GRA 6722 Current Issues in Logistics, Operations and SCM
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APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2016/2017 |
GRA 6722 Current Issues in Logistics, Operations and SCM
Responsible for the course
Marianne Jahre
Department
Department of Accounting - Auditing and Business Analytics
Term
According to study plan
ECTS Credits
6
Language of instruction
English
Introduction
The competition has moved from competition between firms to competition between supply chains. Any company is linked to other organisations, whether it is suppliers, customers, logistics service providers, or other intermediaries. The performance of the individual firm is dependent on the strength and weaknesses of its partners in the supply chain. This development has had a significant impact on shippers and logistics service providers as well as on other participants in the supply chain, and particularly it has involved a set of strategic challenges concerning supply chain positioning and the role of the supply chain participants, supply chain integration, and supply network configuration and organisation. The objective of the course is to provide the students with an insight of these strategic issues, and how to approach some of them.
Learning outcome
Acquired knowledge
To understand the logic of logistics, supply chains, and networks
To gain knowledge of selected and current issues, such as ethics in purchasing and environmental issues in logistics
To understand the specific challenges of logistics and supply chains in selected industries
To gain understanding of selected current research areas in logistics and supply chain management
Acquired skills
To be able to apply logistics, operations management, and SCM models in different settings
To be able to compare and critique different sources and approaches
To be able to communicate in the range of logistics professionals
Reflections
To appreciate and understand multiple perspectives on logistics, operations and supply chain management
To be able to be a reflexive logistics professional
The intention is that this course will help students to apply and further develop knowledge gained from previous courses in logistics, supply chains, and operations.
Prerequisites
All courses in the Masters programme will assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, courses in second, third and/or fourth semester can have spesific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.
Compulsory reading
Books:
Gambles, Ian. 2009. Making the business case : proposals that succeed for projects that work. Gower
Simchi-Levi, David, Philip Kaminsky, Edith Simchi-Levi. 2008. Designing and managing the supply chain : concepts, strategies, and case studies. 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Articles:
Selected articles
Other:
During the course there may be hand-outs and other material on additional topics relevant for the course and the examination
Recommended reading
Course outline
Topics in focus will be a selection among:
Logistics, OM and SCM in theory and practice
Creating Value through Logistics, OM and SCM
SCM integration, Process Management, and Lean Thinking
Network planning and Supply Chain Alliances
Outsourcing, Procurement and Supply Contracts
Organisational Issues in Logistics, OM and SCM
Global and environmental issues in SCM
Implementation of the SCM-concept
The course provides students with a framework of how to develop business cases in real life settings and requires use of tools, concepts and frameworks learnt in other OM, logistics and SCM courses.
Computer-based tools
Learning process and workload
A course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of 160-180 hours.
The course is highly interactive and constitutes a mix of discussions, work with term paper, and lectures on selected issues
Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all courses, it is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class that is not included on the course homepage/LMS or text book.
Examination
The course grade will be based on the following activities and weights:
60% - Term Paper
40% - Class participation
| Form of assessment | Weight | Group size |
| Term paper | 60% | Group of max 3 students |
| Class participation | 40% | Individual |
Specific information regarding student assessment will be provided in class. This information may be relevant to requirements for term papers or other hand-ins, and/or where class participation can be one of several components of the overall assessment. This is a course with continuous assessment (several exam components) and one final exam code. Each exam component is graded using points on a scale from 0-100. The final grade for the course is based on the aggregated mark of the course components. Each component is weighted as detailed in the course description. Students who fail to participate in one/some/all exam components will get a lower grade or may fail the course. You will find detailed information about the points system and the mapping scale in the student portal @bi. Candidates may be called in for an oral hearing as a verification/control of written assignments.
Examination code(s)
GRA 67223 continuous assessment accounts for 100% of the final grade in the course GRA 6722
Examination support materials
Permitted examination support materials for written examinations are detailed under examination information in the student portal @bi. The section on support materials and the use of calculators and dictionaries should be paid special attention to.
Re-sit examination
It is only possible to retake an examination when the course is next taught. The assessment in some courses is based on more than one exam code. Where this is the case, you may retake only the assessed components of one of these exam codes. All retaken examinations will incur an additional fee. Please note that you need to retake the latest version of the course with updated course literature and assessment. Please make sure that you have familiarised yourself with the latest course description.
Additional information
Honour code. Academic honesty and trust are important to all of us as individuals, and are values that are integral to BI's honour code system. Students are responsible for familiarising themselves with the honour code system, to which the faculty is deeply committed. Any violation of the honour code will be dealt with in accordance with BI’s procedures for academic misconduct. Issues of academic integrity are taken seriously by everyone associated with the programmes at BI and are at the heart of the honour code. If you have any questions about your responsibilities under the honour code, please ask. The learning platform itslearning is used in the teaching of all courses at BI. All students are expected to make use of itslearning.