MO9633 - Strategic and Sustainable Supply Chain Management

The lectures will provide you with a theoretical underpinning of the module content, supported by a seminar which will give you an opportunity to practice the various techniques and topics studied, allowing you to build up a subject proficiency and the necessary skills of interpretation and communication of findings.

There will be a number of additional exercises housed on the module’s e-learning portal that will permit you to undertake further study independently. The module has a supporting reading list that provides you with an opportunity to see how the various decision making techniques are applied to further managerial and research-based problems.

Your directed study will support the work you have undertaken in the contact sessions. You will be expected to keep up-to-date with your lecture programme. In addition, you will be set a selection of exercises to complete in seminars. To aid with self-assessment on progress, solutions to these exercises will be made available to you on the e-learning portal where appropriate.

Independent learning time is set aside for learning activities, self-identified by you, to gain a deeper and broader knowledge of the subject. You may complete the review exercises, work with the electronic support tools (such as recordings of applications), or undertake further reading.
The problem solving nature of the seminars means that tutor (formative) feedback will be received continuously. Solutions to both seminars and directed learning activity on the e-learning portal will be aid knowledge and provide formative assessment.

Support will be provided to you by a member of academic staff leading the module and providing the lecture input. A team of academic staff are allocated to small seminar groups, which provides a closer, more personal academic support. These groups are typically based on study programme cohorts, so you will be taught here alongside fellow members from your particular degree.

Your module is supported by an e-learning portal, which houses lecture materials, seminar exercises and data files, alongside assessment details and various support facilities, alongside other electronic support facilities such as indicated above.

You will be provided with a wide-ranging electronic reading list that comprises of various academic reports, conference papers and journal articles that showcase the application of various techniques presented in the module.

The module assessment consists of two main inter-related tasks which will be distributed throughout your teaching semester. This will encourage your active participation in the learning process throughout the semester. The eLearning portal will be used to permanently support these tasks after release to ensure that you can access the information required at all times.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Critique and appraise a variety of Strategic Supply Chain Management techniques and their application to the analysis and interpretation of business data for a variety of organisational applications. (MLO1)
2. Understand and critically evaluate the role of Strategic Supply Chain Management as an aid to decision making; through the selection of techniques to assist in the solution of business problems. (MLO2)

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
3. Evidence skills in the handling of Supply Chain Management techniques and the corresponding findings of its analysis and for progression to more advanced contexts. (MLO3)

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

The module assessment consists of two inter-related tasks which will be distributed throughout your teaching semester.

This will encourage your active participation in the learning process throughout the semester via formative assessment.

The eLearning portal will be used to permanently host these tasks after release to ensure that you can access the information required at all times.

Your work on these tasks will provide you with further chance to practice the various areas of Strategic Supply Chain Management, as well as forming the pre-work for a group presentation at the end of the module.

This 20 minute presentation represents 20% of the module mark will be based on an investigation of an organisation identified by the group. An 80% individual assignment will allow you to individually use the presentation as a case study to further evaluate via secondary research the variation between Strategic Supply Chain Management practiced by the organisation an extensive literature review.

Both items of assessment address MLO1, MLO2 and MLO3.

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It is expected that you will enter employment with an appropriate level of Strategic Supply Chain Management (SSCM) understanding and proficiency in everyday business usage. In addition, you will be able to demonstrate an awareness of the varied sustainability challenges facing supply chain functions. This module provides these essential business skills giving you a theoretical understanding of various SSCM applications supported through practical Case Study exercises. You will work on a number of key techniques linked to which are set to practical scenarios, supporting work for practice and specific items relating to your assessment. You will undertake assessment tasks leading to an assessed presentation which places emphasis on your findings and problem interpretation. These critical, analytical, practical and interpretative skills are directly transferable to your working life, through part-time employment, placement or full-time graduate role. Your additional experiences within the module centre on support reading giving you additional awareness of the broad applicability of the module content across the wider business and management subject area.