Aim
Supply chain management can be defined as “the systemic and strategic coordination of the business processes and functions within and between organisations across the supply chain for the purposes of improving the long term performance of the individual company as well as the supply chain as a whole.” Consequently the course provides advanced knowledge about logistics systems and their supporting information systems from a supply chain perspective. Principles and methods used to produce an effective and efficient flow of material and information, from the supplier of raw material, through companies to the ultimate consumers, are introduced. In addition, the course provides the student with skills in handling methods and tools for the analysis, design and development of supply chains. The course will also strengthen the students’ holistic view on supply chain operations, management and strategy, and discuss some current research areas in supply chain management.

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

• be able to use theories, models and tools both to analyse and evaluate how logistics processes can be co-ordinated within and between companies along supply chains, and to independently plan and perform the design and changes of supply chains.

• be able to understand how the research processes within this field are carried out, and have had an overview of some on-going research projects.

• independently describe and problematize different logistics processes and their connections, especially between the companies in the supply chains

• understand and comprehensively analyse how the materials flow interacts with the information flow and the finance flow along supply chains

• describe and compare different types of co-operation and integration along supply chains and how they are organised

• explain and compare different classic theories within supply chain management

• describe and independently analyse in detail two different logistics processes and how these have been integrated along the supply chains in the two project assignments (the Accenture case and the students' own projects)

• understand different aspects of the globalizing of value-added chains, including the challenges concerning the environment, ethics and different regional, legal and fiscal systems

• comprehend the difference in supply chain management between different industry sectors

• analyse how different types of information and communication techniques can be used for supply chain management

• understand and comprehensively identify and handle different types of risks along supply chains

• define measures of costs and performances and problematize measuring and analysing them

• understand how the logistics processes influence the competitiveness, economics and growth within companies, industrial sectors, regions and nations

• understand how logistics innovations are conceived and how they are disseminated

• have knowledge of the most important milestones and their innovations in the history of logistics

• have knowledge of forthcoming studies within the field and their methods

• have knowledge of at least two on-going research projects.

Skills and abilities
For a passing grade the student must

• analyse and develop supply chain management processes by applying theoretical methods and practical tools

• write a request for quotations and purchase consultant services and information systems in order to connect the logistics processes that are divided up into several different organisations along the supply chain

• start one's project work within the field of logistics and then master the challenges demanded by a position within this field

• use technical terms, and clearly communicate logistics problems, analyses and solutions, e.g. the concepts activity, functions, process, organisation, customer adoption, out-sourcing and globalization

• independently use reference literature, scientific publications, applied trade journals in logistics, consultant reports, and the Internet to analyse, evaluate and synthesise practical logistics problems

• orally and in writing explain and discuss both one’s own and other’s analyses

Judgement and approach
For a passing grade the student must

• use a scientific approach by seeking, critically judging and applying academic as well as professional knowledge.

• be able to apply creative thinking in order to take in, develop and spread innovations within the field of logistics.

Contents
The course consists of five parts: Concepts, Processes, Management, Strategy and Tools. Initially the supply chain concept is discussed and defined. Its implications on structure and process, e.g. outsourcing and inter-organizational relationships, are covered. Supply Chain processes such as distribution, production, procurement, transport, and logistics services are dealt with. Different issues on the management of supply chains are thoroughly analyzed, as well as information requirements for efficient supply chain processes. The management part of the course is concluded with a discussion of global issues. The fourth part of the course covers strategic implications from integrated management of supply chains. In the middle of the course there will be a quiz on the course literature. In the second half of the course the students will practice the use of methods and tools in the analysis and design of different supply chain processes, e.g. by solving a case and writing a substantial project report on a logistics issue in a real company. Both assignments are compulsory and carried out in teams.

Literature
Reference literature according to information given at the course start.

Code: 0108. Name: Supply Chain Management.
Higher education credits: 3,5. Grading scale: UG. Assessment: Passed written quiz/examination. Contents: Covers literature and lectures and is given in the middle of the course.

Code: 0208. Name: Assignments.
Higher education credits: 4. Grading scale: UG. Assessment: The assignments/cases are graded and constitute 50% of the final grade. The case grade and the quiz/written examination grade determine the final grade for the complete course. Contents: In the assignment/case studies, the students will work in groups to analyze and solve a written case on a specific logistics problem in a company, and to write and orally present the report .