Introductory description

The module will deliver the fundamental understanding as well as the applied aspects of operations, supply chain, and logistics management as well as the sustainability aspect within the international trade and business management context. The module will follow the supply chain flow to introduce the key operational functions including sourcing, making, delivering, and planning and how these functions work together to support the trade and business management. The module will discuss operations management from both the company level and the whole supply network level. Students will develop their understanding of the company operations and its supply network, the relationships between companies within the same network, as well as the multiple roles a company could play within different networks. Another essential part of this module is sustainability. The module will also look into the details of the sustainability aspect including but not limited to the triple bottom line (TBL), Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), Circular Economics, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (3Rs) and so on, and embeds these into operations and supply chain management towards closed-loop supply chain and ultimately in support the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Students will have opportunities to apply this knowledge and practice skills by working in a team environment on a project to design and optimize the existing supply network for the case company towards sustainability, resilience, and circular economics. The module will adopt a blended teaching approach (including both offline and online) via various teaching methods to maximize students’ study experience and engagement with both subject knowledge and transferable skills.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

• Operations, Supply Chain, and Logistics Management
• Global Supply Network
• Sourcing (Procurement and Supplier/Customer Relationship Management)
• Making, Vertical Integration and Outsourcing
• Inventory and Distribution Management
• Logistics optimization
• Sustainability and Sustainable Operations
• Tripple Bottom Line
• Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)
• Green Supply Chain Practices
• Closed Loop Supply Chain
• Risk and Resilience
• Circular Economics
• The 17 Sustainable Development Goals pulished by the United Nations
• COP26 and Net Zero

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate a critical understanding of operations, supply chain and logistics management, and global supply network.
• Effectively evaluate and present, via group collaboration, the relevance and interconnections of operations functions across business in a real industrial context.
• Critically appraise sustainability issues and the role of supply chain sustainability, with the triple bottom line.
• Critically discuss sustainability practices along with the loop of end-to-end supply chain, to develop a plan towards circular economics.
• Apply subject knowledge, theories, models, and techniques to solve practical problems for optimization in real business contexts via innovative thinking.

Indicative reading list

Books:
Slack, N. and Brandon-Jones, A. (2022) Operations Management. 10th edn. Harlow, England: Pearson.;
Slack, N. and Brandon-Jones, A. (2021) Operations and process management: principles and practice for strategic impact. 6th edn. Harlow, England; London; New York: Pearson.;
Christopher, M.(2023) Logistics & Supply Chain Management. 6th edn. Harlow, England: Pearson.;
Grant, D. B., Trautrims, A. and Wong, C. Y. (2023) Sustainable logistics and supply chain management: principles and practices for sustainable operations and management. 3rd edn. London and New York: Kogan Page.;
Grzybowska, K., Awasthi, A. and Sawhney, R. (2020) Sustainable Logistics and Production in Industry 4.0. Cham: Springer.;
Morana, J. (2013) Sustainable supply chain management. John Wiley & Sons.;
Ramanathan, R. and Ramanathan, U. eds. (2020) Sustainable Supply Chains: Strategies, Issues, and Models. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.;
Ivanov, D. (2021) Introduction to Supply Chain Resilience:Management, Modelling, Technology. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.;
Elkington, J. (1998) Cannibals with forks: the triple bottom line of 21st century business. Oxford: Capstone.

Journal Articles:
Elkington, J. (2018) “25 years ago I coined the phrase ‘triple bottom lines.’ Here’s why it’s time to rethink it.” Harvard Business Review Digital Articles 25: 2-5.

International

The nature of the module provides students with knowledge and skills in an international standard. Meanwhile, the module allows students to discuss and apply knowledge in the context of international organisations and takes account of intercultural differences and the international diversity of the student body in the degree programmes.

Subject specific skills

Through the module, students will gain subject knowledge in operations management, supply chains, and sustainability. It will also train students with skills in global supply network mapping and design, operations optimization, sustainable practices, strategic thinking, decision-making, data collection, and resource evaluation.

Transferable skills

Students will obtain transferable skills within the module including but not limited to teamwork, time management, pressure management, problem-solving, data analysis, communication, presentation, critical thinking and discussion, self-awareness, and reflecting learning etc.