Supply Management

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Recognise and use appropriate contract law in supply chain designs.
• Undertake critical analysis of supply management situations;
• Design supply chain processes to meet performance criteria in a particular supply chain;
• Differentiate strategic and operational purchasing decisions and the factors to be managed in both situations;

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• The basis of contract law;
• Established methods and approaches associated with purchasing;
• Linking principles and processes to strategy formulation;
• The nature of cooperation and competition.
• Principles of negotiation;
• The issues involved in 'do or buy' and strategic sourcing;
• The link between technological and regulatory factors in strategic decisions;
• The role of innovation in supply relationships;

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Think critically and argue effectively;
• Write effectively for business purposes;
• Manage individual tasks, personal resources and time effectively;
• Engage in problem solving techniques.

Purchasing Principles and Processes in Context

• Overview of supply strategy
• Theories of Inter-organisational Management
• Links between policy, strategy and operation

Role and position of Purchasing

• Organisational position, structure and resources for Strategic Purchasing
• Intra-organisational relationships
• Role of technology and e-commerce
• Organisational structure for global operation

Processes

• Contract law
• Negotiation principles and practice
• Purchasing as a cluster of interdependent processes
• What processes are 'done or bought'
• Sourcing options including introduction to out-sourcing strategies/agents
• Linking processes to strategy and the global context

Supply Relationships, Chains and Networks

• Established interpretations of levels of supply management
• Portfolios of relationships and their management

Power and collaboration

• Role and position of power
• Approaches which recognise power dimensions and strategies

Performance Assessment Approaches

• The basics of performance measurement, in this context
• Supplier assessment techniques
• Relationship assessment and evaluation
• Supply development strategies
• Linking development to supplier relationship management

Teaching methods include

• Lectures from internal and external specialists and practitioners
• Staff led discussion seminars
• Case studies/problem solving activities

Learning activities include

• Group interactions
• Library based research
• Independent reading from a recommended bibliography
• Private study

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

In-class formative opportunities

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback: Class interactions
• Final Assessment: No
• Group Work: No

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.