Global Supply Chain Management

Assessment task details and instructions

The outbreak of COVID-19 has drawn attention to the vulnerability of global supply chains. The disease has revealed how critical it is for businesses to have reliable and efficient supply chains to maintain continuity of operations. COVID-19 has also shown that disruptions in the supply chain can cause significant financial losses and even threaten the viability of businesses. Several businesses have reported that the outbreak has cost them significantly.
In addition to the COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022 has further disrupted the supply chain of goods globally. The conflict has caused delays and higher costs for companies that rely on transporting goods across the border. Many companies have had to reroute their shipments to avoid the conflict zone, which has added extra time and cost to their operations. Some companies have had to suspend operations altogether due to the disruptions.

Based on the above statement, you are asked to choose a sector/industry (e.g., food, steel,healthcare, retail, services, automotive), and critically:

i. Assess the effects of the recent challenges in the supply chain structure of your chosen industry.
ii. Evaluate how the industry dealt with (or coping with) supply chain management issues between the year 2020 to 2022.
iii. Access and suggest how can advanced technologies be used to rehabilitate the supply chain challenges of the specific industry.

For each question above, you should support your arguments by bringing into the discussion 1-2 examples of companies that belong to the selected sector/industry. You will also need to consider the following when completing your assignment:

• Quality of executive summary (does it give a brief summary of your paper for an executive to read?)
• Establishment of relevant theory (e.g. how supply chain environments are differentiated in the current situation?)
• Examples (is the examples focused on the current context and supply chain environments)
• Allocation of credit and sources used (have I included references and citations to the material I have used?)
• Clarity of argument (is the arguments clear and focused on the questions and the context given)
• Understanding of the matter (does the report demonstrates your Knowledge and Understanding of the current context and supply chain environments)
• Quality of Conclusions (does it give a summary of your main findings and suggestions)
• Overall report presentation, including spelling and grammar (is the overall report presentation is as per the standard)
• Adherence to the nominated word limit (3000 words +/- 10%)
• Word processed (letter size 12, times new roman, 1.5 space)
• Fully referenced (Harvard Referencing System). Please refer to the reading list and academic sources issued in the module syllabus and other sources.

Marking scheme:

Criteria Marks
Use of theory/reference to course ideas 30
Knowledge and Understanding of the subject matter 30
Examples 10
Quality of argument 10
Executive summary/Conclusions 10
Citation and References 10

Please remember that marks for the assignment will also be awarded in relation to the main questions, presentation and structure and aspects such as the use of examples, figures, tables, illustrations, and statistics that indicate more comprehensive/independent reading.

Explicit marking criteria and mark ranges can be found below.

Assessed intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this assessment, you will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

1. Critically analyse the theory, concepts and models of global supply chain management to interpret and understand complex and ambiguous risks in global logistics and supply chain environments.
2. Synthesise facts and ideas in support of an argument when evolving alternative solutionsand concepts such as lean and agile supply
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of global lead-time management andtime compression.
4. Critically evaluate the role of national and regional distribution centres (NDC/RDC) and warehouse management systems (WMS)in the strategic development of international supply chains
5. Demonstrate a sound understanding of the role and importance of an integrated and responsible approach in shaping managerial attitudes and actions and in the establishment and maintenance of cross-functional teams and longer-term stakeholder relationships

Practical, Professional or Subject Specific Skills

1. Leads by example – as high levels of self-awareness, emotional and social
   intelligence,empathy and compassion, and ability to identify mental well-being in others. Work collaboratively, enabling empowerment and delegation – acts with humility and
   authenticity is credible, confident and resilient.
2. Judgement and Challenge – Takes personal accountability aligned to clear values. Demonstrates flexibility and willingness to challenge when making decisions and solving problems – instils confidence demonstrating honesty, integrity, openness, and trust.
3. Courage & Curiosity – is confident and brave, willing to innovate, seeks new ideas, and looks for contingencies. Manages complexity and ambiguity, is comfortable in uncertainty, and is pragmatic.
4. Valuing Difference – engaging with all, is ethical and demonstrates inclusivity, recognisingdiversity, championing, and enabling cultural inclusion. Empowers and motivates to
   inspire and support others.
5. Professional Reflects on own performance, demonstrates professional standards in
   relation behaviour and ongoing development. Advocates the use of good practice within and outside the organisation.
   Transferable Skills and other Attributes
6. Identify and utilise appropriate methods for collecting and analysing data related to globalsupply chain management issues.
7. Locate, summarise and synthesise a range of information from published literature andelectronic sources on global supply chain management.
8. Work on their own and with others in analysing and presenting solutions to complexsupply chain issues in a range of diverse environments.
9. Manage their time to meet deadlines in both group discussions and in preparation for in-class activities

Module Aims

1. To enable students to develop an in-depth understanding of the critical nature andmeaning of global supply chain management and its application across a range of organisations and sectors internationally.
2. To provide students with an analytical framework for global procurement, logistics andsupply chain systems, their design, monitoring and control
3. To facilitate a critical evaluation of the contribution of global logistics and supply chain to an organisation’s competitive advantage
4. To enable students to recognise and implement responsible and sustainable approaches to supply chain management.

Word count/ duration (if applicable)
The maximum word count is 3000 words (+/- 10%), excluding References. Words over the word limit may not be considered and not marked.

Below are the Level 7 undergraduate Generic Grade Descriptors for ‘Knowledge’