Supply Chain Design and Planning

The Netherlands has a great reputation in managing global supply chains, which is one of the reasons why many international organisations have located distribution facilities in the country. Businesses have started to realize more and more that efficient, effective, and sustainable supply chains are key in achieving competitive success. This is rooted in the notion that products may be great but if customers can’t actually obtain them, they are of little value to customers. Lack of sufficient product availability is typically detrimental to business success or even long-term survival.
Managing such supply chains well requires insights into strategic considerations and the ability to translate such strategies into an actionable operational design and planning of goods flows. This supply chain course therefore teaches students to think strategically about the management of goods flows in the supply chain, while supporting decisions about the design and planning of these flows through quantitative analysis.

In the course we aim to develop an understanding of three key areas and their interrelationships:

1. The strategic role of a supply chain
2. The key strategic and operational drivers of sustainability performance in the management of goods flows in supply chains
3. Analytic methodologies for supply chain analysis

Starting from a strategic framework and using real-life examples, as well as stylized cases, we discuss the role of logistical and cross-functional drivers in the design and planning of supply chains. We evaluate goods flow decisions using qualitative analysis using managerially-focused concepts, as well as quantitative, Microsoft Excel based analyses.The Netherlands has a great reputation in managing global supply chains, which is one of the reasons why many international organisations have located distribution facilities in the country. Businesses have started to realize more and more that efficient, effective, and sustainable supply chains are key in achieving competitive success. This is rooted in the notion that products may be great but if customers can’t actually obtain them, they are of little value to customers. Lack of sufficient product availability is typically detrimental to business success or even long-term survival.
Managing such supply chains well requires insights into strategic considerations and the ability to translate such strategies into an actionable operational design and planning of goods flows. This supply chain course therefore teaches students to think strategically about the management of goods flows in the supply chain, while supporting decisions about the design and planning of these flows through quantitative analysis.
In the course we aim to develop an understanding of three key areas and their interrelationships:

• the strategic role of a supply chain;
• the key strategic and operational drivers of sustainability performance in the management of goods flows in supply chains;
• analytical methodologies for supply chain analysis;

Starting from a strategic framework and using real-life examples, as well as stylized cases, we discuss the role of logistical and cross-functional drivers in the design and planning of supply chains. We evaluate goods flow decisions using qualitative analysis using managerially-focused concepts, as well as quantitative, Microsoft Excel based analyses.

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:

• Explain the basic theories, models and concepts of Supply Chain Design and Planning
• Make connections between theories, models, and concepts
• Select and apply the correct method and / or technique for quantifying, analyzing and solving a specific supply chain problem
• Propose a solution to a real-life business problem on designing and planning of goods flows in supply chains by applying relevant theories and methodologies

Assumed Knowledge:
ORL20306 Decision Science 1