Overview
Course overview
Supply chain management is increasingly recognised as a critical source of competitive advantage and getting it wrong has catastrophic commercial consequences. This short course gives managers and professionals a structured overview of the full supply chain, from procurement and supplier management to inventory control, distribution network design and logistics optimisation. Learners also explore supply chain risk, resilience strategies and the growing role of technology and sustainability in modern supply chain management. The course is practical, internationally relevant and applicable to both manufacturing and service sector environments.
What you will study
Establish the strategic foundations of supply chain management, covering the end-to-end supply chain from raw material to end customer, the key trade-offs between cost, service and resilience, and the strategic importance of supply chain capability as a source of competitive advantage.
Apply supply chain management principles to your own organisation's supply chain. Identify the most significant performance gaps, cost drivers and risk exposures and define the priority improvement opportunities with the greatest commercial impact.
Examine supply chain successes and failures from major global organisations, analysing the strategic decisions, investment choices and risk management practices that determined outcomes. Extract the lessons applicable to managing and improving your own supply chain.
Learn the analytical tools used in supply chain management, including supply chain mapping, total cost of ownership analysis, inventory optimisation models, network design frameworks and the data-driven decision tools that support make-versus-buy and sourcing decisions.
Build a supply chain improvement plan for your own organisation, covering the priority process improvements, technology investments, supplier relationship changes and risk mitigation measures that will deliver the greatest gains in efficiency, resilience and service quality.
Develop a supply chain performance measurement framework, covering the key metrics including on-time delivery, perfect order rates, inventory turns, total supply chain cost, supplier performance and carbon intensity. Learn how to use these metrics to drive continuous improvement.
Learn how to evaluate and optimise your distribution network, including the trade-offs between centralised and decentralised distribution, the factors that determine optimal facility locations and how to model network change scenarios to identify the most cost-effective and resilient configuration.
Develop a structured approach to demand forecasting and planning, covering statistical forecasting methods, collaborative planning with customers and suppliers, sales and operations planning processes and how to manage the inherent uncertainty in demand forecasts.
Build a strategic approach to managing supplier relationships, covering supplier segmentation, performance management frameworks, contract structures, collaboration programmes and how to develop the supplier capabilities your supply chain needs to deliver its strategic objectives.
Explore how digital technology is reshaping supply chain management, covering the role of ERP systems, supply chain visibility platforms, artificial intelligence in demand planning and logistics optimisation, blockchain for supply chain transparency and the strategic implications of Industry 4.0 for manufacturing and distribution.
Who is this for?
Supply chain managers, procurement professionals, operations managers, logistics coordinators and business leaders who need a more strategic understanding of how supply chains create or destroy commercial value.
Learning outcome
Graduates leave with a comprehensive supply chain management framework, the tools to assess and improve supply chain performance and the strategic knowledge to build more resilient, cost-effective and responsive supply chain operations.
Assessment and delivery style
Teaching is designed to be interactive, applied and professionally relevant. Activities may include case discussion, guided exercises, workplace examples, short presentations, reflective planning and tutor-led feedback.
