Module Guide
Faculty
Commerce and Law
Module Code
COBUA3
Module Name
NQF Level
7
Credit Value
15
Block
2 2022
Year Level
3
Module Leader
Juan Haasbroek
Copy Editor
N/A
Notional Hours
150
Prerequisites/
Corequisites
Business Management
3A
N/A
The module guide must be read in conjunction with the myLMS page and prescribed textbook.
This document will be the first port of call to understanding what will be assessed and which
assessments form part of the module.
The purpose of the module guide is to highlight:
• The learning outcomes and assessment criteria that need to be met to pass the module
• The assessments required to be completed for the module
• The additional resources required for the module
• The topics that will be focused on for the module
Module Aim
The aim of this module is to provide students with an understanding of operations management –
particularly in the manufacturing environment – and the management of the supply chain.
Module Description
The two major focus areas in Business Management 3A are operations management – in a
typical manufacturing enterprise – and the management of business logistics from a supply-chain
perspective. Supply chain management (SCM) is an essential element in the operational
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Eduvos (Pty) Ltd (formerly Pearson Institute of Higher Education) is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private
higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, 101, of 1997. Registration Certificate number: 2001/HE07/008
efficiency of modern business, on a national as well as an international (global) level, and it can
be applied to customer satisfaction and company success. This module provides the student with
an understanding of operations and logistics in the business environment and prepares them for
employment and supervisory positions in operations and supply chain management.
Operations management refers to the process whereby a company or an organisation converts
raw materials, labour, and capital into a final product or service. Irrespective of the operation,
management is required to plan and to make decisions to establish work schedules for
employees, forecast demand for products and services, improve and maintain quality, ensure
adequate inventory, transport and store products and materials, and order materials and parts.
All of these require operational decisions that can be made by using the managerial techniques
and applying the information conveyed in this module. The management of operations needs to
be integrated with that of other business functions such as finances, marketing, human resource
management (HRM), and information technology (IT). The interrelationships between operations
management and other business functions is a key success factor in business enterprises.
Supply chain management involves the active management of material, information flow, and
activities in supply-chain activities to provide the highest degree of customer satisfaction at the
lowest possible cost, and to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. Managing the supply
chain of a business enterprise is also an important support function in pursuit of the successful
implementation of the business model and business plans.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
Learning Outcomes
Assessment Criteria
1.1 Explore the interrelationship between the business
1. Analyse the interrelationship
of business processes in
delivering outcomes based on
business goals to improve
organisational performance.
and the processes and functions of the operations
and the supply chain.
1.2 Critically evaluate the link between operations,
supply chain management, and strategic planning.
Blended learning activity
Class discussion –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi1QBxVjZAw
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2.1 Interpret the role of methodologies used to map
2. Critically evaluate operations
processes to organisational goals and objectives.
management and process
2.2 Evaluate business process performance.
performance within an
2.3 Analyse and discuss quality and capacity standards.
organisation.
Blended learning activity:
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7g8vWv11Vk
3.1 Relate supply chain management to sourcing
processes and procurement.
3.2 Analyse the logistics of the organisation.
3. Assess the nature of supply
chain management, logistics,
planning and forecasting
within an organisation.
3.3 Assess the use of forecasting in controlling the
supply chain.
3.4 Evaluate the integration of sales, operations
planning and supply chain management.
Blended learning activity:
Class discussion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj8AFU3Wx9g
4.1 Clarify inventory management throughout the supply
chain.
4.2 Explore production management processes across
4. Apply supply-chain tools and
methods.
the supply chain.
4.3 Evaluate information management systems and
logistics network design.
Blended learning activity:
Class discussion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAUXHJBB5CM
myLMS Module Page
This myLMS page is built to ensure that you receive guidance on how to approach your module
and it includes documentation to assist you in succeeding. You will be required to engage daily
with all the material on your myLMS page to enable you to pass the module. It is important that
you utilise the following resources available on your myLMS module page:
• Module guide
• Module lessons
• Blended learning activities
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• Assessments
• Important notifications from your lecturer
• Module announcements (discussion forums)
• Links to lectures, lecture recordings and prescribed videos (where applicable)
Additional academic documents can be found on the myDocuments myLMS page.
Prescribed Resources
Textbook
Bozarth, C. C. and Handfield, R. B. 2016. Introduction to Operations and Supply-Chain
Management. 5th ed. Boston: Pearson. ISBN: 9781292291581
Videos
Video 1:
YouTube. 2018. Module 1: What is Supply Chain Management? [Online] Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi1QBxVjZAw [19 October 2020]
Video 2:
TED Talks. 2016. The next manufacturing revolution is here. [Online] Available at:
https://www.ted.com/talks/olivier_scalabre_the_next_manufacturing_revolution_is_here.
[Accessed: 13 October 2020]
Video 3:
Lean Ohio. 2018. Process Mapping. [Online] Available
at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7g8vWv11Vk [Accessed: 13 October 2020]
Video 4:
Supply Chain Academy. 2016. S & OP – Demand Planning. [Online] Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj8AFU3Wx9g [Accessed: 13 October 2020]
Video 5:
Berman, A. 2016. JIT Production. [Online] Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAUXHJBB5CM [Accessed: 13 October 2020]
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Recommended Resources
Take note that all disciplines and their corresponding textbooks are frequently updated.
Therefore, you should use the latest editions, where available. Recommended resources should
be used for research purposes. There is a range of resources related to this module, including
the following:
Textbooks
Blanchard, D. 2010. Supply-Chain Best Practices. 2nd ed. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons Inc. Lu,
D. 2014. Fundamentals of Supply-Chain Management. [E-book] Available at:
https://bookboon.com/en/fundamentals-of-supply-chain-management-ebook
Porter, A. 2013. Operations Management. [E-book] Available at:
http://bookboon.com/en/operations-management-ebook
Online Document
Murrey, M. 2013. Total Quality Management (TQM). [Online] Available at:
http://logistics.about.com/od/qualityinthesupplychain/a/TQM.htm [Accessed: 17 October 2020]
Online Journal Articles
Agigi, A., Niemann, W., & Kotzé, T. 2016. Supply-Chain Design Approaches for Supply-Chain
Resilience: A Qualitative Study of South African Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Grocery
Manufacturers. Journal of Transport and Supply-Chain Management, 10(1). [Online] Available at:
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1896105431/59A8673DDF114F09PQ/8?accountid=188233
[Accessed: 17 October 2020]
Manuj, I. & Sahin, F. 2011. A Model of Supply Chain and Supply Chain Decision-Making
Complexity. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 41(5), pp. 511
– 549. [Online] Available at:
https://search.proquest.com/citedreferences/MSTAR_872334388/59A8673DDF114F09PQ/4?acc
ountid=188233 [Accessed: 17 October 2020]
Mellat-Parast, M. 2013. Supply Chain Quality Management. The International Journal of Quality
& Reliability Management, 30(5), pp. 511 – 529. [Online] Available at:
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1354457460/59A8673DDF114F09PQ/9?accountid=188233
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[Accessed: 17 October 2020]
Websites
Web pages provide access to a further range of internet information sources. Lecturers may
download the web-related material for you to access offline. You must use this resource with
care, justifying the use of information gathered.
The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport South Africa (CILTSA). 2014. [Online] Available
at: http://www.ciltsa.org.za/ [Accessed: 19 October 2020]
CSCMP (Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals): Educating and Connecting the
World’s Supply Chain Professionals. 2014. [Online] Available at: http://cscmp.org/ [Accessed: 19
October 2020]
The Logistics and Supply Chain Management Society. 2014. [Online] Available at:
http://lscms.org/ [Accessed: 19 October 2020]
Supporting Document
Geyer, L., Levin, A., Makati, P., Pierce, R., Potter, M., and Wheeler, A. 2019. Eduvos Guide to
Referencing (Harvard Referencing Method). Unpublished document. Eduvos.
Essential Requirements
• Access to the institution’s Learning Management Systems (myLMS) to access all study
material.
• Access to Microsoft Teams to attend online lectures and consultations.
• Access to a resource centre or an online library with a wide range of relevant resources
including textbooks, newspaper articles, journal articles, organisational publications, and
databases.
• Access to a range of academic journals in electronic format via ProQuest or other databases.
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Time Allocation Guideline: Full Time
Week 0
Lectures
No classes
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
5hrs
5hrs
5hrs
5hrs
5hrs
5hrs
5hrs
5hrs
5hrs
5hrs
5hrs
5hrs
5hrs
5hrs
14hrs
14hrs
14hrs
14hrs
14hrs
4hrs
3hrs
3hrs
14hrs
13hrs
3hrs
Practicals/Tutorials
myLMS Lessons
No classes
and Activities
Formative
No classes
Assessments1
Summative
No classes
Assessments2
Total
-
24hrs
24hrs
24hrs
24hrs
24hrs
Overall Total
150 Hours
Time Allocation Guideline: Part Time
Week 0
Lectures
No classes
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
1hr
3hrs
3hrs
3hrs
3hrs
3hrs
5hrs
9hrs
7hrs
7hrs
7hrs
7hrs
7hrs
5hrs
14hrs
14hrs
14hrs
14hrs
14hrs
4hrs
3hrs
3hrs
14hrs
13hrs
3hrs
Practicals/Tutorials
myLMS Lessons
No classes
and Activities
Formative
No classes
3
Assessments
Summative
No classes
4
Assessments
Total
-
24hrs
24hrs
24hrs
Overall Total
24hrs
24hrs
150 Hours
Assessment
Assessments will take place continually during the block(s) to evaluate your progress throughout
the module.
Continuous assessment = Lecturer assessment (set by lecturer) + Formative assessment (set
nationally) + Summative assessment (set nationally)
All assessments (except lecturer assessments, those set by your lecturer) must be submitted
through Turnitin, on the assessment tile, within your myLMS module page. Assessments must
not be submitted via Turnitin on the campus page(s).
1
This time includes preparation time and assessment time.
This time includes preparation time and assessment time.
3 This time includes preparation time and assessment time.
4 This time includes preparation time and assessment time.
2
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You may be required to complete some assessments online on myLMS. The following guidelines
may apply:
• You may be required to write an online assessment directly on myLMS. You will need to log in
at a specified time to attempt the assessment. Once the allocated time expires, the
assessment will no longer be available to complete.
• Time limits should be checked before commencing assessments. Refer to the Details of
Assessments table in this module guide.
• Ensure that your internet connection is stable.
• In some cases, assessments will not be available indefinitely and will be available for only a
day or two.
• The marks for some assessments may only be available after all students have attempted the
assessment after the assessment due date.
It is the students’ responsibility to retrieve their assessment feedback and verify their marks on
the day they are released. No adjustment of marks will be entertained beyond one week after
marks were released.
Formative Assessment
Lecturer Assessments
Lecturer assessments are conducted so that you are given feedback on your progress in the
achievement of specific learning outcomes. These assessment tasks may take the form of one of
the following:
• A five-item multiple-choice test
• A short-questions test
• Construction of concept maps
• Take-home tests with long questions
• Short practical tasks
• Short class presentations
Assignment
There will be 1 formative assessment for this block. This assessment is an individual assignment.
The assignment will contribute 30% towards the final mark. There will not be a deferred
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opportunity. Refer to the Details of Assessments table for dates and times of release and
submission.
Assignments or projects must be submitted on or before the due date to the lecturer as per
arrangement (or as otherwise stipulated). Five percent (5%) will be deducted for every day that
the assignment is late, up to a maximum of three days. Assignments that are more than three
days late will be awarded a zero.
If an assessment is missed because of illness, a doctor’s note must be presented within 3
calendar days of the missed assessment to the academic admin manager/administrator/
coordinator.
To make up for this missed assessment, you may be able to attempt a deferred assessment.
However, in order to gain entry to this assessment, you will have to follow various procedures
and meet certain criteria. You must complete a Deferred Assessment Application Form available
on myLMS. You will be required to pay a non-refundable fee per application. Each assessment
missed requires a separate application. This will be your only opportunity to make up for a
missed assessment.
This assessment is available for attempt on campus in an invigilated venue using the campus
resources or remotely using your personal resources with the Respondus proctoring software.
This proctoring software is designed to identify irregularities, such as not remaining seated during
the assessment or communicating with someone, which may result in disciplinary action being
taken against you.
Should you choose to attempt the assessment remotely, you will require the following resources
and are responsible to ensure that they are in good working order:
1.
Hardware: Computer with a functional webcam and microphone.
2.
Software: Windows 10 and Google Chrome. Where proctoring software is required for the
assessment, it will be provided to you by Eduvos to download and install (Administrator
rights on the device will be required).
3.
Internet: Stable internet connection with a minimum bandwidth of 10Mbps.
4.
Power supply: Adequate power supply for the duration of the assessment.
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Once you click on the “Start attempt” button, the Respondus proctoring software will be launched
and the video feed from your webcam and audio feed from your microphone will be recorded.
Once you have clicked on the “Submit all and finish” button, the recording will stop.
These recordings will be accessible to the Eduvos National Assessment Office and the software
provider, who has entered into a data protection agreement with Eduvos to ensure the safety and
security of the recordings and their use.
Students need to take note that the assessment has the above-mentioned time limit and no extra
time will be awarded. Once the assessment time limit has been reached, all questions that have
been answered will be submitted automatically for grading.
There shall be only one attempt for the scheduled online assessments. Additional attempts of the
assessment will not be afforded to students for the failure of personal resources.
Summative Assessment
Summative assessments quantify students’ understanding of the module as a whole and identify
students who have not yet mastered the module content and need further intervention.
A summative assessment schedule will be released to students on myLMS with their timetabled
assessment dates before Week 5 of each block. This schedule will be made available on the
MyDocuments page on myLMS.
The pass mark for a summative assessment is 50%. In order to pass the module, a subminimum mark of 40% or higher is required for the summative assessment and a final average of
50% or higher is required for the entire module.
Initial Summative Assessment (Exam/Online Assessment)
For Full-time Students
This assessment is an individual assessment. The assessment will be a proctored examination,
written remotely. using your personal resources with the Respondus proctoring software. This
proctoring software is designed to identify irregularities, such as not remaining seated during the
assessment or communicating with someone, which may result in disciplinary action being taken
against you. This assessment will contribute 60% towards the final mark. There will be a deferred
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opportunity. Refer to the Details of Assessments table for dates and times of release and
submission.
For Part-time Students
This assessment is an individual assessment. The assessment will be an online examination.
This assessment is available for attempt on campus in an invigilated venue using the campus
resources or remotely using your personal resources with the Respondus proctoring software.
This proctoring software is designed to identify irregularities, such as not remaining seated during
the assessment or communicating with someone, which may result in disciplinary action being
taken against you.
Should you choose to attempt the assessment remotely, you will require the following resources
and are responsible to ensure that they are in good working order:
1.
Hardware: Computer with a functional webcam and microphone.
2.
Software: Windows 10 and Google Chrome. Where proctoring software is required for the
assessment, it will be provided to you by Eduvos to download and install (Administrator
rights on the device will be required).
3.
Internet: Stable internet connection with a minimum bandwidth of 10Mbps.
4.
Power supply: Adequate power supply for the duration of the assessment.
Once you click on the “Start attempt” button, the Respondus proctoring software will be launched
and the video feed from your webcam and audio feed from your microphone will be recorded.
Once you have clicked on the “Submit all and finish” button, the recording will stop.
These recordings will be accessible to the Eduvos National Assessment Office and the software
provider, who has entered into a data protection agreement with Eduvos to ensure the safety and
security of the recordings and their use.
Students need to take note that the assessment has the above-mentioned time limit, and no
extra time will be awarded. Once the assessment time limit has been reached, all questions that
have been answered will be submitted automatically for grading.
There shall be only one attempt for the scheduled online assessments. Additional attempts of the
assessment will not be afforded to students for the failure of personal resources.
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The summative assessment will have a sub-minimum requirement of at least 40%. A
supplementary opportunity, which will cover the entire module’s content, may be available for
students who fail the summative assessment(s) (refer to the Details of Assessments table). This
will be scheduled in the allocated weeks, as per the academic year calendar, and may take the
form of a re-submission opportunity dependent on the type of summative assessment.
To make up for a missed summative assessment, you may be able to attempt a deferred
summative assessment. This is dependent on your circumstance that affected your ability to
attempt the original assessment. However, to qualify for the deferred assessment, you will have
to follow various procedures and meet certain criteria. You must complete a Deferred
Assessment Application Form available on myLMS, and you will be required to pay a nonrefundable fee per application. The deferred summative assessment will be attempted at the
same time as the supplementary summative assessment and will cover the entire module's
content. A student who has been granted a deferred assessment and who does not present
themself, or fails the assessment, will not be permitted a supplementary opportunity, and will
need to re-attempt the module as stipulated in the Conditions of Enrolment.
Plagiarism
All assignments and reports must be submitted to the online similarity checker (Turnitin) available
on myLMS prior to being submitted for marking. When submitting your assignment/report, it is
compulsory to submit the entire Turnitin report. Marks will be deducted in accordance with the
institutional policy.
Also, when submitting assessments, you should include the applicable completed and signed
assessment coversheet as an acknowledgement that the work submitted is your own original
work, except for source material explicitly acknowledged. This declaration will serve as proof that
you are aware of the Institution’s policies and regulations on academic integrity.
Final Mark
In order to pass the module a final average of 50% or higher is required for the entire module.
The final mark is calculated as follows:
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Final Mark [(Lecturer Assessment percentage × 0.10) + (Formative Assessment × 0.30) +
(Summative Assessment 1 percentage × 0.60)]
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Details of Assessments
Assessment
Lecturer Assessment
Formative Assessment
(covers Weeks 1 – 5)
Assessment
Method
Determined by
lecturer
Assignment
Weighting
10%
30%
Lecture Week
Determined by
lecturer
Week 6
Deferred Formative Assessment (if
applicable)
Sub-Minimum
Requirement
Not applicable
Not applicable
Release Date
Release Time
Submission
Submission
Date
Time
Duration
Determined by
Determined by
Determined by
Determined by
Determined by
lecturer
lecturer
lecturer
lecturer
lecturer
16/05/202
08:00
24/06/2022
23:59
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
As per
As per
As per
As per
summative
summative
summative
summative
assessment
assessment
assessment
assessment
schedule
schedule
schedule
schedule
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
(covers Weeks [x] – [x])
TOTAL WEIGHT OF FORMATIVE
0%
ASSESSMENTS
40%
Summative Assessment (covers all
Proctored
Learning Outcomes)
Examination
Supplementary/Deferred Summative
Assessment (covers all Learning
Outcomes)
TOTAL WEIGHT OF SUMMATIVE
ASSESSMENTS
TOTAL WEIGHT
60%
Week 8
40%
Proctored
Examination
60%
As per
As per
As per
As per
As per module
summative
summative
summative
summative
content table
assessment
assessment
assessment
assessment
schedule
schedule
schedule
schedule
60%
100%
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Compiling a Portfolio of Evidence
You must demonstrate, through the presentation of evidence, that you have met all module
requirements within the qualification being undertaken. To do this, you must organise your
evidence into what is known as a ‘portfolio’.
A portfolio will take time and effort to complete. It is a means of focusing and demonstrating to
others your strengths and achievements. A portfolio is an important resource that you may find
useful to retain once you have achieved your qualification, particularly when applying for future
positions.
You are encouraged to read more about building a portfolio and to begin populating your
evidence to illustrate your full skill set to future employers.
Consultations
Lecturers will be available for consultation. Specific details in this regard will be made available
on your campus specific myLMS pages. You must give lecturers 24 hours’ notice for
appointments. Consultation meetings can be requested via email. It is important that you detail
the requirements (chapter, section, etc.) for your consultation.
Module Content
You are required to attend all lessons. In addition, exercises and activities, which are supplied by
lecturers, are compulsory.
Block 2
Lecture
Topics and Assessment
Weeks
Criteria Covered
Assessments
References
0
09/05/2022 –
No classes
13/05/2022
1
16/05/2022 –
20/05/2022
Introduction to operations
and supply chain
management
AC: 1
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Chapter 1
Sections 1.1 – 1.2
Chapter 2
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Sections 2.1 – 2.3
Operations and supply
• Appendix A
chain strategies
AC: 1.1 & 1.2
2
Chapter 4
Sections 4.1 – 4.4
Business Processes
AC: 2.1 & 2.2
23/05/2022 –
27/05/2022
Chapter 5
Managing Quality
AC: 2.3
• Sections 5.1 – 5.3
• Section 5.4 (only the theory)
Chapter 6
3
Managing Capacity
AC: 2.3
• Sections 6.1 – 6.4
Supply Management
AC: 3.1
Chapter 7
• Only theory for all sections
30/05/2022 –
03/06/2022
• Sections 7.1 – 7.3
• Only theory for all sections
Chapter 8
• Sections 8.1 – 8.2
4
06/06/2022 –
Logistics
AC: 3.2
• All calculations for all sections
Sections 8.2 – 8.4
10/06/2022
• All calculations for all sections
Chapter 9
Forecasting
AC: 3.3
• Section 9.1 – 9.5
• All calculations for all sections
5
13/06/2022 –
17/06/2022
6
20/06/2022 –
24/06/2022
Sales and Operations
Planning (Aggregate
Planning)
AC: 3.4
Managing Inventory
throughout the supply
chain
AC: 4.1
Chapter 10
• Sections 10.1 – 10.3
• Section 10.5
• Only theory for all sections
Chapter 11
• Sections 11.1 – 11.3
• Exclude Quantity Discounts
Assignment
Managing production
across the supply chain
AC: 4.2
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Chapter 12
• Sections 12.1 – 12.2
• Only theory for all sections
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JIT / Lean Production AC:
7
4.2
• (Only theory for all sections)
27/06/2022 –
01/07/2022
Chapter 13
Section 13.1 – 13.4
Supply Chain Information
systems
AC: 4.3
Chapter 12S
Section 12S1 – 12S3
8
04/07/2022 –
Summative Assessment
08/07/2022
21/07/2022 –
27/07/2022
25/07/2022
Supplementary/Deferred Summative Assessment
Block 3 Teaching Period Continues
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Appendix A
This appendix should be referred to when studying the content and the assessment criteria for
the week(s) listed below.
Module Code
COBUA3
Week
1
L01 – Analyse the interrelationship of business processes in
Learning Outcome
delivering outcomes based on business goals to improve
organisational performance.
Assessment Criteria
1.1 Explore the interrelationship between the business and the
processes and functions of the operations and the supply chain.
Introduction
Today, we find ourselves at the very pinnacle of high-tech advancement, with sophisticated and
highly advanced technological systems and devices making their way into many aspects of our
daily lives. The business world is of course no exception to this and there is a belief that we are
now entering a ‘fourth industrial revolution’ stemming from this advancement – which is in-turn
impacting on many different business areas. One such area is the supply chains and logistics
operations many businesses use, which may soon become faster and more effective. However,
there could also be knock-on effects for those businesses out there who are struggling to keep
up.
What is the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’?
The ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ is described by the World Economic Forum as ‘a technological
revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work and relate to one another’. It goes
on to explain how this will build on the ‘Third Revolution’ which is the ‘digital revolution that has
been occurring since the middle of last century’ and will be characterised by a ‘fusion of
technologies…blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological spheres’. While
there’s an argument here that this may just seem like an extension of the Third Revolution, the
post debunks this by claiming that the ‘unprecedented’, ‘exponential’ growth of technological
advancement is ‘disrupting almost every industry in the country’. This is different to the typically
‘linear’ growth seen in the Third Revolution. A key example of this is how we are now instantly
connected to billions of others around the world at the push of a button on a device. Equally,
significant advancements in autonomous machines, robotics and even A.I. are regularly being
announced and rolled-out.
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Examples within Supply and Logistics
Looking into supply and logistics, there are also examples of this. Already there are faster
deliveries within specific timeframes that can be ordered from anywhere with internet access. In
addition, we’ve seen trials with drones and autonomous vehicles for the transportation of goods.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution will see a ‘supply-side miracle’ as transportation becomes even
faster and more efficient through these developing technologies. They also claim that ‘costs will
drop’ and this could ‘open new markets and drive economic growth’.
The Impacts on Supply and Logistics
If these forecasts are to be believed, for a business that either works in logistics, or which relies
on a supply chain, the impacts of this could be both rewarding and concerning. Naturally, the
positives of more effective and productive supply and logistics could help many companies to
achieve greater success. However, the automation of more systems could lead to cuts in
personnel, but also may lead to increased consumer expectations that might not be achievable
for all businesses - particularly those with tighter budgets.
Further Actions for Businesses
A final consideration for such businesses then would be to keep abreast of the latest
developments and to seek as much business advice and guidance as possible, to keep their
respective companies in-line with the modern customer and the markets. This way they can
gradually adapt to the major changes the Fourth Industrial Revolution is predicted to bring, rather
than finding themselves caught-out when it’s too late.
Barlow, B. (2017). [Online]. Available at: https://ciltuk.org.uk/News/LatestNews/ArtMID/6887/ArticleID/13510/How-might-the- ‘Fourth- Industrial-Revolution’-affect-supplyand-logistics [Accessed: 19 October 2020]
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