Operations Management

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MGMT 10X: SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Course Instructor
Name:
Contact Details:
Office Hours:

Dr. Kamran Ali Chatha

148-A, SDSB, Tel. 3560 8094, Email:
By Appointment

kamranali@lums.edu.pk

Course Description
Course Code:
Quarter:

MGMT 10X
Fall-2010

Total No. of Sessions: 28 (100 minutes each)

Suitability:
Undergraduate 3rd, 4th Year

In todays world of competitiveness supply-chains compete with supply-chains rather than individual
organizations. Individual organizations cannot survive by maximizing their local benefits rather they have
to develop linkages and collaborate with others in order to survive and get a bigger pie of the market
share. Moreover, globalization brings its own challenges and opportunities that impact the performance of
each partner within a supply chain.
In the wake of these challenges, many local and multinational organizations in Pakistan and abroad have
established their own supply chain planning departments. Whether that be manufacturing sector (FMCGs,
Textiles, Engineering goods, Defense etc.), services sector (Financial Services, Retailing, Food Industry
etc.) or social development sector (natural disaster management, social mobilization etc.), the need of
supply chain management has become imperative.
This course introduces necessary concepts in relation to analyzing, designing, and managing supply
chains from three perspectives:
(1) Operations Issues i.e. Demand forecasting, aggregate planning, inventory management, and
enterprise resource planning systems;
(2) Distribution Issues i.e. Distribution strategy, facility location, warehouse management, and
transportation management;
(3) Purchasing Issues i.e. Purchasing management, developing and managing supplier relationships,
third party logistics, and strategic sourcing;
These issues and many more in relation to these will be discussed at length and practical insights will be
developed by analyzing (in-class) a number of Harvard Case-Studies. The treatment of the course is such
that after each major topical issue (described above) a full session will be dedicated to a case study that
will describe the topic in practice and will provide opportunity to discuss problems faced by the casestudy organization in practice.
At the same time students will be involved in a group project. They will take up a supply chain related
problem of an organization, analyze, make models where necessary and recommend solutions in the light
of concepts developed throughout the course. The students will submit their findings in the form of an
oral presentation and a written report at the end of the course 1.

The instructor will decide by the end of the course which projects can potentially be converted into case-studies or
conference papers and may request students to work with him for this purpose in order to realize this conversion.
Stipends will be provided to individual students who decide to work with the instructor for this purpose.
Alternatively, some of these course projects may have the potential to be studied at a length and could make
potential senior projects. If students wish they can pursue this with the instructor.
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Pre-Requisite
It is expected that participants possess basic knowledge of Algebra, Calculus and/or Statistics in order
to develop better understanding of the course.
Grading
Students will be assessed as per following criteria, however, the instructors have the right of 5% reassigning of the criteria:
Class Participation
Quizzes
Assignments /
Written Case Analyses
Group Project
Final Exam

:
:

20%
10%

:
:
:

15%
20%
35%

Written Case Analyses

The course has three written case analyses report requirement. You should form a group of three
students and select any three cases from the list of cases for class discussion. Each group is required to
submit three written reports. Each person in the group should write one case with the others assisting in
the analysis and review of the written report. Identify the writer on each case, along with names of the
other two group members. The choice of group members is up to you.
Each written case must be type written and a maximum of three 1.5 line-spaced pages plus appendices,
charts and graphs. Each written case report will be graded for writing style as well as analysis,
recommendations and conclusions. The written case reports are due in the beginning of the class for
respective case discussion.
Group Project
The course requires you to engage in a project drawn from a company situation. The desire is for you to
attack a supply chain related problem of some kind, for example, demand forecasting, aggregate planning,
or inventory management and resolve it. The project team may consist of three to four people.
The group will deliver the project in both written and oral form. The write-up should target at 20-30
pages in length, 1 line spaced. The write ups are due before the final oral presentation. The oral
presentations will occur during the last two class sessions. The quality of oral and written presentation
besides the content will be a factor in assigning grades. You are encouraged to meet with your
instructor on regular basis (preferably once in a week) in order to conceptualize, model, analyze
and find solution of the supply chain related problem being addressed.
Recommended Books
Following books are recommended for this course however, students are strongly encouraged to consult
any other resources such as: books, journals, magazines, sharing personal experiences to enhance their
learning.

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Text Book:
(1) Bowersox, D.J., Closs, D.J., and Cooper, M.B., 2002, Supply Chain Logistics Management, McGraw
Hill Higher Education, ISBN: 0-07-235100-4.
(2) Wisner, J.D., Leong, G.K., and Tan, K.C., 2005, Principles of Supply Chain Management A
Balanced Approach, Thomson: South-Western Publishing, USA, ISBN-13: 978-0-324-19187-5.
Other Books:
(1) Simchi-Levi, D., Kaminsky, P., and Simchi-Levi, E., 2003, Designing & Managing the Supply Chain
Concepts, Strategies, and Case Studies, 2nd edition, McGrall-Hill Higher Education, USA, ISBN-13:
978-0-07-249256-9.
Detailed Course Outline
S.
Topic
No. (Text / Case Study)
INTRODUCTION
1

Topic: Introduction to Supply Chain

Read: BCC2-Chapter-1: 21st Century Supply Chains

Case: The Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. Supply Management

3
Rooh Afza Games (DOUBLE SESSION)
4
5

Case: Barilla SpA (A)

Read: The Bull Whip Effect in Supply Chains

OPERATIONS ISSUES IN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

6

Topic: Demand Forecasting

Read: WLT3-Chapter-5: Demand Forecasting and Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and
Replenishment

BCC means the book, Bowersox, D.J., Closs, D.J., and Cooper, M.B., 2002, Supply Chain Logistics Management,
McGraw Hill Higher Education, ISBN: 0-07-235100-4.
3
WLT means the book, Wisner, J.D., Leong, G.K., and Tan, K.C., 2005, Principles of Supply Chain Management
A Balanced Approach, Thomson: South-Western Publishing, USA, ISBN-13: 978-0-324-19187-5.
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Case: Supply Chain Management at World Co. Ltd.

Read: Rocket Science Retailing Is Almost HereAre You Ready?

Topic: Aggregate Planning

Read: WLT-Chapter-6: Aggregate Planning and Inventory Management
Case: Holt Renfrew

Topic: Inventory Management in Supply Chains

Read: BCC-Chapter-10: Inventory Management and Strategy

PROJECT PROPOSALS DUE

10

Case: L.L. Bean, Inc.:Item Forecasting and Inventory Management

Read: The Critical-Fractile Method for Inventory Planning

11

Case: Progistix Solutions Inc. Spare Parts Network

Read: An Introduction to Inventory Control and Independent Demand (SKIM)

12

Topic: IT Enabled Based Supply Chain

Read: WLT-Chapter-7: Enterprise Resource Planning Systems

13

Case: DEC: The Endpoint Model

Read: A Note on Manufacturing Resource Planning, MRP II (SKIM)

14

Case: Ford Motor Company: Supply Chain Strategy

Read: The Power of Virtual Integration: An Interview with Dell Computers Michael Dell (SKIM)

DISTRIBUTION ISSUES IN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

15

Topic: Distribution Strategy

Read: BCC-Chapter-4: Market Distribution Strategy

16

Case: Halloran Metals

17

Case: Merloni Elettrodomestici SpA: The Transit Point Experiment

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Topic: Planning for Facility Locations

Read: (1) WLT-Chapter-11: Facility Location Decisions
(2) BCC-Chapter-13: Warehousing (SKIM)

19

Case: Plaza, the Logistics Park of Zaragoza

20

Case: Velky Potraviny Prague

Read: BCC-Chapter-13: Warehousing (SKIM)

21

Topic: Transportation Management

Read: (1) BCC-Chapter-12: Transportation Management

22

Case: Exel plc--Supply Chain Management at Haus Mart

PURCHASING ISSUES IN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

23

Topic: Procurement-1
Read: (1) WLT-Chapter-2: Purchasing Management
(2) WLT-Chapter-3: Creating & Managing Supplier Relationships

24

Topic: Procurement-1
Read: (1) WLT-Chapter-3: Creating & Managing Supplier Relationships (continued)
(2) WLT-Chapter-4: Strategic Sourcing for Successful Supply Chain Management

25

Case: Freqon--Buyer-Supplier Evolution?

26

Case: Li & Fung (Trading) Ltd.

PROJECT REPORTS DUE

27

Project Presentations

28

Project Presentations

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