MO9530 - Global Logistics and Inventory Management

Your module will be delivered using a combination of webinar-based lectures and interactive class-based seminars, supported by open learning (e-portal based) material, case studies, guest speakers and directed and independent learning. Throughout, the emphasis will be on high levels of your participation, both individually and within small groups or teams.



A one-hour weekly webinar-based interactive lecture sessions will draw upon your directed learning undertaken and your experiences. You can therefore expect the reflective-practitioner approach to learning to be embedded in the weekly two-hour interactive seminar sessions. These activities will facilitate the application of theory to ‘real-life’ situations, also enabling you to critically analyse and make appropriate recommendations for the organisation/individual.

Your module’s Teaching and Learning Plan outlines the formal sessions, together with the tutor-directed learning and independent learning. Your tutor-directed learning will centre upon a range of activities including pre-reading, preparation for interactive activities and use of the discussion board on the e-learning platform. Your independent learning will centre upon the identifying and pursuing areas of interest in relation to the subject area or by providing deeper/broader knowledge and understanding of the subject. Your independent learning activities might include extended reading, reflection, research etc.

As an intermediate level undergraduate module, the contents are informed by recent case studies and contemporary theoretical foundation to support your knowledge application. It will use emerging issues, information and where appropriate, research outputs, from within the School, from applied research journals and professional body magazines.

Ongoing support will be provided to you through the lectures and seminars to build up your skills and expertise in the module. In each week of the semester, you will have an interactive webinar-based lecture and a two-hour class-based seminar. You will expect to have about 20-25 students in the seminar.

Your module study is further supported by an e-learning portal (blackboard) which acts as a central directory for the teaching and learning materials, such as the Teaching and Learning Plan, lecture slides, seminar exercises, case studies, assessment briefs, alongside other relevant internet resources and multimedia support information. In addition, this module is research-led and the module content is developed based on various core textbooks and journal articles. Hence, a wide-ranging electronic reading list that comprises of various core textbooks and journal articles will be made available to provide you with guidance on the module reading materials. The list will also help you to prioritise those materials and divide them into topics by core reading and further reading.

To assess your acquisition and application of the knowledge and the skills introduced during the module, you are encouraged to participate in serval inter-related group practical and analytical exercises and presentations (formative assessment) during your small-group seminars throughout your teaching semester. Tutor’s support and feedback will be given to your group exercises and presentations. You are expected to act on the feedback for a final assessed group presentation (20%) and the subsequent individual 2,000 words written assignment (80%) at the end of the semester.

Technology Enabled Learning is utilised in this module and includes use of an electronic reading list on the reading materials and Panopto recording for lectures. The university’s ESAF system will also be used for the summative assessment submission and to provide electronic feedback.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:

Understand and apply contemporary knowledge of global logistics and inventory management issues in supply chain operations. [MLO1]

Understand and apply the design of flexibility into the complex logistics network and the use of technology to improve transportation performance. [MLO2]

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

Demonstrate your ability to work effectively in teams and communicate your findings from an assessment of a contemporary inventory management problem. [MLO3]

Evidence skills in identifying the objective of logistics strategy and making transportation decisions. [MLO4]

Formative Assessment:

The module has serval inter-related formative assessment (group practical analytical exercises and presentations) during the small-group seminars throughout the teaching semester. Tutor’s support and feedback will be given to the groups in the seminars. The relevant materials will be stored in the e-learning portal and distributed through the teaching semester.

Summative Assessment:

The module has an assessed group presentation (20%) and an individual summative assessment (80%) of 2,000 words set around the learning outcomes of the module. The mark and written feedback will be given based on the predeveloped marking criteria. The summative assessment brief and the marking criteria will be available on the e-learning portal and distributed from the beginning of the semester.

The group presentation will assess MLO1, MLO2 and MLO3.

The individual assessment will assess MLO1, MLO2 and MLO4.

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The module provides understanding of the physical movements of goods through supply chains via different transportation and storage networks. The module also focuses on logistics decision making both domestically and internationally, examining the allied industries it supports and looks at complexity issues surrounding multimodal of transport for both inland and overseas transportation and how this integrates with storage and inventory needs.

You will be introduced real business distribution problems across both inland and overseas operations and the challenges and future opportunities of logistics providers/ freight operators in terms of inventory capacity, sequencing, storage and delivery. You will achieve a rounded appreciation of logistics and inventory management throughout supply chains through a variety of webinar-based lecture and class-based interactive seminars. In these interactive sessions you will consider a range of case studies and be expected contribute through discussion to their assessment and critical evaluation.

The module assessment consists of two inter-related tasks (i.e., group presentation and individual report) which will be distributed throughout your teaching semester.