BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY
International Business School
Supply Chain Management
Bus273f, Fall 2007 (Module I)
GENERAL INFORMATION
(Preliminary Syllabus – Subject to Change)
Schedule:
Monday and Wednesday, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm. Room: Chancellor’s Suite
Instructors:
Brad Morrison will teach the course.
Brad Morrison
Lemberg 251
Phone: (781) 736-2246
Email: bmorriso@brandeis.edu
Description:
The course studies classic and contemporary issues in supply chain strategy and
management. The course develops a framework to examine what capabilities a
supply chain must have to support a firm’s business strategy and how the desired
capabilities relate to the structure of a supply chain. Topics will include the
strategic role of the supply chain, methodologies for designing and planning a
supply chain, and issues in the management of supply chains. Students will develop
and use analytical spreadsheet models to investigate the relationship between
structure and performance. Case studies will examine domestic and global supply
chains in a variety of industries.
Pre-requisites: Operations Management (Bus 272a) or Permission of the Instructor is a prerequisite.
Mathematics: The level of mathematics proficiency needed for this class is roughly equivalent
to that attained through the study of high school algebra. Proficiency with the
use of spreadsheets will be assumed. Students with no prior experience with
spreadsheets are still welcome, but they should expect extra work load to gain
some minimal familiarity with the basics of spreadsheets. The course aims to
develop intuition and business acumen, but rigorous, quantitative analysis will
be needed at times.
Office hours:
My doors are always open to students, or make an appointment by email.
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Grading
Emphasis:
Case Write-up
Supply Chain Game:
Supply Chain Analysis
Class participation:
15%
15%
50%
20%
Disability:
If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis
University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this
class, please see me immediately. Please keep in mind that reasonable
accommodations are not provided retroactively.
Course Requirements
The course will have three written assignments to be done in groups. Each group will have two
or three members and may plan to stay together for the entire module.
One assignments is a case write-up due before class discussion for the selected case. Groups will
choose one of the following four cases: Meditech, Sorensen, Barilla, and IKEA. Case write-ups
should be no more that 3 typed pages (12 point font.). Indeed, 2 pages should be sufficient to
succinctly and clearly communicate the critical issues, the group’s analysis, and their
recommendations for the case protagonists.
The second assignment is a 2- to 3-page memo based on your participation in a simulation
exercise called the Supply Chain Game. The game is played over the internet as a competition
among teams managing a simulated supply chain. Students who have taken Operations
Management will find the format reminiscent of the Littlefield Technologies simulation.
The third assignment is a supply chain description and analysis. Groups will choose an
organization (profit, non-profit, public or private) to profile. Students will conduct an
investigation to characterize and analyze the organization’s supply chain, paying attention to the
link to the organization’s strategy, the structure and performance of the supply chain, and the
patterns of change over time. Groups will present their findings in classes near the end of the
module. Groups will also hand in a write-up of 10 – 15 pages that describes the supply chain,
analyzes performance, compares the supply chain to others in the same or other industries,
identifies the key issues, and recommends strategic considerations or tactics for improvement.
Write-ups must include process maps and other exhibits as appropriate.
Texts and Readings
Recommended Course Textbook (Excellent supplementary reading, but not required):
Simchi-Levi, Kaminski and Simchi-Levi (2003). Designing and Managing the Supply Chain
(Text and CD-ROM) 2nd Edition. McGraw Hill.
Several cases available from HBS Publishing will be required. Additional readings will be
handed out. All students must be fully prepared for case discussion in class.
Students will also be required to purchase a license (fee of $20) from Responsive Learning
Technologies to use the Supply Chain Game simulator.
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SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Bus 273f F07
SYLLABUS
Date
Class
Topic
9/5
W
1
Introduction to Supply Chains: What and why?
9/10
M
2
Basic Issues in Supply Chains
Case: Meditech Surgical
9/12
W
3
Understanding Supply Chain Performance: Tools and Metrics
9/17
M
4
Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Case: Sorenson Research
9/19
W
5
Logistics and Supply Chain Management, continued
Case: Sorenson Research
9/24
M
6
9/26
10/1
W
M
7
10/3
W
8
Supply Chain Integration
Case: Barilla SpA, Part A
NO CLASS – Brandeis Thursday
International Supply Chains
Case: IKEA’s Global Sourcing Challenge
Current Practices in Supply Chain Management
Case: Wal-Mart
10/8
M
9
10/10
W
10
10/15
M
11
Supply Chain Analysis:
Student Group Presentations and Discussion
10/17
W
12
10/22
M
13
Real-world Supply Chain Challenges
Guest Speaker: Mark Paich, Decisio Consulting
Conclusion: The Future of Supply Chain Management.
Course evaluations
Strategic Choices in Supply Chain Design
or
Human Aspects of Supply Chain Management
Case: Leitax
Supply Chain Game Strategies and Lessons: Student Presentations