Value Cre­ation in Glob­al Sup­ply Chains

Course content

It has been noted that “one of the most significant paradigm shifts of modern business management is that individual businesses no longer compete as solely autonomous entities, but rather as supply chains” (Lambert & Cooper, 2000). Companies in the electronics and automotive industries, among others, have increasingly focused on their core competencies and outsourced non-core activities to contract manufacturers or other types of suppliers. They have become experts at orchestrating their end-to-end value networks. It has been argued that “with the increasing level of volatility, the days of static supply chain strategies are over” (Simchi-Levi & Fine, 2010) and that we need to manage “supply chains in the era of turbulence” (Christopher & Holweg, 2011). This is especially true in a global context. Indeed, events such as the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, the 2013 Rana Plaza tragedy, geopolitics, and the climate crisis have demonstrated the need to broaden traditional supply chain management by integrating new perspectives. Therefore, this course covers phenomena related to global supply chain management from different theoretical perspectives. Through interactive discussions and case studies, participants will learn how to apply this knowledge in a managerial context. Course content includes the following topics: Supply chain orientation, supply chain strategies, postponement, risk management, resilience and transformation, social-ecological aspects, supply network analysis, and supply chain process analysis.