Increasing volatile feedstock markets, exchanges rates and shorter product life cycles require flexible and agile organizations that are able to quickly adapt to changes in the environment. Managerial decision processes are becoming more complex and are demanding. This does not only require vast knowledge of business processes, but also the application of tools and models to take decisions in order to lead a successful organization.

This course emphasizes, from a management consultants' perspective, on managerial decision making and respective implementation of change in production and operations and the interrelationship with other functional areas of a corporation as well as with its suppliers and customers. The fundamental topics of this course include the Production System Design, Strategic and Operational Planning and Total Quality. Particular emphasis is given to the modern system of Lean Production and Just-in-Time logistic system.

As the Supply Chain Management course focuses in particular on IT-related problems, this course is intended to be more conceptual and thus helps to understand different perspectives and solutions for the numerous issues in operations management.

The students will have to make themselves familiar with the topics covered in the script, by reading and answering the questions related to the respective chapter.

Additional reading is required as basis for case studies in group-work help the students to actually apply the learned lessons. The respective results will be presented to the other students and the instructor.

The visit of a state of the art manufacturing facility helps to better understand the interrelationship of theory and practice. The observations are to be discussed in class.

Web-based Multiple Choice Questions support the self-controlled learning progress and help the students to identify and improve potential gaps.

Die aktuelle Literaturliste wird in der Lehrveranstaltung bekannt gegeben. Auszug aus der Literaturliste in jeweils aktueller Auflage:
Arnold, Tony: Introduction to Materials Management, 7th edition, London UK: Pearson Education, 2010.
Ritman, Larry, Krajewski, Lee: Operations Management: Strategy and Analysis, 9th edition, London UK: Pearson Education, 2009.
Womack, J.T., Jones, D.T., Ross, Daniel: The Machine that changed the world, 1st edition, New York USA: Harper Paperbacks, 1991.
Collins, Jim: Good to Great, 1st edition, New York USA: Harper Business, 2001.

Produktionsunternehmen haben ihre Fertigungstiefe in den vergangen zwei Jahrzehnten systematisch reduziert und ihre Beschaffungsaktivitäten gezielt internationalisiert. Die Fertigungstiefenreduzierung erfordert mehr und fundierte Einkaufsaktivitäten. Das Einkaufsvolumen wächst und die Beschaffungsaktivitäten ändern sich: Der Modul-, System- und Komponenteneinkauf verdrängt langfristig den reinen Teileeinkauf. Die Situation ändert sich nicht nur im regionalen und lokalen Einkauf, sondern auch im internationalen Einkauf. Dies sind die Parameter, denen sich heute ein international ausgerichteter Einkauf stellen muss. In der Lehrveranstaltung werden folgende Themen vertieft bearbeitet:

• Projektmanagement internationaler Einkaufsprojekte
• Internationales Beschaffungsmanagement über die gesamte Beschaffungskette vom Beschaffungsmarketing, der Lieferantensuche und -bewertung, über die Bestellung, Transport und Zollabwicklung bis zur Warenvereinnahmung.
• Führen von Preis- und Kontraktverhandlungen mit internationalen Partnern.

Die aktuelle Literaturliste wird in der Lehrveranstaltung bekannt gegeben. Auszug aus der Literaturliste in jeweils aktueller Auflage:
Florian, C. Kleemann: Global Sourcing: Allgemeine Grundlagen, internationales Beschaffungscontrolling, Spend Management, 1. Auflage, Saarbrücken: AV Akademikerverlag, 2012.
Krokowski, W.: Globalisierung des Einkaufs - Leitfaden für den internationalen Einkäufer, 1. Auflage, Berlin-Heidelberg: Springer, 1998.
Knight, L.; Harland, C.: Public Procurement - International Cases and Commentary, 1st edition, London UK: Routledge, 2007.
Borstelmann, K.: Global Sourcing - An International Procurement Strategy for the Emerging Markets of Eastern Europe and Asia, 1st edition, Saarbrücken: VDM Publishing, 2008.

Supply Chain Management is a strategic approach as well as a method to plan, operate, optimize and control such logistics‘ networks. This is supported by specially designed software systems (SCM-Tools).

The first part of the seminar is about the strategic aspects of SCM like the optimization of international Logistics' networks. (e.g. distribution structures and processes) by modeling and simulation approaches under cost (e.g. transport, warehousing), capital employed (e.g. inventory, investments) and service level (e.g. delivery time) targets. The important managerial perspective of "Make or Bus"-decisions is discussed as well, because outsourcing is an important option of modern Logistics. Furthermore process redesign and reengineering are introduced to the audience, as well as Supply Chain Controlling (SCC) based on predefined Key Performance Indicators (KPI) like the international used standard Supply Chain Operation Reference-Model (SCOR).

The second part of the seminar is dealing with the philosophy and the basic functions of operational Supply Chain Management like Demand Planning (DP), Advanced Production Planning and Scheduling (APS), Supply Network Planning (SNP), Available to Promise (ATP). The latter are supported by special SCM-Tools. Thus, the IS-aspects of Supply Chain Management are explained within a short introduction of common SCM-Tools like SAP-APO, i2-Rhythm and Wassermann-Way. Directly linked to the IS-aspects of SCM are the interfaces and connections between Supply Chain Management and e-Business / e-Commerce (B2B and B2C). Important is also the gap between the philosophy of SCM (planning and control of worldwide inter company networks) to the reality (optimization of intra and inter company value chains).

The whole seminar will be permanently enriched by up to date know-how from ongoing consulting projects in the SCM field to demonstrate the practical benefit of SCM-approaches in context of logistics consulting.

Three case studies in the fields of distribution structure, e-commerce and the operational planning aspect will be involved. The methods to be used are (among others) the calculation of "Transport Performance", deployment calculations and the use of "Multi Attributive Decision Making" (MADM). The results of the different groups are presented to the participants and discussed with the whole seminar.

Finally, two different case studies of current consulting projects are presented to the participants (starting from the data evaluation up to the final recommendation) and will be discussed with the different groups. Furthermore, the students are instructed in the method of "Business Process Optimization" (BPO) and the "Supply Chain Operation Reference-Model" (SCOR).

Die aktuelle Literaturliste wird in der Lehrveranstaltung bekannt gegeben. Auszug aus der Literaturliste in jeweils aktueller Auflage:
Chopra, S.; Meindl, P.: Supply Chain Management. Strategy, Planning, and Operation, 6th global edition, London UK: Pearson Education, 2015.
Christopher, M.: Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Strategies for Reducing Cost and Improving Service, 2nd edition, London UK: Financial Times, 1998.
Simchi-Levi, D.; Kaminsky, P.; Seimchi-Levi, E.: Designing and Managing the Supply Chain: Concepts, Strategies and Case Studies, 3rd edition, New York USA: Mcgraw-Hill Education, 2007.