1. Process Improvement at the IMM Grading
IM 56 “Managing International
Operations”
With Juliana Hsuan
By M.C. Schlichter
22nd of May 2011

2. Agenda
Problem Formulation
The Analytical Framework
Operations Management Overview
Process Improvement and it’s Relevance
Process Improvement in an Operation
Link of Process and Service Quality
Process Map and Improvements
The Five Performance Objectives
The Four V’s
Appendix
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3. Problem Formulation
Q5: Is the grading process at CBS transparent and easy to
understand?
23,1%
Yes
No
76,9%
Source: Own Data
-The process of grading in the IMM program is neither understood nore
appreciated 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?
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4. Applied Theoretical Framework
-The DMAIC- Cycle
Define
√
Control √ Measure
Improve Analyze
-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
Source: Slack, Chambers, & Johnston, 2007, Operations Management, p.598
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5. General Model of Operations Management
-What can be analyzed in OPM?
The
Operation’s
Strategic
Objectives
The
Operations Operation’s
Transformed Operations
resources: Strategy Competitive
Strategy
Materials Role &
Information Position
Customers
Operations
Design Management Improvement
Input Output Client
Planning &
Transforming
resources: Control
Facilities
Staff
Source: Slack, Chambers, & Johnston, 2007, Operations Management, p.25
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6. Elements of Operations Improvement
-Which Improvements to Focus on?
Operations
Process
Improvement
- Makes processes
better
Total Quality
Management
- Organizes process
improvement
Failure
Prevention &
Recovery
- Stop processes
becoming worse
Source: Slack, Chambers, & Johnston, 2007, Operations Management, p.580
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7. Why Process Improvement?
-The Importance of Processes in Service Organizations
Design of the Design of the
Service Process
In most service operations the overlap between
service and process design is implicit in the nature of
service Source: Slack, Chambers, & Johnston, 2007, Operations Management, p.90
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8. The Grading Process and it’s Improvement
Define grading criteria in Step 1. Under the condition that Step 5 and
Use these criteria in Step 5. Step 7 do not take longer (cost of
Publish the grade and sub categories professor and admin staff)
following the criteria in Step 8.
Eliminate Step 4 and less use of Step 9
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9
Create Store To censor Meeting Grading To admin Into system Publish Appeal
“Mass production”  70% of the papers “Shop production”
 30% of the
papers
Source: Own Data
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9. The Five Performance Objectives
Quality  Being right
Speed  Being fast
Competitiveness
Dependability  Being on time
Flexibility  Being able to change
Cost  Being productive
- Quality is here defined through transparency
- Dependability is the accuracy of the grading (fairness so to speak) 9
Source: Slack, Chambers, & Johnston, 2007, Operations Management, p.39f

10. Polar Diagram of the 5 Performance Objectives
- The Grading Process Before & After
After
Before
Cost
10
5
10 Dependability
Speed 5
10
8
5
5 5
8 10
10
Quality Flexibility
- Approx 65% increase in Dependability and Quality in order to
allow for max 10% customer dissatisfaction
Source: Slack, Chambers, & Johnston, 2007, Operations Management, p.54f
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11. 4 V’s Profile of the Process
Number of
papers Low Volume High
0 5 10
Difference in
grading of the High Variety Low
same paper
10 5 0
Difference of
High Variation Low
throughput
10 5 0
Transparency High Visibility Low
of grading 5.5 3
10 5 0
After Before
-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
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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.
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13. Proposal for Grading Form
Grading of IM 44 Marketing Research Paper for M.C. Schlichter
Final Grade: 10 Class Average: 7.2 Participants: 143
Application of
-3 7 12
Theories
Line of
-3 7 12
Argument
Practical
-3 7 12
Relevance
Link of Theory
-3 7 12
and Praxis
Layout and
-3 7 12
Language
Data Set
-3 7 12
Accuracy
Research
-3 7 12
Question
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14. Appendix
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15. Questionnaire
Q1: How important are the following criteria for you regarding the grading of exams
in the IMM program?
Detailed feedback
Fairness of grading
Understanding of the grading criteria
Transparency of the final grade
Duration of the grading process
Comparability of grades
0,00 1,00 2,00 3,00 4,00
Source: Own Data
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16. Questionnaire
Q2: What would you be looking for in a feedback from CBS regarding your exam?
Median
General class feedback
Recommendation for "room to improve"
Number count of grades (e.g. 10 times grade 4)
Specific sub-grading criteria individually graded (e.g.…
Quartile notations (best and worst 25%)
Class average over a period of time (e.g. last two years)
Class average
Nothing but the final grade
0,00 1,00 2,00 3,00 4,00
Source: Own Data
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17. Questionnaire
Q3: Would you mind if these feedbacks where to find on
Sitescape under your CPR number? Publishing Issue! Legal
constrains are supported.
30,8%
Yes Potential of time and
No resource savings if this
69,2% number can be reduced.
Source: Own Data Q4: Regarding the IMM exams: Have you appealed for a
re-evaluation of one or more exams?
26,9%
Yes
73,1% No
Source: Own Data
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18. Questionnaire
Q5: Is the grading process at CBS transparent and easy to
understand? The problem to face is
clearly supported by
empirical findings.
23,1%
Majority of the students
Yes sees themselves reflected
in grading Fairness of
No grades is OK.
76,9%
Q6: Do you think that your personal grade reflects your
study effort, attendance/activity in class and your general
Source: Own Data
understanding of the subject?
42,3%
Yes
57,7%
No
Source: Own Data
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19. Questionnaire
Q7: Do you know the average grade of any of the 1st
semester IMM exams? Students do not know
about the feedback sheets.
Communication issue part
30,8% of the transparency
problem!
Yes
69,2%
No
Q9: Did you get a more specific feedback on exams during
Source: Own Data
your Bachelor studies, ? If so please specify in question 9.
It is possible to give
enhanced feedback! If
others can, why shouldn’t 50,0% 50,0% Yes
CBS be able to do so???
No
Source: Own Data
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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
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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
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