This module introduces you to the fundamental skills needed to understand business, analyse competition, and the changing nature of the macro environment. You'll explore the factors that affect business, from a mostly external perspective, including elements of globalisation and international business. Political, economic, social, legal, ecological and technological factors will be examined in the macro business environment and how these interact in a competitive environment with globalisation, technological and social change to create complex strategic options for organisations. You'll also explore in some detail the concept of sustainability and introductory economics.
This module explores the nature of the contemporary supply chain with an introduction to the management practices, strategies, and associated challenges inherent in the complex, global and rapidly evolving supply chain landscape. It will equip you with the knowledge and skills to navigate the complex, global and rapidly evolving supply chain landscape. You'll also explore the impact of emerging technologies and innovation on supply chain management and strategies, enabling you to harness the potential of digitalisation for enhanced efficiency and competitiveness. You’ll gain an appreciation of the increasing importance of sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and ethical considerations in supply chain operations. Fostering critical thinking is essential, and you'll start to develop the skills to analyse complex supply chain scenarios, identify issues and propose solutions, tackling real-world challenges with innovative and effective problem-solving strategies.
This module develops operations design and management skills vital in improving supply chain operations to benefit the organisation. You'll learn to assess techniques that are aimed at improving supply chain operations to the overall benefit of the organisation. This module is grounded in professional practice, and you will gain the skills to design, manage, and improve processes to enhance organisational performance. You’ll develop the operations design and management skills which are vital for contemporary practice in supply chain environments. You'll benefit from a broad introduction to the principles and methods of operational management, providing insights into the process-based perspective of organisations, developing your understanding of the skills and techniques required to apply this at departmental, organisational, and inter-organisational levels. You’ll be equipped with the frameworks and tools to evaluate challenges and disruptions to operations and provide realistic, practical, and evidence-based recommendations.
In this module, you’ll explore the issues involved in identifying the demand for products and balancing them with appropriate supply planning. You’ll develop an appreciation of the need for different strategies for different products. Focusing on practical application, you will use the principles of inventory to balance the flows between supply and demand, together with the management issues surrounding the attainment of a consensus supply chain plan to understand the importance of the concept of inventory management and warehousing from the perspectives of sustainable competitive advantage, and customer satisfaction. Warehouse design and optimisation will be examined including: the operational functioning of a warehouse, different types of picking, planning, and forecasting, and the decision whether to operate an in-house warehouse or outsource.
Finance and procurement management are integral components of effective business operations. Finance management involves planning, allocating, and controlling financial resources to ensure a company's fiscal health. It encompasses budgeting, profit and loss reporting, and cash flow forecasting, optimising resource allocation for profitability. On the other hand, procurement management focuses on acquiring goods and services necessary for an organisation's operations. This includes developing procurement strategies, managing supplier relationships, and overseeing the entire procurement process. Efficient procurement ensures cost-effective sourcing while maintaining quality, service, and sustainability standards, contributing to overall business success. Together, finance and procurement management play crucial roles in achieving financial stability and operational efficiency. This module leads you through the intricacies of modern supply chain management delivering the knowledge and skills to excel in the complex world of supply chain operations and prepare you for leadership roles within supply chain networks. Upon completion of this module, you’ll be well-prepared to excel in roles related to supply chain management, procurement, and sourcing. You will contribute positively to the financial, ethical, and operational dimensions of intricate supply chain networks, enhancing organisational success in an increasingly complex global business landscape.
Every organisation is part of a wider interconnected network of other businesses and organisations, which is called the Supply Network. The design of such networks is crucial to the effectiveness and efficiency of the associated supply chains; the operations process forms a fundamental element of an organisation’s strategic advantage. This module will equip you with the essential knowledge and skills to strategically design, optimise and manage supply networks in a dynamic global business environment. A well-designed supply network is critical for enhancing organisational competitiveness and ensuring the efficient flow of goods and services. This module offers knowledge and understanding of the concept of the strategic supply network, its configuration and influence and its ability to assess the impact of operational strategy and resource planning and control.
Change is a critical factor in all areas of management. The management of supply chains can be fraught with disruptions. Disturbances from suppliers, changes in customer demand, changes in legislation and regulatory environments can all mean that processes and networks need to be altered and these changes require careful management. This module will introduce you to the concepts of change and change management and how these can be deployed by supply chain managers to help improve resilience and reduce impact of change on supply chains. You’ll get a chance to analyse change processes, develop strategies to overcome change and implement new approaches – applying relevant theory and concepts to ensure management practice is effective and relevant in today’s turbulent environment.
This module highlights the increased significance of supply chain management in international organisational strategies. You'll explore the impact of globalisation and the rise of digital economies which have facilitated more integrated supply chain management techniques and processes. You’ll also examine the role of supply chains in enhancing customer value and competitive advantage, with case studies of different global supply chains. Following this strategic orientation, the module shifts its focus towards the practical aspects of supply chain management, specifically the management of processes that guide a product to market in the global environment. It addresses the escalating concern for sustainability and the intricate nature of managing it within an international context. Finally, you'll explore the drivers of supply chain improvement, encompassing data analysis, performance management, information technology, and emerging future trends, and how strategic partnerships can be developed and improved in an international context, particularly in relation to working interculturally.
Supply chain management is a dynamic, complex field that is at the heart of modern business operations. At its core, the goal is to ensure that products and services flow seamlessly from suppliers to consumers, meeting demand efficiently. One of the key challenges in this endeavour is forecasting future demand and making strategic decisions to meet it. Forecasting is the art and science of predicting future demand for products and services. It relies on historical data, market analysis, and other factors to anticipate consumer needs. Accurate forecasting is essential in supply chain management to avoid overstocking or understocking products, which can lead to financial losses and customer dissatisfaction. In parallel, decision-making plays a vital role in supply chain management. Decisions encompass sourcing strategies, inventory management, production planning, and distribution network design. The choices made in these areas can significantly impact an organisation's cost efficiency, service quality, and overall competitiveness. This module delves into the world of forecasting and decision-making in supply chain management. We'll explore the various methods of demand forecasting, the challenges of managing fluctuating demand, and the strategies for making informed decisions to optimise supply chain performance. By the end of this module, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to anticipate and address the complex challenges of supply chain forecasting and decision-making, ultimately contributing to the success of your organisation.
Organisations and managers must adapt, change, and evolve to meet the conflicting, competing, and complex business-related environmental change factors, whose rate of change is exponential. Influences from national, international, and global macro, micro and operating environments are shaping and influencing contemporary supply chain management theories and practices. Today’s supply chain managers must equip themselves with new skills and knowledge to interact with and respond to the emerging challenges that change brings and, where appropriate, take the required corrective action. Business leaders are required to develop higher-level management skills, especially critical evaluation and decision-making within national, international, and global contexts, when needing to respond effectively to the challenges within these constantly changing operating environments. This module provides you with the opportunity to consider, reflect, and critically appraise a range of contemporary supply chain management issues, and consider how these might affect your own organisations’ success in the future, how to address change in the industry and within the organisation, and how to be a resilient manager.
This module will support you in your preparation of the integrated End Point Assessment (EPA). Successful completion of the EPA is the final requirement that must be fulfilled to achieve the Degree Apprenticeship in Supply Chain Leadership Professional. You'll carry out a substantial work-based project report to capture the achievement of the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in the Apprenticeship Standard. The project proposal, theme and objectives must relate to your own work environment and context and be formally agreed at the Gateway Review. The project will take you typically eight months to complete, integrating and testing the academic and work-based learning. You'll then give a comprehensive oral presentation of the work-based report to the EPA panel made up of an independent assessor and a senior employer representative. On the same day you'll also undergo a viva examination before the EPA panel. The viva examination will take account of the evidence portfolio submitted at the gateway and synoptically assess knowledge, skills, and behaviours via six question areas from across the key operational functions of plan, source, make, deliver, return and enable and, influential and motivating behaviour. The Final Project module allows you to engage in a substantial piece of individual research or development work focused on a topic relevant to your workplace. The project topic will be assessed for suitability to ensure sufficient academic challenge, alignment to the degree apprenticeship, and satisfactory supervision by an academic member of staff. The project will rely on substantive evidence from a work-specific task, such as (but not limited to) inventory reduction, use of lean practices or tracking multiple outcomes of a given supply chain process, to demonstrate the application of skills, knowledge, and behaviours. The project will be in relation to (but not limited to) business improvement, customer value, gaining competitive advantage, innovation, sustainability and/or demonstrate positive returns on investment. The chosen topic will require you to identify/formulate problems and issues, conduct literature reviews, evaluate information, investigate and adopt suitable development methodologies, determine solutions, process data, critically appraise and present their finding using a variety of media. Regular meetings with the project supervisor will take place, so that the project is closely monitored and steered in the right direction. This final module of the degree will empower you to make use of the technical and soft skills developed throughout the course, enabling a holistic approach to problem solving, and giving apprentices confidence in tackling real-life scenarios.