UCL - Introduction to Supply Chain Management

[LSMS2030]

[30h] 5 credits

Teacher(s): Pierre Semal

Language: English

Level: Second

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

At the end of the class, students should be able to
- Distinguish strategic, tactic and operational problems in SCM.
- Be able to relate to industrial practice in inter-organisational coordination of supply chains
- Understand basic industrial economic analysis of the supply chain relations.
- Identify, formulate, solve and critically review some strategic problems in the supply chain.

Main themes

This introductory course provides a strategic, industrial organisational and decision making framework for the major in supply chain management. By using in-depth knowledge from the fields of operations management, operations research and economics, valuable insight can be given for complex, integrated real-life problems.

Content and teaching methods

The class mixes interactive seminars on the topics with case studies and corporate site visits to provide students with a feeling for the relevance and context of the subject matter.

Content
BUILDING A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK TO ANALYZE SUPPLY CHAINS.
Understanding the Supply Chain.
Supply Chain Performance: Achieving Strategic Fit and Scope.
Supply Chain Drivers and Metrics.

DESIGNING THE SUPPLY CHAIN NETWORK.
Designing the Distribution Network in a Supply Chain.
Network Design in the Supply Chain.
Network Design in an Uncertain Environment.

PLANNING AND MANAGING INVENTORIES IN A SUPPLY CHAIN.
Managing Economies of Scale in the Supply Chain: Cycle Inventory.
Managing Uncertainty in the Supply Chain: Safety Inventory.
Determining Optimal Level of Product Availability.

SOURCING, TRANSPORTING, AND PRICING PRODUCT.
Sourcing Decisions in a Supply Chain.
Transportation in the Supply Chain.
Pricing and Revenue Management in the Supply Chain.

COORDINATION AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN.
Coordination in the Supply Chain.
Information Technology and the Supply Chain.
e-business and the Supply Chain.

Methods :
In-class activities
1 Interactive seminar
1 Project based learning
1 role playing/simulation

At home activities
1 Exercices to prepare the lecture
1 Paper work
1 Students presentation

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Prerequisites (ideally in terms of competiencies)
Introduction to operations management, production management and operations research.
Micro econonomics
Industrial organisation

Evaluation :
Case solutions including class presentations, class participation and an oral exam in English

Support
Chopra, S. and P. Meindl (2006) Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning and Operation, Prentice Hall

References : Provided during the class

Internationalisation :
1 international content (does the course tackle international issues related to the course content ?)
1 international guests
1 international case study

Corporate features :
1 case study
1 company visit

Skills :
1 presentation skills
1 team work
1 problem solving
1 decision making
1 project management
1 critical thinking

Techniques and tools for teaching and learning
1 modelling
1 quantitative methods