SUPPLY CHAIN COMPETITIVENESS

Course Code: MMS 408 Credit Units: 03

Course Objective:
With increasing competition and lesser product differentiation, companies are focusing on supply chain
management to achieve competitive advantage. The course aims to familiarize students of modern systems and
procedures in supply chain management. Also, to develop their closer and better understanding of logistics
activities & their criticality in managing efficient supply chain.

Use of information technology and internet will be highlighted so as to enable students to design supply chain
for competitive advantage. Best practices in Supply Chain Management will be studied across industries with
special focus on retailing sector.

Course Contents:
Module I: Supply Chain – Overview
“Soil-to-dust”Concept of supply chain. Need & importance of integrated supply chain. Building blocks of
supply chain network. , Supplier Network Development, Make-or-buy

Module II: Logistics Management Systems

Concept, Objectives & Scope, The System Elements, International Transportation Issues, Warehousing,
Inventory Management, Packaging and Unitization Issues, Communication and Control, Centralized and
Decentralized Logistic Management, Third Party Logistics (3PL), Multimodal Transport Operator (M.T.O.)
Global Shipping.

Module III: Supply Chain – Management & Function

From domestic to global supply chains, Demand Volatility, Bullwhip Effect, Vertical Integration Issues,
Strategic, Operational & tactical decisions in supply chain management. Integrating the concepts with other
functions of Management

Module IV: Supply Chain Performance & Design

Performance measurement- techniques & tools, Sand Cone Model – importance & implementation. Information
technology in managing supply chain. Issues influencing Supply chain design- logistical, management &
product related, competition & technology related. Supply Chain optimization.

Module V: Best Practices in Supply Chain Management

Benchmarking supply chain management. Manufacturing, warehouse or transportation practices. Technology,
material handling & Outsourcing decisions. Global Standards. Supply Chains in various industries.

Module VI: Retial Supply Chain Management

Challenges faced by Indian retail sector. FMCG & perishible product requirements. VMI, POS & EDI. Cross
docking & warehousing issues. Reefers & the cold chain. Reverse logistics.
Live project to be undertaken starting with conception of idea to final execution.
Case studies
Latest emerging trends and practices.

Examination Scheme:

Components C A CT EE
Weightage (%) 10 5 15 70

Text & References:

• Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning, and Operation: Sunil Chopra and Peter Meindel, Prentice
Hall of India, 2002
• Logistics and Supply Chain Management: G Raghuram, N Rangaraj