• Explain how companies can use supply chain management to gain competitive advantage
• Describe the major types of supply chain strategies and their implementation challenges
• Explain how segmentation, product variety and integration impact the performance of a supply chain

The course explains how a company can gain competitive advantage through supply chain management. Lean and agile supply chain strategies are explained in detail as well as the different supply chain challenges like segmentation, integration, product variety and lead times. Within the course, two company case studies will be explained in detail to show practical examples how supply chain decisions can impact company competitiveness.

Session 1:            Supply chain definitions

Session 2:            Supply chain relationships

Session 3:            Supply chains and competitive advantage

Session 4:            Lean supply chains

Session 5:            A lean case study: SpiceCo

Session 6:            Agile supply chains

Session 7:            An agile case study: CrystalCo

Session 8:            The product variety challenge

Session 9:            The segmentation challenge

Session 10:          The integration challenge

Session 11:          Review

Preliminary Assignment: To help students get maximum value from ISUP courses, instructors provide a reading or a small number of readings or video clips to be read or viewed before the start of classes with a related task scheduled for class 1 in order to 'jump-start' the learning process.

Feedback Activity: A feedback activity defined by the course instructor will take place approx. half-way through the course.

Course timetable is available on http://www.cbs.dk/uddannelse/summer-university-programme/courses.

Reading List

Session 3: Supply chains and competitive advantage

Lee H. (2004) “The triple-A Supply Chain”, Harvard Business Review, October 2004

Naylor J.B., Naim M.M., Berry D. (1999) “Leagility: integrating the lean and the agile manufacturing paradigms in the total supply chain”, International Journal of Production Economics, vol. 62, no.1, pp.107-118

Session 4: Lean supply chains

Hines P., Holweg M., Rich N., (2004),"Learning to evolve: A review of contemporary lean thinking", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 24 Iss 10 pp. 994 - 1011

Session 6: Agile supply chains

Christopher M., Holweg M. (2011) “Supply chain 2.0: managing supply chains in the era of turbulence”, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 63-82

Christopher M., Towill D. (2001) “An integrated model for the design of agile supply chains”, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 31, no.4, pp 253

Van Hoek R., Harrison A., Christopher M. (2001) “Measuring agile capabilities in the supply chain”, International Journal of Operations Management, vol. 21, no. 1, pp.126-47

Session 8: The product variety challenge

Ahlström P., Westbrook R. (1999) “Implications for mass customization for operations management”, International Journal of Operations and Production Management, vol. 19, no.3, 1999, pp 262-275

Gilmore J.H., Pine II B.J. (1997) “The Four Faces of Mass Customization”, Harvard Business Review, Jan – Feb 1997

Harrison A., Skipworth H. (2006) “Implications of form postponement to manufacturing a customized product “, International Journal of Production, vol.44, 2006, issue 8

Pil F., Holweg M. (2004) “Linking product variety to order-fulfilment strategies”, Interfaces, vol.43, no.5, Sep-Oct, pp 394-403

Skipworth H., Harrison A. (2004) “Implications from postponement to manufacturing: A cross case comparison” International Journal of Production Research, vol.42, issue 10, May 2004, pp. 2043-2081

Session 9: The segmentation challenge

Aitken J., Childerhouse P., Christopher M., Towill D. (2005) “Designing and Managing Multiple Pipelines”, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 73-96

Childerhouse P., Aitken J., Towill D. (2002) “Analysis and design of focused demand chains”, Journal of Operations Management, vol.20, no.6, pp. 675-689

Godsell J., Diefenbach T., Clemmow C., Towill D., Christopher M. (2010) “Enabling supply chain segmentation through demand profiling”, International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, vol.41, no. 3, 2011, pp. 296-314

Session 10: The integration challenge

Attaran M., Attaran S. (2007) “Collaborative Supply Chain Management: The most promising practice for building efficient and sustainable supply chains”, Business Process Management Journal, vol. 13, no. 3, May 2007, pp. 390 – 404

Barratt M., Oliveira A. (2001) “Exploring the experiences of collaborative planning initiatives”, International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, vol. 31, issue 4

Frohlich M., Westbrook R. (2001) “Arcs of integration: an international study of supply chain strategies”, Journal of Operations Management, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 185-200

Lambert D., Emmelhainz M., Gardner J. (1996) “Developing and implementing Supply Chain Partnerships”, The international Journal of Logistics management 7(2): 1-18.

Oliva R., Watson N. (2010) “Cross functional planning in supply chain planning: A case study of sales and operations planning”, Journal of Operations Management, 29 (2011), pp. 434-448