This Assignment assesses the following module Learning Outcomes (from Definitive Module Document):
1. Distinguish the technological and operational needs of smart manufacturing.
2. Critique architectures of smart manufacturing systems.
3. Explore strategies for improving manufacturing performance using connected factory solutions.
4. Evaluate ways of dealing with high amounts of manufacturing data and information.
5. Critically analyse models, key steps, and challenges involved with implementing cybersecure smart manufacturing.
Assignment Tasks:
Sunmola et. al (2021) offers a building block model for blockchain adoption in digital transformation of sustainable supply chains. The building block contains three main phases: pre-adoption, adoption, and post adoption. In this assignment, you are required to:
1. Explain the notion of the pre-adoption phase in the building block model for blockchain adoption in digital transformation of enterprises. Use examples in smart manufacturing and supply chains to illustrate your answer.
2. Conduct a literature review to answer the following question:
What are the motivating factors for the adoption of blockchains in smart manufacturing and supply chains?
3. Critically discuss the findings of your literature review.
Presentation
You must present your work as follows.
Your submission for this assignment must be a written report. The report must contain no more than 2500±10% words including any diagrams, calculations, figures and/or tables where appropriate. Reports shorter than the word count will not lose marks but will lead to the omission of material which can gain them. Any words over the suggested word count will not be marked. Do not use any mechanism, such as embedded jpeg images containing significant text, to
circumvent the word count.
You are expected to provide a range of secondary sources to underpin your work. These must be cited and referenced according to the Harvard Referencing System. Include the word count in the header of your report.
Ensure that your report is well-structured and choose appropriate number and titles for the sections of the report please. There is no need to number the references section.
Your report must follow the guidance above and must include the specific instructions outlined below.
1. Word-process the report on A4 paper.
2. Use 1.15 line spacing.
3. Font type must be Arial (font size11).
4. Number all pages.
5. Ensure that all diagrams / tables are labelled and numbered.
6. Grammar, spelling and style, as well as clarity, contribute towards the assessment of the report.
7. Use British Spelling i.e., ‘English (UK) Language’.
8. Justify paragraphs – Align text to both left and right margins, using your word processor to add extra space between words as necessary.
You are expected to provide a significant range of secondary sources to underpin your work. As highlighted above, these should be cited and referenced according to the Harvard Referencing System.
Additional Note on Referencing
Mark is allocated for referencing in this assignment, and the mark is influenced by the thoroughness and integrity of the work as evidenced by your referencing. Marks are awarded not only for correct referencing practice, but also the extent to which the arguments have been supported by cited sources. As highlighted above, related work should be cited and referenced according to the Harvard Referencing System.
Submission Requirements:
The report must be submitted as a PDF file via the Assignment CW2 submission page on the module site. The report is intended to be marked anonymously. Hence, do not include any personal identifier in your submission.
Marks awarded for:
This assignment is worth 60% of the overall assessment for this module.
Marks out of 100% awarded for:
Main Tasks/Allocations Marks Available
%
Knowledge and understanding of the subject particularly in the context of the topic covered in the assignment. 10
1. Explanation of a Concept: 20
Explain the notion of the pre-adoption phase in the building block model for blockchain adoption in digital transformation of enterprises. Use examples in smart manufacturing and supply chains to illustrate your answer,
2. Literature Review.
Conduct a literature review to answer the following question.
What are the motivating factors for the adoption of blockchains in facilitating smart manufacturing and supply chains? 35
3. Critical Discussion:
Critically discuss the findings of your literature review. 15
Overall presentation, report title and structure, effective communication, keeps to word limit. 10
Intellectual curiosity (Quality of academic sources); Use and presentation of Harvard Referencing. 10
Total 100
Type of Feedback to be given for this assignment:
The presentation will have a percentage mark and generic feedback.
Additional information:
• Regulations governing assessment offences including Plagiarism and Collusion are available from https://www.herts.ac.uk/ data/assets/pdf_file/0007/237625/AS14-Apx3- Academic-Misconduct.pdf (UPR AS14).
• Guidance on avoiding plagiarism can be found here: https://herts.instructure.com/courses/61421 (see the Referencing section)
• For postgraduate modules:
o a score of 50% or above represents a pass mark.
o late submission of any item of coursework for each day or part thereof (or for hard copy submission only, working day or part thereof) for up to five days after the published deadline, coursework relating to modules at Level 7 submitted late (including deferred coursework, but with the exception of referred coursework), will have the numeric grade reduced by 10 grade points until or unless the numeric grade reaches or is 50. Where the numeric grade awarded for the assessment is less than 50, no lateness penalty will be applied.
Reference
Sunmola, F. T., Burgess, P, and Tan, A (2021) Building Blocks for Blockchain Adoption in Digital Transformation of Sustainable Supply Chains, Procedia Manufacturing, Volume 55, Pages 513-520, ISSN 2351-9789, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2021.10.070.