Department of Management Sciences
COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Title:
Course Code:
Class Location:
Logistics and Supply Chain Analysis
MS3122 2005/06B
Lecture/Tutorial – Monday 5:30 - 8:20pm @CYC CY-2250
Lecturer/Tutor:
Dr. Gang HAO
Office: Rm. P7611
Tel:
2788-8403
Fax:
2788-8560
E-mail: MSGHAO@cityu.edu.hk
Miss YAU, Psyche Y P
Office: Rm. P7531
Tel:
2788-9302
E-mail: mspsyche@cityu.edu.hk
Course TA:
Course description
This course is particularly designed for the BBAMS major students. In addition to the introduction of the
basic concepts involved in various logistics and supply chain activities, such as transportation, inventory,
facility location, order processing, procurement, warehousing, material handling, and network
coordination, etc., the course will focus on studying the methods, the techniques and the principles for
effectively designing, planning, and operating of business logistics and supply chains. We will discuss
and explore how to apply the analytical methods or management science tools that the MS major
students learnt from their major curriculum, to support and improve logistics and supply chain decisions.
The course also provides students with knowledge on the practice and perspectives of Hong Kong
logistics industry. The field of logistics and supply chain management today represents a great
challenge as well as a source of competitive advantages and tremendous opportunities for most
companies and Hong Kong as a whole. This course intends to enhance the competence of the MS
major students into the areas of logistics and supply chain management so to catch up the fast growing
challenges and opportunities in today’s marketplace.
Course Aims:
 To provide students with the key concepts and basic knowledge on business logistic and supply
chain operations
 To introduce to students with the basic principles, approaches and tools in using data, models and
information technology to support practical logistics and supply chain decision-making
 To develop students’ skills and hands-on experiences in analyzing and solving real-world logistic and
supply chain managerial problems
 To expose students to the local and the best practices of logistics industry
Intended Learning Outcomes:
On completion of the Course, students will be able to
 Explain basic concepts and operations in key logistic and supply chain functions, including
distribution network, facilities, inventory, sourcing, transportation, information, and price and revenue
management, etc.
 Demonstrate basic knowledge in the local and the industrial best practices in logistics and supply
chain management
 Employ some basic management science tools of data analysis, modelling and information
technologies to solve and to analyze real logistics and supply chain planning and decision-making
problems
 Examine and evaluate the performance of some simple logistics and supply chain systems
 Interpret and communicate the analytical results and solutions to non-quantitative managers and
practitioners
Text Books
Supply Chain Management – Strategy, Planning and Operation (2nd Ed.)
by Sunil Chopra and Peter Meindl 2004, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-121745-3
References:
Web sites:
(1)
Text Web Site: http//www.prenhall.com/chopra
-- which provides various learning resources related to the text content including on-line
exercises, e-learning stuffs and word files for some special topics.
(2)
The Course Web: http://fbstaff.cityu.edu.hk/msghao/ms3122_05b
(Username: ms3122g, Password: student3122),
which provides the updated course plan, lecture notes, supplemental reading materials,
and many others. Please regularly log on the site to check the updated course schedule
and download the materials for your study. You are required to download the lecture
notes from the web yourself in advance for each lecture.
In above course web, you will also find updated information regarding to local logistics industry and
many useful links to other important logistics related sites, such as
Hong Kong Logistics Association: http://www.hkla.org.hk
Council of Logistics Management:
http://www.clm1.org
Lgt Management & Distribution Report: http://www.manufacturing.net/magazine/logistic/
Logistics World:
http://www.logisticsworld.com/
Logistics/Supply Chain website: http://logistics.about.com/industry/logistics/
INFORMS (Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences):
http:www.informs.org/
…… (and many more)
You are encouraged visit those sites from time to time so you can gain a broad and true view
about the logistics industry.
Reference Books:
(3)
Modelling the Supply Chain - by Jeremy F Shapiro 2001 Wadsworth Group, Thomson
Learning Inc. ISBN 0-534-37363-1
(4)
Supply Chain Logistics Management – by Bowersox, Closs and Cooper 2002 McGraw-Hill
Co. Inc. ISBN 0-07-112306-7
(5)
Business Logistics Management (5th ed.)
by Ronald H. Ballou, 2004, Prentice Hall
Course Assessment:
Examination (60%):
Coursework (40%):
One 3-hour examination ( -- close-book/notes, one information page in A-4 size
is allowed)
Regular exercise and case assignments – 35%
Individual class/tutorial performance/participation – 5%
Course requirements
(1)
Class attendance and participation (5%)
As the subject and the textbook covers a wide range of concepts and issues, the lectures cannot not
cover and repeat every single detail from the text. The lectures aim to highlight the key points/concepts
and enrich the text materials with industrial practices and new developments. Therefore, it is absolutely
important to attend each class/tutorial and take them seriously. Your individual participation and
performance in the class will be marked and accounted as 5% towards your final grade.
(2)
Reading
Each lecture has an assigned set of readings, which is substantial for understanding of the subjects.
You are required to carefully read through the assigned reading materials without reminding
each time. You are also encouraged to follow up the updated developments in logistics industry (by
reading news papers, professional magazines and using internet). The specific instruction for the
reading assignments will be available from our course web.
(3)
Regular exercise assignment (10%)
There will be 3 sets of regular exercise problems to be assigned and collected for recording. Please
work through all assigned problems and make sure you fully understand the details of problem solving.
The reference solutions will be made available in the web after the submissions.
(4)
Case study (25%)
A significant amount of time will be allocated to case study in order for you to appreciate more on the
application of your learnt techniques to solving real world logistics and supply chain management
problems. You are required to submit the group (in size of 4-5 members) case report (or in doc. or ppt.
format) for all four cases. Any late submission without prior approval will be discounted. Each group
needs to present one case to the whole class.
Tentative Teaching Schedule


The schedule is subject to adjustment when needed.
Please view the most updated schedule from the web, where the reading and exercise assignments will be updated weekly.
LECTURE TOPICS
Week
1
(Jan 23)
5
6
Video 1: SCM -- Linkage to total industry benefits (-- by HKANA)
Activity: Beer Game
(Electronic BG, Help, Tutorial)
 Discussion on Bull Whip
Effect & Case#1
Lecture discussion:
Case#2 -- Text P134 "Managing
Growth at SportStuff.com")
Ch 4 – Designing the Distribution
Network in a SC
Ch 5 - Network Design in the SC
Lecture:
PART III: Planning Demand &
Supply in a SC
7
Case#3 -- Text P225 Case Study
"Specialty Packaging
Corporation, Part B"
Ch 8 - Aggregate Planning in the
SC
Ch 9 - Planning Supply and Demand
in the SC: Managing
Predictable Variability
 Case#1 Presentation (3
groups, 15min each)
Case#2 Q & A
Video 2: Logistics - Careers
with Challenge (-- by CLM)

Case#2
Presentation (3
groups, 15 min
each)
Case#3 Q & A

9
Lecture
Video 3: Logistics Industry in
Hong Kong ( by TVB)
11
12
(Apl 10)
13
(Apl 24)
Case#4 -- TBA
Ch 10 – Managing Economics of
Case#3 Presentation (3
Scale in the SC: Cycle
groups, 15 min each)
Inventory

Ch 11 – Managing Uncertainty in
Case#4 Q & A
the SC: Safety Inventory
Lecture:
PART V: Sourcing, Transporting, &
Pricing Products
Ch 14 – Transportation in the SC

Course review and Q&A on final
exam
Case#1:
(Due wk4)
Reading: Ch 16
Reading:
- Ch 4, 5
- Case#2 -- Text P134
"Managing Growth at
SportStuff.com")
Case#2
(Due wk7)
Exercise Assignment 1 :
See web
(Due wk6)
Reading:
- Ch 8, 9
- Case#3 -- Text P225
Case Study "Specialty
Packaging Corporation,
Part B"
See web
Guest speakers (tentative)
PART IV: Planning and Managing
Inventories in a SC
CASES
Case#3
(Due wk10)
Exercise Assignment 2 :
8
10
READINGS & EXERCISES
Reading: Ch 1-3
PART II: Design The DC Network
4
ASSIGNMENTS
Introduction to Logistics & Supply Chain (Ch 1-3)
3
(Jan 6)
( )
Week 1 Lecture:
1.
Course syllabus and plan
2.
2
ACTIVITIES/DISCUSSIONS
Video 4: Hong Kong Connection:
Logistics
Case#4 Presentation
(3 groups, 15min each)
(Due wk8)
Reading:
Ch 10, 11,
Case#4 -- TBA
Exercise Assignment 3 :
See web
(Due wk12)
Reading: Ch 14
Case#4
(Due wk13)