21963 Supply Chain Technology Management
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksThere are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
This subject covers the changing and dynamic role of information technology within organisations and supply chains. The focus is on digital strategy, digital operations and digital transformation within organisations and supply chains. Theories of adoption and resistance are used to provide a change management framework for students to understand the impacts and challenges of implementing technologies. This subject provides students with the skills and capability to design and manage the implementation of contemporary and advanced technologies (such as industry 4.0, blockchain, smart contracts, and artificial intelligence) within a regulatory framework. Students develop the capabilities to consider and select appropriate business models that apply when operating in the digital economy.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| 1. | Evaluate the importance of the use of advanced technologies for effective business and supply chain operations |
|---|---|
| 2. | Analyze an organization’s readiness to adopt and implement advanced technologies using relevant theories |
| 3. | Apply relevant Australian rules and regulations to the use of advanced technology (eg privacy, security, ethical algorithms) |
| 4. | Assess the impact and implications of implementing advanced technologies in organizations and supply chains |
| 5. | Apply different business models when reflecting on digital strategies, digital operations and digital transformation |
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
The subject provides managers with functional-related competencies needed for the effective management of technology within organisations and supply chains and to critically analyse the challenges facing managers and staff when implementing new and emerging technologies. The emphasis of this unit is on the strategic and operational aspects of a line manager’s role in the analysis, selection, and implementation of new technologies and to take corrective action to ensure the realization of benefits from the chosen technology.
This subject contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes:
- Professional and technical competence
This subject also contributes specifically to the development of the following Program Learning Objectives for the Master of Strategic Supply Chain Management:
- Integrate advanced knowledge of complex strategic supply chain management concepts, including Indigenous perspectives, and technical skills to lead professional practice in operations and supply chain management (4.1)
Teaching and learning strategies
The teaching and learning strategies used in this subject promote critical and reflective thinking, research, evaluation and collaborative learning and also focus on literacy skills. The strategies have been designed to enable students to make progress in their achievement and maximise their accomplishment of the learning outcomes. Students engage in the essential content through lectures, seminar-style discussions, case studies and student-led dialogue through face-to-face and online collaboration.
It is expected that students will complete all allocated activities and readings for each lesson prior to attending class. Completing activities and readings prior to class allows for in-class time to be spent on collaborative discussions that address interesting and challenging aspects of the material rather than simply recapping the content and facts.
Formative feedback exercises are used during tutorials to prepare and assist students with assessments. For example, students will be required to share with their peers the responses they have prepared prior to class to tutorial activities. These exercises aim to help students identify their strengths and weaknesses and target areas that need work. The practice case study exercises help tutors recognise where students are struggling and address problems immediately through individual and collective class feedback. Students are also required to submit a draft of their individual case study analysis in for peer evaluation to encourage reflection and ownership on the assessment criteria.
Summative feedback will be provided to students for formally composed submissions such as the individual case study assessment (task 1). The goal of the summative feedback is to evaluate student learning by comparing it against the prescribed assessment criteria.
An aim of this subject is to help you develop academic and professional language and communication skills to succeed at university and in the workplace. During the course of this subject, you will complete a milestone assessment task that will, in addition to assessing your subject-specific learning objectives, assess your English language proficiency.
Content (topics)
- Introduction to technology, user centred design
- Technology adoption and resistance theories and change management processes
- Rules and regulations for technology providers and use of technologies within an Australian business context
- Designing information systems, Systems development life cycle, (SDLC), ERP systems and integrated business operations
- Technology user requirements and other technical documentation
- Digital business models, Business process redesign, Digital transformation,
- Supply chain integration methods
- Blockchain, crypto-currency and smart contracts
- Algorithm based business operations, big data and advanced analytics
- New technologies, autonomous vehicles, additive manufacturing and remote monitoring systems
- New organizational forms based on distributed technologies
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Case Analysis
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 2 and 4 |
|---|---|
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | 2000 words |
Assessment task 2: Critical Analysis
| Intent: | This assessment develops program learning objectives(s): 5.1 |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1 and 3 |
| Groupwork: | Group, group assessed |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | 3,000 words (exclusing references) |
Assessment task 3: Technology assessment and analysis
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 2 and 4 |
|---|---|
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 40% |
| Length: | 3,000 words (excluding references) |
Minimum requirements
Students must achieve at least 50% of the subject’s total marks as well as meet the Management Discipline Group compulsory attendance requirement, as detailed in the Subject Outline. This includes active online attendance where face to face classes are suspended.