Brunel Business School

MG5581 Procurement Fundamentals

Assignment/Coursework for 2021/22

Assessment Title: Coursework

Module Leader: Dr Abraham Althonayan

Distribution Date: 04/10/2021
Submission Deadline: 12:00 noon on 14/12/2021
Feedback by: 12:00 noon on 20/01/2022
Contribution to overall module assessment: 100%
Indicative student time working on assessment: 50 Hours
Word or Page Limit (if applicable): 3000 words (not including references)
Assessment Type (individual or group): Individual

Main Objective of the assessment

This assessment will test the ability of the students to make synoptic links between all parts of the module syllabus based on previous experience and the
ability to apply knowledge and experience in analysing a procurement related business problem.

Description of the Assessment

Using the concepts, tools and techniques studied on this module you are to compare and contrast the procurement strategies, operations and processes of an
automotive company (including car or car parts manufacturing companies) with the industry’s standard or best practice. Your report should clearly
demonstrate how their strategies and processes have evolved as demand for, and how they influence the development of procurement strategy and
procurement operations.

The report should be no more than 3000 words in length and should normally contain the following elements:
• Executive Summary;
• Introduction, which should include a discussion of the internal and external context of the problem;
• Statement and analysis of the issue;
• Proposal(s) for workable recommendations (s) and realistic implementation plan;
• Appendices (optional), to include any appropriate calculations, background data etc.

Approved BBS Coursework Brief Template 2020/21 1 of 6

Brunel Business School
Description of the Assessment

This is an individual assignment that should be 3000 words maximum (excluding references and Appendixes). Longer assignments will be penalized.

The report should address the following learning objectives within the context of the selected organisation:

(A) Knowledge and Understanding

 Understand the role of procurement strategies within manufacturing operations in automotive sectors;
 Applying procurement techniques in a range of supply situations;
 Understanding the global nature of procurement decisions.

(B) Cognitive (thinking) Skills

 Cognitive skills of critical thinking, analysis and synthesis, including the capability to identify and critically evaluate theoretical and practical
assumptions, evaluate empirical evidence, define terms and subjects of enquiry adequately, generalize appropriately and analyse data;
 Effective problem solving and decision-making using appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative skills including identifying, formulating and solving
business problems.

(C) Other Skills and Attributes (Practical/Professional/Transferable)

 Effective written communication skills.

The report will be assessed on the basis of:

• Depth and relevance of research;

• Synthesis and evaluation of data;
• Application, analysis and understanding of appropriate concepts;
• A clear, professional and well-presented report.

Important notes

• In-text citations and reference list should follow Harvard referencing. For more details about how to cite and reference academic journals,
books, book chapters, magazines and websites, please click here: https://libguides.brunel.ac.uk/referencing/harvard. Please note that the
practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as your own is considered as act of plagiarism, which has severe
consequences (see ‘Academic Misconduct, Plagiarism and Collusion’ below). To avoid plagiarism, make sure you cite sources accurately, and
you use quotation marks (“…”), when extracting a direct quotation from a source while include the page number in the citation (i.e. Bourdieu,
1993, p.73).

Approved BBS Coursework Brief Template 2020/21 2 of 6

Brunel Business School
Please enter here the marking scheme relevant for the coursework and provide an illustration of each assessment criterion achieved at each of the grade
descriptor for UG/PG levels.

PG mark bands and grade point bands [Senate Regulation 3 (2013 starters onwards)] are:
Indicative Mark Band Grade Point
90 and above 17
80-89 16
73-79 15
70-72 14
68-69 13
63-67 12
60-62 11
58-59 10
53-57 9
50-52 8
48-49 7
43-47 6
40-42 5
38-39 4
33-37 3
30-32 2
29 and below 1

Submission Instructions
Coursework must be submitted electronically via the University’s WISEflow system. The required file format for the presentation is MP4 and the poster and
summary is Adobe PDF. Your student ID number must be used as the file name (e.g. 0123456.pdf). You must ensure that you upload your file in the correct
format and use the College’s electronic coursework coversheet. Please note that submissions of ‘.pages / .docx etc’ documents will not be accepted and
must be converted to approved format.

The electronic coursework coversheet must be completed and included at the beginning of all coursework submissions prior to submitting on WISEflow.

Grade criteria

Approved BBS Coursework Brief Template 2020/21 3 of 6

Brunel Business School
Criteria Grade descriptors
Correct A.
identification Clear demonstration of a
and critical critical, sophisticated and
justification of thorough understanding
challenges of the challenges the
(30%) company is facing and
their relation to their
procurement strategies
and operations.
Critical A.
justification of Correct identification of
proposed appropriate procurement
solutions tools and techniques.
(45%) Excellent demonstration
of a sophisticated, critical
and thorough
understanding of the
solutions that the
company could make use
of and their relation to the
company’s procurement
strategies and operations
Assignment A.
length, overall It is within the word limit
structure and of 3000 words in length.
referencing The assignment contains
(15%) very clear and logical
sequencing. The
references, both within
and at the end of the text,
are accurately cited and
presented.
Approved BBS Coursework Brief Template 2020/21
B. C. D. E. F.
Clear demonstration Demonstration of a Provides evidence Work does Work does not
of a well-developed, substantial of some demonstrate demonstrate
and comprehensive understanding of the understanding of evidence of a partial understanding of
understanding of the challenges the the challenges the but uncritical the challenges the
challenges the company is facing and company is facing understanding of the company is facing
company is facing their relation to the and their relation to challenges the and their relation to
and their relation to company’s the company’s company is facing the company’s
the company’s procurement strategies procurement and their relation to procurement
procurement and operations strategies and the company’s strategies and
strategies and operations procurement operations
operations strategies and
operations
B. C. D. E. F.
Correct identification Identification of Evidence of some Work demonstrates Work lacks
of appropriate appropriate understanding of some evidence of evidence of which
procurement tools procurement tools and appropriate partial but uncritical
procurement tools
and techniques. techniques. procurement tools understanding of the
Good demonstration Demonstration of a and techniques. solutions that the and techniques are
of a well-developed substantial Provides evidence company could appropriate and
and comprehensive understanding of the of some make use of and does not
understanding of the solutions that the understanding of their relation to the demonstrate
solutions that the company could make the solutions that company’s understanding of
company could make use of and their the company could procurement the solutions that
use of and their relation to the make use of and strategies and
the company could
relation to the company’s their relation to the operations
company’s procurement strategies company’s make use of and
procurement and operations procurement their relation to the
strategies and strategies and company’s
operations operations procurement
strategies and
operations
B. C. D. E. F.
Very good It is within the word It is within the word Many of the Almost all, of the
demonstration of the limit of 3000 words in limit of 3000 words following apply: the following apply: the
aforementioned length. in length. structure of the text structure of the text
criteria, but lacks the The assignment is The structure of the is inadequate; the is inadequate; the
clarity in structure and presented in a text is adequately ordering lacks a ordering lacks a
presentation required satisfactory format, highlighted by use clear and logical clear and logical
for an ‘A’ grade. It is meeting most of the of appropriate sequence; the sequence; the
within the word limit aforementioned sections and references both references both
of 3000 words in criteria; there may be a paragraphs; there within and/or at the within and/or at the
length. The few limitations in the is some clear and end of the text are end of the text are
references, both logical flow between logical sequencing. missing or missing or
4 of 6
Brunel Business School
within and at the end the sections, making The references, inadequately cited inadequately cited
of the text, are parts of argument less both within and at and presented. and presented. It is
accurately cited and easy to follow. The the end of the text, It is above the word above the word
presented. references, both within are adequately limit of 3000 words limit of 3000 words
and at the end of the cited and in length. in length.
text, are accurately presented.
cited and presented
Writing quality A. B. C. D. E. F.
and style, The writing quality and The writing quality The writing quality and The writing quality Many of the Poor writing quality
grammar and style is excellent. and style is very style is good. The and style is just following apply: poor and style; grammar
punctuation; Grammar/ punctuation good. The grammar and adequate. The writing quality and and punctuation
spelling (10%) are error-free. There are grammar/punctuation punctuation is grammar and style; grammar and are poor; there are
no spelling mistakes or is near error-free. reasonable. punctuation is just punctuation are many spelling
incorrectly used words. There are very few, if adequate. poor; there are many mistakes,
any, spelling mistakes spelling mistakes, incorrectly used
or incorrectly-used incorrectly used words, and/or long,
words. . words, and/or long, confused or
confused or unwieldy
unwieldy sentences sentences which
which detract from detract from
legibility. legibility; the
references are
either non-existent
or inadequately
cited and
presented.

Academic Misconduct, Plagiarism and Collusion

Any coursework or examined submission for assessment where plagiarism, collusion or any form of cheating is suspected will be dealt with according to the
University processes which are detailed in Senate Regulation 6.

You can access information about plagiarism here.

The University regulations on plagiarism apply to published as well as unpublished work, collusion and the plagiarism of the work of other students.
Please ensure that you fully understand what constitutes plagiarism before you submit your work.

University’s Coursework Submission Policy

Please refer to the College’s Student Handbook for information on submitting late, penalties applied and procedures.

Approved BBS Coursework Brief Template 2020/21 5 of 6

Brunel Business School
College’s Coursework Submission Policy
Please refer to the College’s Student Handbook for information relating to the College’s Coursework Submission Policy and procedures.
* this can be found at the bottom of the page under the ‘Documents’ section *

Extenuating Circumstances Policy

Please refer to the College’s Student Handbook for information relating to extenuating circumstances and procedures.

Approved BBS Coursework Brief Template 2020/21 6 of 6