Introductory description

The principal aims of the module is to prepare the students with the advanced knowledge in the field of supply chain management, and to develop the essential skills to apply the knowledge when facing or anticipating real-world business cases.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

1. Fundamentals of supply chain management
2. Global supply chain strategies
3. Global enterprise – Rolls Royce’s case
4. Driving competitive advantage
5. Integrated planning
6. Sustainability and supply chain
7. Supply chain risk management
8. Driving competitive advantage
9. Lean supply management
10. Agile supply management
11. Strategic procurement and supplier selection
12. Supply relationship management
13. Case studies, Beer Games and group activities

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• 1. Formulate an advanced conceptual model from a real-world supply chain case or part of it, by interpreting its associated management issues from a much wider and more strategic supply chain perspective.
• 2. Creatively conduct an independent evaluation and/or critical analysis on any of the following key supply chain management approaches that might be dominating the real-world case in question, including: strategic outsourcing; end-to-end supply chain integration; supplier-buyer relationships, partnership and collaboration; supply-base development; win-win sourcing; lean and agile supply management; customer driven value-adding; and so on.
• 3. Demonstrate a sound and advanced skill set in rigorously reasoning and articulating any real-world supply chain issues through applying learned frameworks, models and tools to reveal the underlying connections of complex conceptual factors within the supply chain systems while engaging scholarly literatures autonomously.

Indicative reading list

• Supply chain management: strategy, planning, and operation - Sunil Chopra, Peter Meindl, 2009.
• Logistics & supply chain management - Martin Christopher, 2011.
• Fundamentals of Supply Chain Management - Dawei Lu, 2011
• Harvard business review on supply chain management - Harvard Business School, c2006
• Purchasing & supply chain management: analysis, strategy, planning and practice - A. J. van Weele, c2010
• Living supply chains: how to mobilize the enterprise around delivering what your customers want - John Gattorna, 2006

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Subject specific skills

Understand the scope and contents of supply chain management, be able to conceptualise real-world supply chains into a theoretical model or framework, be able to analyse the market and competitive business environment from a supply chain perspective, be able to apply relevant management frameworks and theories in strategic planning and design of supply chain, be able to make constructive and educated suggestions for supply chain improvement and development, be familiar with supply chain management tools that facilitate the management practices.

Transferable skills

Communication skill, presentation and articulation skill, team work and team leader skills, dependability, adaptability to much wider employment opportunities, business and related technology literacy.