To introduce students to a wide range of frameworks to inform systematic thinking on the alignment, design, implementation and operation supply chains to promote their agility, adaptability and growth. To support the lean pursuit of key strategic performance dimensions delivery, quality, and economy in the context of a dynamic, uncertain and competitive operating environment. To consider frameworks appropriate at micro, meso and macro levels of operation. To promote a quantitative approach to supply chain operations analysis. To include a strong human context in addressing diagnosis and design questions.

Supply Chain Context Positioning, competitive priorities and capabilities. Role of operations and associated decision areas. Comparison of services versus manufacturing, supply-chain structures, identification of supply-chains. Operations reference models, Supply-Chain Operations Reference Model SCOR, Design Chain DCOR, Customer Chain CCOR, performance framework. Sourcing Sub-contracting of production and logistics, outsourcing, off-shoring, in-sourcing, globalisation. Product control New product and service development activities (eg Urban-Hauser; Stage-Gate, spiral models), product life-cycle., underpinning concepts such as continuous/radical/ disruptive innovation, customer experience, sustainability. Analysis tools eg customer-choice analysis, quality function deployment. Product validation. Quantity control micro: process mapping, inventory, job sequencing, push/pull order release, model of human scheduling, queuing, littles law, flow factor. meso: forecasting, aggregate planning, routing and network planning, production-inventory system dynamics. Macro: capacity decisions, location. Quality control micro: controllable/uncontrollable variation, sampling for variables and attributes, control charts. Meso: specification capture (QFD), fitness for purpose, reliability and risk analysis, fitness for society. Macro: strategy deployment (Hoshin), quality frameworks ISO, Baldridge, EFQM. Production economy Cost of doing: cost estimation, asset investment cost, capital recovery, activity based costing, unit costing, rate of return on investment, intangibles. Cost of not doing: Feigenbaum quality cost model. Information Systems Hierarchical planning and control systems. GRAI grid and levels of decision and analysis. Enterprise Resource Planning. Operations reference models, ARIS and enterprise integration views. Interoperability at technical and organisational levels. Human factors Micro: planning cycle for individuals - McKay-Wiers planning cycle and supporting social networks. Meso: interfacing role between organisations, planner-schedulers mediation role at supply chain interface (Berglund-Guinery). Co-ordination in enterprise networks, organisational interoperability. Macro: Technology acceptance model and software implementation. Waefler socio-technical model of planner-scheduler engagement and structural impact. Process Improvement Continuous improvement philosophy, commonalities of Lean and 6-Sigma, PDSA, forms of waste, problem seeking, focusing tools, design of experiments, engagement with people, implementation and control, kaizen, DMAIC framework. Capturing the soft side: Qualitative analysis and mixed methods. Project planning and control, specific project methodologies eg PERA. SCOR implementation framework (SCE). Semester project work Reflection on SCOR model and its relation with the framework above. Application in depth of a focused set drawing on the frameworks listed above to solving or analysing specific supply-chain questions in a substantial semester project. The work is to be collaborative, and carried out in project teams using computer mediated communications. The results are to be presented in written and verbal form. Qualitative enquiry should inform the project development path, but the work should be primarily related to quality- and quantity-control processes.

On successful completion of this module students will be able to: Describe the context for supply-chain design and discuss key consequences. Describe the nature of sourcing in the context of globalisation Describe the nature of operations management techniques for quantity and quality control, and discuss key associated operating characteristics (eg curves) Describe principles of production economy including costing and estimation of potential benefits from lost opportunities and failure of control, and discuss key consequences. Describe important aspects of information-systems architectures in the enterprise resource planning model, including aspects such as decision hierarchy and interoperability that are relevant to interfacing between companies, and discuss key consequences. Describe important human activity considerations at individual level, at interface level, and at the level of technology acceptance in relation to computer mediation of activities at inter-organisational interfaces, and discuss key consequences. Describe important aspects of process improvement methodology relating to all aspects of supply-chain structures, processes, and discuss key obstacles they are designed to overcome. To describe and discuss the implementation of major supply-chain con/re-configuration such as SCOR through the SCE project template. To apply a small number of the above areas to analysing particular supply-chain questions in greater detail.

On successful completion of this module students will be able to: To establish a commitment to the value of operations analysis and systems thinking in thinking about supply-chain structure, process and performance outcomes. To value both technical and human dimensions in design, implementation and operation. To anticipate and respond to the need for change in supply-chain structure and processes and outcomes. To adopt a stance on the philosophy of continuous improvement.

On successful completion of this module students will be able to: Use of computers to mediate project communications. To act in project teams.

The module will be delivered using blended learning methods with assignment work.