, oral and written communications, and critical engagement skills, in an operations and technology management context. The focal organisation and scenario are outlined below; additional details will be discussed in class.

Requirement: Syndicates must prepare a short report (Arial, 12-point, 1.5 spacing; maximum 10 pages including references and exhibits, roughly 1 500 to 2 000 words). Syndicates must also deliver a 10- to 15-minute slide presentation (depending on the number of syndicates) on the reports highlights, which will then be followed by a 3- to 5-minute Q&A session with the lecturer and the rest of the class. All members must participate at some point in either the delivery or the Q&A phase of the presentation, or both. An indication of the relative contribution of each member must be provided in the report and presentation. Syndicates must submit soft copies of their presentations.

The report must:

1. Include (at the beginning) an executive summary that condenses all the key elements of the assignment onto one (1) single page. The executive summary does not count towards the 10-page allocation.
2. Define the management problem in the context of the focal organisations current situation, challenges, opportunities, and macroenvironment, including stakeholders, regulation, technology and economic trends, sustainability, and other relevant factors. Syndicates should not simply produce a laundry list, but rather be selective and analytical in presenting and evaluating the most important factors.
3. Propose a fully integrated operations and technology solution based on an analysis of the identified management problem, incorporating key TOM principles, techniques and trends. The strategic intent of the solution should also be made clear.
4. Outline an implementation project plan, including goals, assumptions, timeframes, cost implications, risk mitigation, and measures to deal with the organisations relevant legacy issues.
5. Substantiate its analysis, proposed solution and findings with strong supporting evidence from reliable sources, including citations from the technical literature, credible government and industry reports, secondary data and primary research (if and where possible and applicable).
6. Offer conclusions that summarise the major findings, distil key implications for the organisation in terms of next steps or reorientation of existing strategy and operations, and make a realistic assessment of the chances of success or failure.

The syndicate should approach the assignment in the role of a special task team set up by the organisations board and top executives to recommend a new TOM-related solution and implementation plan to respond to a specific issue facing the organisation in the post-Covid-19 era.

The team is required to outline at least three possible high-level (i.e. broad, general) responses to the identified issue/problem/challenge. These should be genuine alternatives (i.e. mutually exclusive options) and should utilise the TOM frameworks and tools covered in the course. Using a defined set of solution criteria, select one of your options and explain why it is superior to the other alternatives as well as to the status quo. Define a set of specific actions for the organisation to implement this option, taking into account all pertinent issues. Identify clearly all relevant and applicable TOM principles and techniques. Your set of actions (implementation plan) should address the quantitative and qualitative issues you identified in your earlier analyses. To the extent possible, evaluate the financial requirements and implications of your recommendations, as well as other organisational impacts (positive and negative), and put forward suitable risk mitigation measures.

Focal organisation and scenario: The focal organisation is African Leadership University (ALU) African Leadership University (ALU) (Links to an external site.), an innovative pan-African higher education institution that was founded in 2015. Five years later, the entire globe plunged into the Covid-19 crisis and ALU, along with every other organisation in the world, was forced to make rapid, short-term adjustments in response to the new operating environment. The special task team (your syndicate) has been commissioned to advise ALUs Board of Trustees and Senior Leadership Team on how to reposition the organisation for long-term success in the post-pandemic era, especially from a TOM perspective.