Global Supply Chain Management

Global Supply Chain Management --- Supply chain is the central nervous system of the global economy. Supply chain consists of all activities involved in fulfilling a customer request. Effective management of supply chain entails management of material, information and financial flows. Supply chain is perhaps the only discipline and business function in an organization that cuts across functional boundaries. Globalization of economy has heightened the strategic importance and of supply chain management and created new opportunities for using supply chain strategy and planning as a competitive tool. Inter- and intra-firm coordination issues are becoming critical for effective management of the supply chain. Depending on the industry sector, supply chain related costs account for 20-25% of a typical firm's total cost. On the revenue side, the supply chain decisions have a direct impact on the market penetration and customer service. Specific learning goals for this course are: -- Develop a general manager?s perspective on key issues in designing and managing end-to-end global supply chains. -- Know that effective management of end-to-end supply chain entails management of material, information and financial flows. -- Develop an understanding of key drivers of supply chain performance and their inter-relationships with business strategy and other functions within the company such as marketing, manufacturing, accounting, and finance. -- Develop the ability to design and formulate integrated supply chain strategy, so that all components are not only internally synchronized but also tuned to fit corporate strategy, competitive realities and market needs. -- Develop an in depth understanding of elements of supply chain designs for efficiency, responsiveness, and variety. -- Understand the importance of intra-firm coordination strategies and the knowledge of how to execute on such strategies. -- Understand dynamics of flows across firm boundaries, reasons for lack of synchronization, and managerial actions to improve overall supply chain performance. -- Understand the importance risk management in the extended global supply chain; learn the key elements of a robust risk management system and develop execution plans.