In today’s specialised world, complex projects and operations are delivered by a host of organisations linked with one another in a chain (or rather, a network!). These organisations are often quite different from each other in terms of specialisations, capabilities, size, geography, and cultures. This means that the achievement of complex tasks relies on effective cooperation between and coordination across these organisations. Supply chain management refers to the management of this coordination process of goods, services, information, and money across these inter-linked chains of organisations to achieve complex outcomes. In this module, we will study how supply chains can be managed strategically to deliver projects on time, under budget, and within scope.

Aims of the module:

The aim of this module is to provide students with an introduction of the fundamentals of strategic supply chain management. Students will study the key theories and concepts, apply them to real-life problems, and critically reflect on the challenges and strategies for managing supply chains.

Students will be provided with:

A thorough understanding of the theories and concepts in strategic supply chain management.
	An understanding of contemporary supply chain management issues.
	An understanding of supply chain strategy challenges in an ongoing (live) infrastructure project.
Issues that the module will tackle:

The module will tackle a variety of strategic and contemporary supply chain management issues, including:

Category management and sourcing strategies
	Supplier selection
	Lean, agile, and le-agile supply arrangements
	Supplier Relationship Management
	Contractual, relational, and behavioural governance of supply chains
	Supply Chain Risk Management
	Sustainable and ethical supply chains
	Digital supply chain management
	Project Supply Networks
Learning outcomes for the module:

This module provides students with an understanding of supply chain management and its central role in modern private and public sector organisations. By the end of the module, you should be able to:

Demonstrate the economic importance of supply chain management and the extensive scope of the subject area;
	Critically reflect on the established bodies of knowledge and best practice;
	Recognise the knowledge and skills required for successful supply chain management in organisations.