Main Concepts of Supply Chain Management

This course will give you all the essentials of supply chain management. It will start with a brief history of supply chain; it will explain how Alexander the Great used it to reap benefits and inform about the first multinational company in the world.   It will then deal with essential terminologies one needs to know in this major field alike the Japanese terms gemba and heijunka and other terms such as economies of scope and near sourcing . It will explain the difference between Just In Case and Just In Time and demonstrate in an example the importance of the concept of postponement in reducing costs. It will raise awareness how inventory is part of average assets and hence can influence the return on assets aspect.  It will define the different types of inventories and related costs such as ordering and holding costs. It will further explain the difference between horizontal and vertical integration and discusses the importance of horizontal collaboration. Other major Japanese terminologies such as Muda (waste), Mura (unevenness) and muri (overburden) are further explored . Then the course will tackle lean manufacturing discussing poka-yoke, jidoka and 5S principles, the drivers of supply chain , the triple bottom line and the importance of channel coordination.