MO9701 - Strategic Supply Chain Relationships and Innovation

Critical reflection on knowledge, experience and practice underpins the learning and teaching philosophy along with the explicit development of competence. This is key to your learning on the module. To put this in place, the module will use both lectures and interactive seminars covering the key issues in strategic supply chain management, relationship building and maintenance and innovation in the management of these supply chains and partners relationships. The lectures put in place the theoretical basis of the module, with the seminars providing opportunity to relate this to contemporary business practice. The practice nature of strategic management is further reinforced in this module through the Business Simulation. Learning will be further reinforced by interaction through the Blackboard site, with self-directed learning being a key component of the module, with access to an electronic reading list.

Your module is supported by a teaching and learning plan, which outlines the formal sessions, together with the tutor-directed study and independent reading. An interactive approach to lecture sessions will draw upon the directed learning undertaken and your own experiences. Throughout, the emphasis will be on high levels of your participation, both individually and within small groups or teams particularly in the seminar settings where your learning will be centred on case study consideration. This is further supported through tutor experience of both practice and research relating to the module material. You can expect the reflective-practitioner approach to learning to be embedded in all seminar sessions through undertaking activities which facilitate you to apply theory to ‘real-life’ situations, critically analysing and making recommendations for appropriate ways forward for the supply chain from both organisational and individual perspectives. Further practice in strategic decision making will be provided to you through the business simulation, which further reinforces the link between theory and practice and helps develop your competencies around teamwork, time management and negotiation.

Directed learning will centre upon a range of activities including pre-reading, preparation for interactive activities and use of the discussion board on the e-learning platform. Independent learning will centre upon you identifying and pursuing areas of interest in relation to the subject area.

The module is supported by a teaching and learning plan which outlines the formal lecture and seminar sessions, together with the tutor-directed study and independent reading. An interactive approach to lecture sessions will draw upon the directed learning undertaken and your own experiences. Emphasis will be on high levels of participation, both individually and within small groups or teams, particularly in the tutor-led seminar sessions. You will experience a reflective-practitioner approach to learning to be embedded in all seminar sessions through undertaking activities which facilitate you to apply theory to 'real-life' situations, critically analysing and making recommendations for appropriate ways forward for the organization/individual.

To support your seminars, you will, guided by the teaching and learning plan, engage in directed learning. This will centre upon a range of activities including pre-reading, preparation for interactive activities and use of the discussion board on the e-learning platform. This is further reinforced by your independent learning.

For the Business Simulation which represents a key component of your module, you will be supported by a set of introductory lectures covering role of the key business functions of operations, finance and marketing in strategic decision making before working in teams on the simulation. The supporting tutor-led seminars will involve teams providing presentations covering their company performance and gauging in questions/answers based on this.

You will be supported through the module with dedicated tutor-led seminar sessions covering the module’s summative assessment. The e-learning portal plays a significant role in supporting your learning. It will provide a source of lecture and seminar materials, alongside an electronic reading lists and recordings of lectures and sessions relating to guidance for your module assessment. Materials and guidance relating to the simulation form a key part of this technology enabled learning, as is participation with this online-based software.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:
• Understand and critically evaluate the wider impact of individual or organisational decision making on strategic supply chain relationship and innovation contexts. [MLO1]
• Critically assess understanding of strategic supply chain relationships and innovation management. [MLO2]
• Demonstrate the integrative nature of strategic decision making across the key business functions including application of functional knowledge including operations management. [MLO3]

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• Make effective team-based strategic decisions for a company operating in a competitive environment for its internal and external stakeholders. [MLO4]
• Communicate the key outcomes and decisions from the business simulation and demonstrate the contribution of self and team. [MLO5]

The summative assessment involves two assignments, one covering critical understanding aspects of strategic supply chain relationships and innovation, the other involving a report relating to the running of a business simulation.

The major component of assessment - Assignment (75% weighting)
Individual 3,000 word assignment: a critical evaluation of different strategic supply chain relationships and innovation theories, strategies and tools through both practical and theoretical contribution.

This will assess MLO1 and MLO2.

The minor component of assessment – Assignment (25% weighting)
An individual report 2,000 words: a report on the Business Simulation evaluation based on the data gathered from the rounds of the group simulation and an individual critical reflection of the learning linked to decisions relating to operations management.

This will assess MLO3, MLO4 and MLO5.

The formative assessment and feedback are provided through the respective seminar sessions relating to the substantive core of the module and the practice-oriented business simulation.

In the former, formative feedback is provided through academic and peer interaction in the seminar activities relating to the various case studies deployed, alongside guidance relating to the summative assessment above. Feedback in class, both individually and via groups from discussions and case study analysis is central to the delivery of interactive seminars.

For the latter, formative feedback is provided in response to various group presentations relating to company decisions and outcomes from the business simulation with associated tutor-led questions/answers, alongside consideration of round-by-round decisions in the simulation and preparation for the related summative assessment.

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This module is designed to equip you with the necessary knowledge, skills and techniques to develop Strategic Supply Chain Relationships The module emphasises the contribution of Logistics and Supply Chain Management to organisational strategy, with focus on managing innovation in supply chains, particularly international supply chain relationships. The module includes case studies of both manufacturing and service supply chains. There is strong emphasis on relationships within your learning, with consideration given to the logistics partnership, supplier and partnership development, making change happen and developing frameworks for managing change. An international focus is recognised by consideration of cross-cultural management and exploration of intercultural encounters taken from the supply chain management perspective. The strategic nature of your learning is further reinforced through practice of strategic decision-making experience via participation in a Business Simulation where the integrative nature of functional decision making, including decisions capturing operations management are reinforced. Your experiences on the module are underpinned by research-rich learning, where the academic work of the teaching team and others inform your learning experience. By linking theory to practice, this showcases enquiry-based learning and the role of reflective practice, that builds on the practitioner and research experience of the module teaching staff.