Supply Chain Management

Shape the Value Chains of Tomorrow

This content is only partially available in English.

Teaching

The lectures offered by our department cover the subject area of operational performance management. We teach the theoretical foundations and concepts along with practical applications and forms. Quantitative optimization methods play an important role.

We establish the link to corporate IT, business models, and competitive strategies. Practical examples, case studies, business simulations and field trips to companies serve this purpose.

Courses are offered in English and German, depending on the degree program.

Specialization in bachelor’s degree programs (new examination regulations)

A specific specialization in logistics and supply chain management provides sound knowledge for the challenges of the global business world. Students have the opportunity to specialize at an early stage, which is crucial given the current importance of efficient, sustainable value chains. This specialization during the bachelor’s degree lays the foundation for a comprehensive specialization in the master’s degree, which can be indicated on the degree certificate by selecting three options (Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Logistics Systems & Technologies, Purchasing & Supply Management as well as Sustainable Global Value Chains).

Specialization in master’s degree programs

Strategically suitable integration in complex supply chains is key to a company’s success and has an impact on all of its departments. The growing environmental and resource challenges are increasingly shifting the bottleneck for companies from the sales market to the procurement market and drawing attention to the supply chain. Knowledge of supply chain management is therefore essential for graduates on the master’s degree level.

By choosing both options, students can have their supply chain management specialization indicated on their degree certificate.

Bachelor’s degree options

Learning outcomes

The students are able to determine the importance of logistics for the company’s success, define logistics goals and identify conflicting goals. They are able to create and calculate key figures for goal definition and control and analyze logistical problems from a business and practical point of view. They know how to select appropriate solution methods and critically assess and apply the results. The students are familiar with current developments in logistics and understand their fundamental importance. Overall, the students deepen their methodological and analytical skills and increase their skills in the areas of teamwork, constructive discussion, and criticism.

Curriculum

  • Logistics as a competitive factor
  • Corporate strategy and logistics strategy
  • Logistics concepts and planning methods
  • Logistics controlling and key figures
  • Logistics technology and IT
  • Green logistics – boundary conditions (industry rules, laws, logistics market, standards)
  • Areas of logistics, specific characteristics of individual industries, individual concepts such as SCM, ECR, JiT

Credits

5 ECTS

Language

English

 

In this module, we teach the key concepts and methods of logistics and supply chain management. As part of practical projects with our cooperation partners (e.g. Boehringer Ingelheim, Alnatura, Bosch), you will work in a project team to analyse the initial situation and problems in real supply chains and develop future-proof and sustainable logistics and supply chain concepts.

Contents

  • Logistics as competitive factor – Corporate strategy and logistics strategy
  • Logistics systems, structures and concepts
  • Sustainable logistics
  • Introduction to Supply Chain Management
  • Methods and optimization
  • Logistics controlling and KPI
  • Logistics technology
  • Intra logistics
  • Relevant conditions and rules: Industry, Laws, Market, Standards
  • Logistics areas and specific industry requirements
  • Particular concepts like SCM, ECR, JiT and planning approaches
  • Current trends and developments in logistics and scm

Credit Points

5 ECTS

Language

English

 

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the module, the students will be able to:

  • Explain the importance of and provide examples for the role of sustainability in global value and supply chains.
  • Summarize key governance mechanisms in global value chains.
  • Illustrate different supply chain designs geared toward creating shared value.
  • Characterize certain key capabilities for creating shared value.
  • Discuss differences and similarities between the global value chain and global supply chain literature.
  • Make decisions in teams.
  • Analyze, justify, and present their decisions in case study discussions.

Curriculum

  • Sustainability and resilience in a global economy in light of supply disruptions (such as COVID-19) and changing legal & reporting requirements (such as the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act; Global Reporting Initiative)
  • Global value chains (in the field of international business) versus global supply chains (in the field of supply chain management)
  • Global value chain configuration and governance (for economic, social, and environmental upgrading)
  • Sustainable supply chain design (SSCD) and related capabilities for creating shared value
  • The role of (social) intermediaries for creating shared value
  • Moving toward a circular economy: From chains to systems
  • Circular supply chain design (CSCD) and related capabilities

Credits

5 ECTS

Language

English

 

( Subject to change)

How do logistics networks of companies like Amazon or Hello Fresh work? We examine this question in this module. We also provide relevant basic knowledge on ‘logistics hardware’ (e.g. warehouse technology, transport technology) and ‘logistics software’ (standards, methods and IT systems). As part of a planning project, you will assume the role of an analyst and logistics planner and work in a project team to develop a new future-proof and sustainable logistics centre.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

 

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the module, the students are able to:

  • Explain the importance of procurement for achieving corporate success.
  • Explain how a procurement strategy relates to corporate strategy.
  • Differentiate the strategic source-to-contract (S2C) and transactional purchase-to-pay (P2P) processes.
  • Explain how sustainability affects the S2C processes and name current tools.
  • Perform a basic category analysis.
  • Explain the differences of and apply a structured approach for outsourcing, insourcing, offshoring, and reshoring.
  • Perform a basic supplier evaluation.
  • Make decisions in teams.
  • Analyze, justify, and present their decisions in case study discussions.

Curriculum

  • What is purchasing and supply management
  • Selecting and calculating economic, environmental, and social KPIs in procurement
  • The purchasing process: strategic & transactional issues
  • Structuring to meet customer and competitive needs
  • Socially responsible sourcing in light of changing legal requirements (such as the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act)
  • Sourcing risk management and mitigation in light of supply disruptions (such as COVID-19)
  • Contemporary supply risk/sustainability analysis tools (such as Risk Methods, Prewave, HGS Research)
  • Category analysis & sourcing strategy development
  • Outsourcing and insourcing, offshoring and reshoring
  • Supplier evaluation and selection
  • Purchasing & supply organization
  • In all of these topics: coverage of sustainability, digitalization and risk management aspects

Credits

5 ECTS

Language

English