Supply Chain Management

Aims of the course

The Supply Chain Management (SCM) course will familiarise you with the role and importance of SCM in increasing a company's competitiveness and providing a quality service to customers. Our aim is to provide you with an understanding of the concepts required to manage the supply chain and to familiarise you with the methods and techniques used to design, plan and operate the supply chain. You will acquire the knowledge to solve practical business problems related to managing customer value, inventory and logistical operations in supply chains, information sharing and transparency to improve collaboration among supply chain partners, and the impact of supply chain and product design on supply chain performance.

The course is based on interactive lectures and exercises, group homework, online and in-class simulations, and business case discussions in which you will engage with real-world examples to develop and apply the modelling tools (using spreadsheets) to analyse supply chain processes and make relevant business decisions. You will apply the concepts in an extensive online simulation game that represents a real-life situation in a company that produces and distributes a fast-moving consumer goods product. By taking on the role of the sales, purchasing, operations and supply chain management departments in running the business, you will be empowered to make relevant business decisions, establish cross-departmental collaboration and improve company performance.

Course syllabus

1. Introduction to supply chain management
2. Inventory management and risk pooling
3. Supply chain cooperation through supply contracts
4. The value of information and supply chain coordination
5. Integration of the supply chain into an appropriate logistics strategy
6. Relationships between supply chain members and the importance of strategic partnerships
7. Customer value and supply chain management
8. Coordinated product and supply chain design

Course director(s)