GRA 8173 Supply Chain Management (2018/2019)
GRA 8173 Supply Chain Management (2018/2019)
Supply chains are emerging as important entities and effective supply chain management is increasingly being seen as a key element of strategy. A main reason for this development is the increasing belief that the nature of competition is shifting towards supply chain vs. supply chain struggles instead of firm against firm competition. Increasingly, supply chains are not merely regarded as a means to get products where they need to be, but also as a means to enhance key outcomes that drive firm performance.
This course consists of two main parts. The first part deals with the Strategy of supply chains, hereunder a number of aspects of inter-organizational strategies, including; value creation in and between firms, coordination and positioning in supply chain networks, purchasing and relationship development with suppliers, and global supply chain responsibilities. The second part deals with the Operations of supply chain, focusing on models the evaluation of process capacity, batching and flow interruptions, discounts and pricing, supply chain integration and efficiency and variability and its impact on process performance.
Traditionally logistics and supply chain management have been seen as primarily operational. The first part of the module recognizes the development of supply chain management as an integral element of the study of strategic management. To manage supply chain networks effectively, managers must look beyond the internal view of how their own companies produce goods and deliver services, to include a wider understanding of different business models and strategic perspectives regarding supply chain performance. The second part includes concepts and methods for carrying out quantitative analysis of various operational aspects.
Acquired knowledge:
To understand:
- the traditional focus of supply chains and the implications of the value chain logic
- how value configuration analysis expands the comprehension of both firm level value creation and supply system integration
- how supply chain sustainability and responsibility influence firm strategies
- how trust and power influence supply chain and network strategies
- the impact of process organisation and flows on customer service and efficiency
- the role of inventories and buffers for process effectiveness
- process capacities, bottlenecks and flow rates. Littles law
- the effects of pricing and discount decisions on supply chain integration
On completion of this module you will be able to:
- analyze shipper and logistics service provider strategies.
- distinguish between conventional supply chain management and the strategic nature of supply chain networks by applying your knowledge of the concepts and methods relating to the creation of value in different supply structures
- understand the role and contribution of logistics and supply chain management to gaining and sustaining competitive advantage from a triple bottom line perspective
- analyze capacities and bottlenecks
- analyze tradeoffs between service and cost
- analyze pricing decisions to achieve better supply chain integration
The participants will learn about the complex nature of different supply structures and they will be able to reflect on how different business models may create tradeoffs between supply actors. In particular, the students will be able to reflect on:
- shipper and Logistics Service Provider interactions and strategic tradeoffs
- how supply chain organizations balance short-term profitability and long-term environmental sustainability
- whether focal firms should be accountable for the practices of their suppliers
- competitive advantage through cooperative advantage
- the impact of buffer decisions on supply chain costs and revenues
- the impact of uncertainty on inventories, waiting times and flow times
- the impact of pricing and discount decisions on supply chain integration
PART 1: Strategic Supply Chain Management
Theme 1: Supply Chain Management
· The supply chain management concept
· Approaches, issues, and the logic behind supply chain management
· Design and management of supply chain processes from a shipper perspective
Theme 2: Supply Chain Networks and the strategic management of Logistics Service Providers
· Value configuration analysis
· Coordination and integration in supply chain networks
· Design and management of supply chain processes from a logistics service provider perspective
Theme 3: Supply chain sustainability and responsibility
Standards and implementation of supply chain strategies among MNCs
Strategic trade-offs among the economic, environmental and social elements of supply chain networks
Theme 4: Trust and power in inter-organizational relationships
· Perspectives on trust and power
Building and using trust
PART 2: Operative Supply Chain Management
Theme 4:
· Understanding the supply process: Evaluation process capacity
Theme 5
· Batching and flow interruptions: Optimising the flow through a supply chain
Theme 6:
· Discounts and pricing supply chain integration and efficiency
Variability and its Impact on Process Performance
1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours.
The course is conducted through a total of 32 hours of lectures and casework.
Attendance to all sessions in the course is compulsory. If you have to miss part(s) of the course you must ask in advance for leave of absence. More than 25% absence in a course will require retaking the entire course. It's the student's own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class that is not included on the course homepage/ It's learning or other course materials
This is a course with continuous assessment (several exam components) and one final exam code. Each exam component will be graded using points on a scale 0 -100. The components will be weighted together according to the information in the course description in order to calculate the final letter grade for the course. Students who fail to participate in one/some/all exam components will get a lower grade or may fail the course. Candidates may be called in for an oral hearing as a verification/control of written assignments.
Specific information regarding the points system and the mapping scale beyond the information given in the course description will be provided in class. This information may be relevant for requirements for term papers or other hand-ins, and/or where class participation can be one of several elements of the overall evaluation.
The course is a part of a full Executive MBA programme and examination in all courses must be passed in order to obtain a certificate.
Granted admission to the EMBA programme. Please consult our student regulations.
| Assessments |
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Exam category: Activity Form of assessment: Class participation Weight: 20 Grouping: Individual Comment: Class participation, counting 20 % Exam code: GRA 81731 Grading scale: Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade Resit: All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course |
Exam category: Submission Form of assessment: Written submission Weight: 40 Grouping: Individual Duration: 1 Semester(s) Comment: Individual written assignment, counting 40 %. The written assignment need to be handed in three weeks after the end of the module. Exam code: GRA 81731 Grading scale: Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade Resit: All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course |
Exam category: Submission Form of assessment: Written submission Weight: 40 Grouping: Group (2 - 8) Duration: 1 Semester(s) Comment: Written assignment in groups, counting 40 %. The written assignment need to be handed in three weeks after the end of the module. Exam code: GRA 81731 Grading scale: Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade Resit: All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course |
A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 4 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of at least 110 hours.