Excellence in Supply Chain Management

Do you need to connect supply chain design with supply chain management and logistics? Do you face the challenges in international distribution with confidence? Are you looking to master supply chain management?

If you are looking for a comprehensive education in the most current topics in Supply Chain Management, this programme will help you acquire the knowledge, insights and skills.

Why This Programme?

What is the added value of following the 'Excellence in Supply Chain Management' programme?

You will:

• gain insight into the strategic role of the supply chain manager
• develop a supply chain strategy, including views from purchasing, production, operations, distribution & warehousing, marketing & sales
• understand the supply chain dynamics and learn how to manage and mitigate risk
• hold the instruments to redesign or dramatically improve your supply chain
• learn from practical business cases, top-notch faculty and guest speakers

Your company will:

• create a competitive advantage through improving your supply chains
• understand the impact of improved supply chain performance on the overall profitability of the business
• identify, analyse, manage and mitigate risks related to supply chain practices
• position supply chain as a cross-functional theme and reap the benefits from supply chain integration with finance, marketing, sales, operations…
• engage with customers and suppliers on sustainability

Detailed Programme

The programme ‘Excellence in Supply Chain Management’ comprises 4 modules:

Module 1: Strategy and planning for an effective supply chain

As globalisation and competition amongst suppliers increases, the spotlight on supply chain management is shining like never before. This module will show you how to turn your organisation’s strategy into an effective supply chain design. You’ll be guided through a business simulation to introduce the dynamics of supply chains and gain insights into the strategic role of the supply chain manager. We’ll investigate inventory management and integrated supply chain planning, covering multi-echelon safety stock optimisation, forecasting techniques and capacity planning.

Understanding supply chain dynamics

Using your supply chain to create a competitive advantage

Supply chain segmentation

• Aligning the supply chain to your customer segments
• Designing efficient, flexible and adaptable supply chains

Planning and managing inventories in a supply chain

• Balancing inventory costs and customer service
• Benefits and risks of inventory pooling
• Managing uncertainty: securing your safety stock in a multi-echelon system

Integrated supply chain planning

• Gaining practical knowledge of demand planning, forecasting and inventory optimisation tools and techniques
• Understanding the value of data analytics in the supply chain
• Matching supply and demand

Module 2: Structuring the global supply chain

You as a supplier – how does your organisation fit in the chain? We’ll discuss supply chains from the perspectives of distribution, global network design, contract management and the use of technologies in the total supply chain. You’ll identify challenges in international distribution and understand and analyse the cost of distribution. We’ll explore outsourcing and service contracts in the context of international supply chain collaborations - applications include service level agreements, gain sharing mechanisms, global partnerships and alliances.

Developing a strategy for distribution logistics

• Identifying challenges in international distribution
• Learning the strengths and weaknesses of different network designs
• Understanding and analysing the cost of distribution for the purpose of distribution network decision-making

Global integration and local responsiveness

• Decision-making in international manufacturing
• Recognising the strategic role of the plant and identify potential lead plants
• Using value-adding technology in the supply chain

Service level agreements (SLAs) for outsourced services

• The benefits and drawbacks of outsourcing in a supply chain
• Learning the principles of ‘intelligent’ SLAs
• Increasing value by applying gain sharing principles

Module 3: Managing cross-functional supply chains

This module focuses on collaborating with areas like sales, marketing and finance – and how to use collaboration into a competitive advantage. First you’ll learn what effective sales and operations planning is and how it links to revenue management and performance management. Then we’ll explore the impact of supply chain management on cost control and financial performance, addressing topics such as cost-to-serve, working capital reduction and cash management. Finally we’ll discuss the supply chain organisation model and the roles and responsibilities of a supply chain department and a supply chain manager.

Integrated sales and operations planning (S&OP)

• Synchronising forecasted demand with supply resources
• S&OP as a mechanism for communication and collaboration across functions
• Applying revenue management methods to increase supply chain profits
• Defining relevant S&OP performance indicators

Understanding supply chain cost and financial performance

• Understand the impact supply chain management can have on financial performance
• Identify the drivers of cost in the supply chain
• Carry out a cost-to-serve analysis
• Recognise the mechanics and various accounts that make up a firm’s balance sheet
• Learn how to manage the various trade-offs that firms face when dealing with working capital

Organising for supply chain management

• Understand your organisation’s supply chain maturity
• Learn the roles and responsibilities of the supply chain manager
• Identify the best design for supply chain excellence

Module 4: Managing agile and sustainable supply chains

We’ll provide hands-on insight into how to identify and analyse supply chain risks. You’ll learn how to build resilience into your supply chain through reviewing global sourcing options and mass customisation. As a result you’ll be able to mitigate uncertainty and generate higher margins. The second part of this module will show you how to orchestrate supply chain sustainability. You’ll learn key sustainability principles and know how to implement them in your firm and extended network.

Understand and manage global supply chain complexity and risk

• Understand the challenges of global sourcing
• Use total landed cost to identify the most cost-effective global networks
• Learn how to identify, analyse, manage and mitigate risks in the supply chain
• Explore and apply simulation techniques for risk related decision-making
• Highlight capabilities that allow a firm to anticipate and overcome disruptions
• Learn how mass customisation strategy helps companies achieve higher levels of flexibility and lower costs

Supply chain sustainability

• Learn how to create and protect long-term environmental, social and economic value for all stakeholders and understand the principles of sustainability
• Build a business case for supply chain sustainability
• Master practical tools to engage with suppliers on sustainability