Central Queensland University Logistics Management - Case Study Example

Name : xxxxxxxxxxx Institution : xxxxxxxxxxx Tutor : xxxxxxxxxxx Title : Logistics Management Course : xxxxxxxxxxx @2009 Logistics Management Introduction Logistic management is an important process for the success of any organization or institution. It involves the management of resources both physical and human from their point of origin to the point where there are utilized to meet the users’ needs. The process incorporates information, inventory, transportation, warehousing, storage, packaging and in some cases security. It enhances the value of time and place utility of goods and services. Logistics has enabled Central Queensland University remain a world class educational institution by increasing the value of the services offered by the University (Long 2003). The University has employed Information and Communication systems to monitor, model, analyze and visualize its logistics chains to enhance service delivery. This has led to increased place and time utility of the services the University offers. This essay discusses the various strategies and plans that the university has set in place in its logistic management process. To enhance the place utility of its services, the university has always maintained an optimum number of classes with reasonable number of students. It has also put in place an effective time tabling pattern that increases the time utility of the services that it offers (Long 2003). Place utility Central Queens University popularly known as CQUniversity Australia is a multi-campus, internationally recognized institute of higher education. Its student’s body is composed of learners from every part of the world who come to enjoy the quality education offered by the highly qualified staff of the institution. CQUniversity specializes in international studies and has close to half of its student population coming from 100 oversees nations. It has nine campuses located in various destinations in Australia. The university was rated five star by The Good Universities Guide 2009 in terms of cultural diversity, international enrollment, graduate starting salaries and access by equity groups when compared to other universities (Long 2003). CQUniversity has employed logistics to add the value of place utility of the services that it offers. The university has small class sizes with experienced, specialized tutors and lecturers. This ensures that each student’s needs are met through interactions with their lecturers and tutors. The lecturers are able to attend to students’ needs at personal levels since the classes are small in size. To further increase the value of place utility of the university, new international students, their families or friends accompanying them get the necessary assistance on arrival to Australia. The assistance is offered until the students complete their studies. This is important in orienting the students to CQUniversity as well as Australia in general which ensures that the learning process kicks off successfully (Gourdin 2001). English tuition is offered at CQUniversity Language Centers to cater for students who might be requiring additional English skills. The administration offers credit exemptions in courses or degree programs from other approved accredited overseas or Australian Universities, TAFE, business colleges, polytechnics or other institutions of higher learning. This reduces the time required to complete particular courses and also eliminates unnecessary repetition of already learnt content. Students are guided on career choices through an extensive academic and social service program offered by the university. CQUniversity also offers a distance education program that caters for students who are not able to travel to the university. The program has benefited many students who have been able to study in their home country under an environment of their choice. Others have been able to study while maintaining their jobs to earn an income to support them. These programs have been designed and scheduled in such a way that they fit into the learner’s other commitments. The courses offered in CQUniversity are identical in all its campuses. This is beneficial in that it allows learners to transfer between campuses either for a change or for convenience. The university has a range of services which enable the learners enjoy their stay in Australia while still meeting their academic goals. Some of these services include: a bookshop, library, sporting facilities, computer library, post office and travel agency (Magee & Copacino 2002). Time utility To add value to time utility of its services, CQUniversity has designed study guides and course profiles to assist the learners in their studies. These guides which are easy to understand and use assist in reducing the time required by the learners to complete their courses. In terms of technology use, the university has computer laboratories equipped with the latest software to increase efficiency. It also runs an electronic library that can be accessed by any user with a web-enabled computer. In order to increase the value of time utility of its services, the university adheres to its timetables which are well scheduled to avoid inconveniencing anyone in the university (Gourdin 2001). Time tabling All the class and exam time tables are published a few weeks prior to the commencement of the forthcoming term. A draft class time table is first published on the university’s website four weeks before the start of the forthcoming term. This draft is subject to review by both the students and the staff after which the official time table is published. The students and staff have a period of two weeks in which they are required to make comments or provide suggestions to the Timetabling Section before the official timetable is published. The official timetable is thus published two weeks before the commencement of the forthcoming term. This ensures that every learner is aware of his/her time schedule before the start of the term. Minimal changes are allowed to the official timetable after it has been published to avoid possible confusions and inconveniences (Central Queensland University 2009). The draft and final examination timetables are published at different periods depending on Standard Examination Periods. Final examination timetables are only made for Deferred and/or Supplementary Examination Periods. The draft examination timetable is available on the university’s website eight weeks before the beginning of standard exam week. The staff and students have a maximum of one week in which they are required to review the timetable and make comments or suggestions to the Manager, Timetabling before the publication of the final timetable. The final time table is available to the students six weeks before the start of the exam period. The final examination timetables for Deferred and/or Supplementary exams are available on the website in the third week of the term (Central Queensland University 2009). Some of the resources that add value to time and place utility offered by the university include: library, student services, computer labs, learning skills unit, teaching employment and career coaching services Library CQ University library offers a variety of learning resources which include online course materials, databases, electronic journals, books and websites which assist the learners in their courses. It has an updated book collection to supplement course collection needs. The library ensures the users are well informed by providing Daily Newspapers such as The Courier Mail, The Australian and the Australian Financial Review. It has an experienced staff body that assists the students in locating quality information and also gives tutorials and private tuition in developing relevant information and research skills. It has an adequate study space equipped with personal computers and card-operated photocopier to aid the students in their studies. The university offers the best quality services to the learners. Students can access library materials through a wide range of services which include borrowing, holding and renewals. Students can also borrow materials from other universities that collaborate with CQUniversity in offering library services (Central Queensland University 2009). Computer labs The university has well installed computer labs equipped with workstations which are available to the students. Scanners, CD and DVD burning and printing facilities are available to the students. These services and facilities are intended to assist the learners in achieving their academic objectives. The learning skills unit offers a free and friendly environment where learners can ask questions and get academic support (Magee & Copacino 2002). Student Services The university offers many programs to assist in maintaining satisfactory academic progress to the students. The monitoring academic progress policy ensures that every student’s progress in his/her studies is as planned. The programs are run by student service staff members who are always ready to assist the learners achieve their personal, professional as well as academic success. The services intend to assist international students overcome the many challenges that they are bound to face while studying in Australia. Students seek support and guidance in areas that they wish to improve in the course of their studies from the student service staff members. The staff then offers career advice and learning assistance that help in enhancing university experience to the learners (Central Queensland University 2009). There is also a complete guiding and counseling program that assist in solving a number of problems that students might be facing while in school. Some of these problems are private and confidential implying that the learners might not be willing to share them with other student service staff members. Usually, the students are referred to the guiding and counseling professionals by the student service staff in cases where the issue involved is found to be private or too personal ( Barney, 2001). The services are accessible by any students and have been found to be of great help in handling student matters. Other services offered by the university include the suicide prevention and bereavement support, sexual assault services and parent line services. Students get information regarding studying in CQUniversity, membership to the University’s students association or any other issue by visiting the student support service offices which are open to the students at all times. Accommodation options, shopping options, childcare issues, transport, medical, schooling and legal issues are other areas that the support staff assists students in making decisions (Central Queensland University 2009). Training, Employment and Career Coaching (TECC) TECC assist students with any possible information and means of locating and getting either a paid or unpaid work experience. It also offers career advice to students either in private or in group workshops (Magee & Copacino, 2002). It offers guidance to the students on the best strategies to employ in balancing between studies and part time jobs. It also advises the students on the legal requirements for working in Australia in regard to work permits and taxation. Academic Advocacy Support Services These services assist the students in understanding the policies and procedures of the university and information regarding the rights and responsibilities of the learners. The officers offering these support services ensure that appropriate policies and procedures are followed for the learners when determining cases involving plagiarism, review of grades, disciplinary cases, appeals or deferred examination cases (Central Queensland University 2009). IT and the Helpdesk The role of the IT and Helpdesk is to provide information that supports the users and to offer technical assistance in areas such as making and maintaining computer accounts for both the students and the staff. Maintaining the University’s PCs and Printers, maintaining the web, file and printer servers and expanding and enhancing the university’s computer network. Other services that the desk offers include maintaining the academic software of the university and controlling the communications and phone system. All these services which are part of the logistics are meant to enhance efficiency and quality of the courses offered at the university. In addition to these, the desk provides color printing services and gives support in many other areas by directing the students to the appropriate support services (Baskerville, 2005). Academic Progress In order to maintain the appropriate quality in the courses that the university offers, each learner is expected to attend at least 80% of all the time allocated for each course. A student is considered to have satisfactorily passed a course by attaining a grade of not less than 50% of all the units. The criteria for assessing student progress are thus based on passing of examinations. As part of logistics the examination desk ensures that all the examinations offered to the students meet the minimum standard set by the university and other quality assurance bodies. Although CQUniversity recognizes studies from other institutions, as part of quality assurance, students seeking for credit transfers must provide certified transcripts of their past academic records in order to be evaluated. The university might also request for other relevant documents such as the description and course outline of the units in question (Central Queensland University 2009). Student administration The student administration of CQUniversity offers quality services to all the students by ensuring that systems, strategies and procedures meet the learner’s requirements. The administration offers advice, support and guidance to the benefit of the students. The student administration team offers services in areas such as admissions, enrollment, student records and student finance. Conclusion Logistics has enabled Central Queensland University excel as a world class university in terms of the quality and efficiency of the services that it offers to students. It is by logistics management that the university has been able to succeed in offering various courses to both international and local students. The various support services that the university offers to the students add value to both time and place utility of the courses that it offers. The resources necessary for all the learning process are available to the learners when and where they are required courtesy of appropriate logistics. The university’s policies and strategies meet the international standards making Central Queensland University a world class university (Baskerville 2005). Bibliography Barney, J., 2001. Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage, “Journal of management” (16:1), 2001, pp99-120. Baskerville, R., 2005, Business agility and information technology diffusion. New York: Springer Central Queensland University, Faculty of Business & law 2009 Guide for Students, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD. Gourdin, K., 2001, Global logistics management: viable benefits for the new millennium. London: Wiley-Blackwell. International student guide. Retrieved on November 20, 2009 from Long, D., 2003, International logistics: global supply chain management. New York: Springer. Magee, J. & Copacino, W., 2002, Modern logistics management: integrating marketing, manufacturing, and physical distribution. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Read More