• Comprehend and appraise the key concepts and principles of Operations and Supply Chain Management,
• Critique the application of OM and SCM concepts in a variety of circumstances,
• Develop the capabilities to integrate OM and SCM concepts into their own and other business contexts,
• Reflect upon the role of OM and SCM in their organisations and other business contexts.

Supply chain management is concerned with ‘themanagement of upstream and downstream relationships with suppliers and customers in order to create enhanced value in the final market place at less cost to the supply chain as a whole’ (Christopher). Consequently, a key objective of this module is to explore the concepts and principles that companies exploit to gain competitive advantage through their supply chain operations.

Moreover, with the emergence of globalisation, international supply chain management has become recognised as a major factor in the performance and competitiveness of organisations.  Where an organisation deals with physical products their logistics costs can range from between 3 and 25% of the sales price. Often, supply chains are complex entities, comprising products & services, customers, physical logistics, suppliers, etc, that need to be managed and co-ordinated in an integrated way.  The module will provide delegates with a structured approach to Integrated Business Management (IBM).

The course will also have resonance with those students from a service background, as many of the concepts discussed will be applicable in service contexts.  More specifically, the course will provide tools and techniques for improving the performance of operations which can equally be applied to both physical and service operations. 

Finally, sustainability and corporate responsibility are emerging as important supply chain considerations.  This is especially the case when considering outsourcing and offshoring.  The module will consider a range of environmental and social/ethical issues relating to supply chain management.