University of Technology Sydney

20103 Global Operations and Supply Chain Management

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2024 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Business: Management
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks

There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

This subject builds on the business knowledge taught in the core subject Integrating Business Perspectives and provides students studying in the Management and International Business majors with an opportunity to develop their understanding of sustainable business operations and global supply chain management from a systems perspective. Through a blended process of experiential, engaging and reflective learning, this subject further assures problem-based learning skills, added with the ability to manage the development of higher order capabilities for addressing complex operational issues in a real business context.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
1. discuss how global organisations create business processes that result in value creation through application of a number of analytical methods and tools
2. explain approaches to design, plan and control to continuously improve global business operations inter- and intra-organisations, across supply chains and value networks
3. develop an appreciation of the life-cycle thinking framework as a systems perspective involving enterprise, resources and corporate stakeholders in its relationships with customers, suppliers and other stakeholders, networks, interconnections, and subsystems
4. appraise the importance of dynamic capability building as a means of innovation, productivity and competitive advantage in a challenging global context

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

This subject builds on the knowledge of the external environment provided in the core subject Integrating Business Perspectives. It provides students studying in the Management and International Business majors with an opportunity to develop their understanding of sustainable business operations management from a systems perspective. Through a blended process of experiential, engaging and reflective learning, this subject further assures problem based learning skills, added with the ability to manage the development of higher order capabilities for addressing complex operational issues in a real business context.

Teaching and learning strategies

The subject will be taught using a combination of large lectures and smaller tutorials. The lectures provide the structure of the topic area, discussion of the theory and some practical examples. Tutorials provide an opportunity to discuss ideas, issues and make practical application of the theory, as well as encourage students to think in a creative manner to solve real world problems. Use is made of the UTS web-based communication tool Canvas, which will be used to share information, provide feedback and encourage interaction between staff and students.

Content (topics)

  • The strategic role of operations — goods, services and products
  • Process design, process technology, scheduling, inventory and capacity management
  • Design, planning and control — supply chains and value networks
  • Dynamic capability building — innovation, productivity and competitive advantage
  • Sustainable business development through life-cycle thinking and associated frameworks including triple bottom line
  • Methods of measuring and improving performance of supply chain and value networks
  • 'Smarter Planet', contemporary issues and the role of ICT, human capital, current issues and global trends

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Assessment (Individual)

Weight: 30%
Length:

The length of the assessment task 1B should be 1000 words maximum (200 - 250 words for each article)

Assessment task 2: Research project (Group)

Weight: 30%
Length:

3,000 words maximum

Assessment task 3: Final Exam (Individual)

Weight: 40%
Length:

The exam duration is 2 hours plus 10 minutes reading time.

Minimum requirements

Students must achieve at least 50% of the subject’s total marks to be able to pass the course.

References

  • Simchi-Levi, D., Kaminsky, P., and Simchi-Levi E. (2008) Designing and Managing the Supply Chain, 3rd ed. McGraw Hill.
  • Jacobs, F.R. and Chase R. (2013) Operations and Supply Chain Management, 14th edition, McGraw Hill.
  • Stevenson W. J. (2012), “Operations Management”, 11th edition, McGraw-Hill

Other resources

JOURNAL SELECTION

The following list of journals is a guide only.

  • Supply Chain Management: An International Journal
  • Journal of Operations Management
  • Academy of Management Journal
  • Academy of Management Review
  • Production and Operations Management
  • European Journal of Operational Research
  • Computers and Operations Research
  • OMEGA
  • Transportation Research (all parts)
  • International Journal of Production Economics
  • International Journal of Production Research