SCM720 Strategic Operations and Supply Chain Management (Autumn 2026)

This course provides an advanced and practice-oriented introduction to operations and supply chain management for working professionals enrolled in the experienced-based master’s programme. Delivered fully online, it combines foundational academic theory with applied workplace reflection and real-world problem-solving. Participants develop a comprehensive understanding of how materials, and information, flows are structured and coordinated across supply chains, and how operations and supply chain decisions affect performance, and competitiveness. Course content is closely linked to participants’ own business contexts and encourages critical engagement with industry challenges. The course establishes the theoretical basis for further study in strategic purchasing, sustainability, supply chain risk and resilience, digitalization, and applied logistics analytics.

Key topics

• Supply chain definition & flows
• SC strategy & strategic fit
• Process views (cycle & push–pull)
• Supply chain drivers (facility, inventory, transport, info, sourcing, pricing)
• Network design & distribution structures
• Global supply networks & sourcing regions
• Operations strategy, bottlenecks & capacity
• Coordination, bullwhip effect, and information integration

Same as requirements for admission into an experience-based master’s in logistics.

Knowledge

Upon successful completion of the course, the student:

• Has advanced knowledge of the key concepts, structures, and performance drivers in operations and supply chain management.
• Understands how supply chain design and operational decisions influence cost, service, risk, and strategic outcomes.
• Has knowledge of the role of networks, global sourcing, and process design in modern supply chains.
• Has insight into planning and coordination mechanisms

Skills

Upon successful completion of the course, the student can:

• Analyse supply chain and operations challenges in their own workplace using established frameworks and models.
• Assess and evaluate supply chain structures, sourcing configurations, and operations processes from a strategic perspective.
• Identify trade-offs and improvement opportunities related to cost, responsiveness, sustainability, and resilience.
• Translate conceptual models into practical decision support and improvement proposals.
• Communicate supply chain insights and recommendations effectively to managerial audiences.

General Competence

Upon successful completion of the course, the student:

• Can reflect on the interdependence between strategic, tactical, and operational decisions in supply chains.
• Can contribute to cross-functional decision-making and performance improvement in a professional setting.
• Can connect foundational OSCM concepts to more advanced topics in procurement, sustainability, analytics, and digitalization.
• Understands the societal, ethical, and economic significance of supply chains in a global context.

• Online video lectures (live + recordings)
• Online project presentation
• Online group discussions and peer feedback
• Workplace-based reflection assignment

• Mandatory assignment: 1 individual or group project focused on benchmarking tools used to compare supply chain management environments across countries, presented online
• 1 individual or group-based workplace reflection task
• Participation: Required in online discussions as specified in Canvas

• Form of assessment: Online project presentation, workplace-based assignment
• Weight: 100%
• Format: Written project/report, online project presentation Grading scale: A–F
• Scope: The project must apply course concepts to analyse and propose improvements to a real supply chain or operational situation in the student’s organization and environmental contexts.

Course evaluation

• Workplace-based assignment (graded A–F)
• Project presentation (pass/fail requirement)