This module aims to develop students’ understanding of how critical tasks in supply chain management are organised and undertaken in an effective manner. The achievement of superior profitability for firms relies on two critical tasks. First, firms need to position themselves in the supply chain(s) (matching their internal capabilities with external market opportunities) to maximise the revenue flowing into the organisation. Second, firms need to organise themselves so that as little of that revenue as possible flows out of the organisation and into the pockets of their suppliers.
This module assesses how managers might undertake these two critical tasks in an effective manner and also shows that the two tasks are inter-related. Students are encouraged to recognise that businesses exist within an extended network of customers, competitors and suppliers (sometimes called a supply chain), all of which impact upon the performance of the firm. It is critical, therefore, that firms manage supply inputs effectively as well as their internal operations within extended chains of supply. We will look how the basic operations techniques may help managers to improve the performance of their supply chains.
By the end of the module, students should possess a holistic understanding of the challenges managers face in earning rents from the extended business networks in which they operate and should be able to apply the basic operations techniques to deal with the challenges.