Supply Chain Management Courses Research Articles

Product Innovation Using Agile Practices in Supply Chain Management Curriculum

The dynamic business landscape demands supply chain professionals with Agile project management skills. This study introduces a novel course project simulating a new product launch for a Fortune 500 company. We designed a theoretical multi-phase student team-based Agile project as part of an undergraduate Supply Chain Management course. This article describes implementing a project where teams are guided through the "Agile Way" using scaffolding of the Scrum framework. The project is designed using team-based learning of Agile methodologies. Agile methodologies often emphasize collaboration and open communication, which can foster psychological safety in teams. Using Agile frameworks and the designed templates, student teams work through theoretical Agile product innovation phases for a Fortune 500 company throughout the semester. Students simulate a product launch and apply Agile practices. A validated Agile survey assessed student learning outcomes across two semesters. Statistical analysis revealed a significant positive impact of using Agile templates on student understanding of Agile practices, team collaboration, and continuous improvement. This project offers a practical and adaptable framework and provides insights into using Agile management in the classroom. This study contributes to understanding student learning processes and outcomes using Agile project management and outlines teaching methods for a Supply Chain Management class that successfully implements Agile management projects.

Research on the Reform of Logistics and Supply Chain Management Courses Based on PDCA Quality Circle

The courses on logistics and supply chain management exhibit numerous professional attributes, including expertise in process management. Within logistics and supply chain management courses, several professional features are present, such as process management. Despite this, several issues continue to exist in the reform of the logistics and supply chain management curriculum. Currently, there is room for improvement in the effectiveness of teaching. Hence, this study employs the PDCA quality circle model to assess the teaching process and identify an effective teaching approach for enhancing the quality of logistics and supply chain management courses, as well as other academic courses. In this method, each lesson will consist of theoretical instruction, fostering student-led discussions on the topics and enabling students to present their queries to teachers. Teachers will document feedback and issues to address in the subsequent teaching session. By implementing this method, there will be a significant enhancement in both the quality of teaching and its impact. The findings of this study can be utilized in various courses, in conjunction with the unique attributes of each course and the instructional needs, to enhance the efficacy and quality of teaching outcomes.

Teaching information flow in supply chains: A role‐playing game using TagScan

AbstractInformation flow is one of the three main flows of supply chains. It is an abstract concept that can be challenging for students to grasp in its entirety. This article describes a role‐playing game for teaching the topic of information flow in an undergraduate supply chain management course. The game allows students to simulate receiving and fulfilling customer orders by playing five roles within a manufacturing company. Students use TagScan, an augmented reality barcoding and logistics system launched by a technology company in western Canada, to track information throughout the game. Pre‐ and postsurvey results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed game in helping students visualize abstract course concepts and understand the types of information being tracked, the available information transmission technology, and the dynamics of information flow in a supply chain. Students were actively engaged in this in‐class activity and responded positively to the learning‐by‐gaming experience.

Research on the curriculum reform of “Supply Chain Management” under the background of school-enterprise collaborative education

With the rapid development of the logistics industry, the requirements for the training of logistics talents are getting higher and higher. The development of logistics majors in local universities in Xinjiang must also be oriented to Xinjiang’s industries and enterprises, and follow the path of industry-education integration and school-enterprise cooperation. Through the analysis of the current school-enterprise cooperative teaching model, it is found that there are still problems such as the lack of close connection between talent training goals and enterprise production needs, the curriculum is too theoretical, and the construction of the teaching staff needs to be strengthened. In response to the above problems, with the goal of cultivating technical and skilled talents, adhering to the concept of school-enterprise collaborative education, taking the “Supply Chain Management” course as an example, we explore the exploration path of “Supply Chain Management” course reform under the background of school-enterprise collaborative education, in order to Through the method of “introducing enterprises into teaching”, we will improve the quality of Urumqi Vocational University’s supply chain management courses, deepen school-enterprise cooperation, and promote the reform of vocational education teaching.

Management students create art: A novel approach to introducing supply chain ethics

AbstractThis article details an art assignment given to undergraduate management students in an introductory supply chain management course. Students were asked to choose a supply chain ethics issue, create a work of art that responded to the issue, then write an artist's statement that discussed the thought process and choices made in creating their artwork. The majority of students submitted art that was creative, relevant to supply chain ethics, and well executed. Survey results reveal that students were in agreement that the assignment was more enjoyable than a comparable written assignment. In addition, students’ understanding of ethical issues in supply chain management increased through both the creation of their own art and interactions with the art of their peers. This novel approach to teaching ethics in supply chain management addresses shortcomings in current approaches to business education and helps student build a strong foundation for ethical decision‐making in their future careers.

供应链管理课程思政建设探索

供应链管理课程思政建设探索

Review of Supply Chain Management and Logistics Study

Supply chain management (SCM) is progressively more understood as the controlling of precarious business processes across a set-up of organizations that make up a supply chain. Many recognize the value of a process-based attitude to business and supply chain management, but do you know which processes to cogitate, what replace practices and activities each includes, and how these practices intermingle with each other?. Most people are not clear about how to interact with the, and how to interact with the process. There are mutually outdated functional silos. This paper affords considered and operational explanations of each of the eight supply chain practices identified by members of the Global Supply Chain Forum (GSCF). It also affords examples of interfaces between processes and how to contrivance processes approach in your union. Our goal is to afford managers with a charter they can use when employing supply chain management. Trainers provide useful materials for building supply chain management courses, and canvassers provide a variety of prospects to advance the field.

The effect of instructor communication on affective learning in a supply chain management course

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to understand how instructor clarity and computer‐mediated behaviors influence students’ affective learning and technology self‐efficacy in online supply chain management (SCM) courses, which show how the instructor–student relationship affects online learning experiences. Data were collected through an online questionnaire using the Prolific human subject's pool. The data supported a model in which instructors’ clarity and computer‐mediated immediate behaviors indirectly influenced students’ technology self‐efficacy and affect for the course through the mediation of perceived immediacy. Affect for the instructor did not fit into the final model. The findings in this study help SCM instructors navigate the pedagogical pivot that may be required for the next unexpected event (pandemic, etc.) without compromising student learning goals.

Orgatma – the 3PL challenge

Learning outcomes This case study would help students in understanding the dynamics of logistics and logistics vendor roles and contributions to overall business operations. The case study covers real-time information for applying the theoretical knowledge students gain related to the selection of logistics vendor. It would help students to understand and evaluate the dynamics of a new start-up related to cost, profits and dependency; understand and analyze the importance of third-party logistics (3PL) service providers in the supply chain; become aware of the key performance indicators (KPIs) important in the selection of logistics vendor; and develop and create measures for selecting logistics vendors on the basis of KPIs. Case overview/synopsis This case study was about an innovative start-up operating in the field of organic edible oils. The company catered to end consumers with its indigenous technology and processes. The innovative and healthy products were appreciated by the consumers, as was reflected in the surging demand figures. With the increasing popularity of organic products, the orders were surging. At the same time, issues such as damaged product delivery, increased cost per delivery of small packages and failure to deliver because of unserved pin codes by their logistics partners were being faced by the company. The case discusses the dilemma faced by the protagonist regarding the selection of the right 3PL partner. The case study is suitable for teaching courses in operations and logistics, supply chain management and entrepreneurship-related courses. Complexity academic level This case study is appropriate for postgraduate courses in entrepreneurship, operations management, logistics and supply chain management and general management. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS9: Operations and logistics.

Research on Reform of Teaching Content of Supply Chain Management Course in Application-oriented Universities

New business format and model put forward new requirements for post competence of business talents. Under the new business background, aiming at reform of teaching content of supply chain management course in application-oriented universities, Crawler Technology is used to obtain job responsibility data of current actual enterprise recruitment. Through Text Mining Technology such as high-frequency word analysis and semantic network analysis, the focus of actual job responsibilities and abilities is deeply explored, so as to clarify the focus of current supply chain management course teaching content and put forward corresponding teaching reform suggestions. The research results show that suppliers, logistics, planning and inventory and others are the main concerns of the current job responsibilities. It is suggested that the teaching content of supply chain management course should be designed from supplier and procurement management, supply chain logistics planning and scheme design, demand and inventory optimization, demand and production planning management, product cost and quality control, supply chain system coordination and optimization, and supply chain strategy and operation.

Bridging the gap between supply chain management practice and curriculum: A location analytics exercise

AbstractThis teaching brief explores how and why location analytics should be taught in business schools using three objectives. First, an explanation is provided for the importance of including location analytics in the standard business school curriculum—especially in the field of supply chain management. Second, a lack of GIS‐based location analytics methods in business school curricula is demonstrated. Third, a three‐part location analytics exercise is introduced to contribute to the supply chain management curriculum. The proposed exercise utilizes the output of a GIS‐based location analytics software (namely, Esri's ArcGIS Online) as the input for a location set covering problem that can be solved using an integer programming solver. The exercise can also be used as a stand‐alone example of GIS in a supply chain management course. This teaching brief aims to (1) develop a new method to use in teaching location analytics in supply chain management and analytics courses and (2) bridge an important gap between supply chain management practice and curriculum.

Does Cross-Functional Pedagogy of Teaching a Course Help in Management Education?

This research study aims to examine the effectiveness of delivering a supply chain management course to students from a cross-functional perspective. The study analyses the positive teaching-learning outcomes that came out with the teaching of this course to the working professionals through online mode at an institution from a cross-functional perspective. The research question is whether teaching the supply chain management course from a cross-functional perspective resulted in better student performance in terms of Bloom's taxonomy. This study finds that the positive effect of this experiment is statistically significant on the treatment set. The study also proposes a few examples of cross-functional classroom teaching and linkages between different courses that need to be brought to the attention of the students. The study also sheds light on different tools of cross-functional teaching and how the management faculty can develop the art of delivering lectures from a cross-functional perspective, and the caution that they need to exercise while adopting this pedagogy style.

Godrej commercial network contingency planning: in context COVID

Learning outcomes This study aims to introduce students to uncontrolled and unprecedented business scenarios and strategies to deal with them, to make students understand the importance of contingency planning and create what-if scenarios, to step by step guide students how to build a network contingency planning tool and to enable students to use tools such as solver to build up a dashboard with given information. Case overview/synopsis The case is about Godrej Commercial, a vertical of Godrej and Boyce that handles warehousing and transportation support to five verticals under the banner of Godrej operating pan India. How Godrej is trying to deal with COVID pandemic, what were their coping strategies and how contingency planning is done is what this case is all about. The main focus of this case is understanding how network contingency planning is done and what parameters should be considered. How a dashboard can be developed that can be used as a base for taking strategic decisions related to networking given the uncertainties due to COVID. The case gives hands on to students to use solver and build a dash board, plus gives a peep into Godrej and its operations. Complexity academic level This study is suitable for students of undergraduate or first year MBA level. Specifically, the case can be used in business strategies, operations and supply chain management courses. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 9: Operations and Logistics.

Research and Practice of the Hybrid Teaching Mode of Operations and Supply Chain Management Course Based on Rain Classroom

The proposed national strategy for a modern supply chain marks the increasing need and the utmost importance of modern supply chain management professionals in China. Therefore, to meet the needs of the national strategy, it is becoming more and more urgent for universities across the country to explore how to innovate the teaching mode to train more excellent professionals in supply chain management. In this study, we will take the Operations and Supply Chain Management course as an example and then tend to study how to reform and design the online and offline hybrid teaching mode based on Rain Classroom. Our goal is to improve the teaching quality of the Operations and Supply Chain Management course, so as to improve the quality of undergraduate talent cultivation and train modern supply chain management professionals who meet the needs of a modern supply chain national strategy.

Case Article—ReCellular Inc: Managing Demand Uncertainty in Closed-Loop Remanufacturing

The modeling-based case study is useful for two purposes: introduce closed-loop supply chains and highlight and model some of its unique aspects that the traditional newsvendor formulation does not capture. The case focuses on a third-party remanufacturer (3PR) who buys used cellphones in different quality grades in anticipation of demand. Phones in high grade have been used gently—they have a high acquisition cost but low remanufacturing cost. Low-grade phones have been used extensively—they are cheaper to acquire but have a higher remanufacturing cost. Medium-grade phones have intermediate acquisition and remanufacturing costs. The 3PR needs to trade off these two costs and determine which grade(s) of used phones to buy. The 3PR restores all phones to the same like-new standard during remanufacturing. Extensive use of the case in supply chain management courses shows that in the absence of a mathematical model, students systematically deviate from the optimal decisions because of contextual features. Overall, students believed the case was challenging and that it provides a valuable learning experience, both as an exposure to the closed-loop supply chain domain as well as developing models with industry-specific factors.Supplemental Material: The Teaching Note and Excel solution are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ited.2021.0254ca .

Survey of graduate supply chain courses: content, coverage and gaps

PurposeThis paper aims to provide the results of a survey of courses dedicated to the field of supply chain management in higher education. This research is unique because it represents the first large-scale study of graduate supply chain management courses taught at universities globally.Design/methodology/approachContent analysis was performed on each syllabus to identify the actual course content: requirements, pedagogy and content emphasis. This aggregated information was used to compare historical research findings in this area, with the current skills identified as important for career success. This data provides input for a gap analysis between offerings in higher education and those needs identified by practitioners.FindingsData gathering efforts yielded a sample of 112 graduate courses representing 61 schools across the world. The aggregate number of topics covered in graduate courses totaled 114. The primary evaluation techniques include exams, projects and homework. Details regarding content and assessment techniques are provided along with a gap analysis between the supply chain management course content and the needs identified by APICS Supply Chain Manager Competency Model (2014).Originality/valueThe goal is to use this data as a means of continuous improvement in the quality and value of the educational experience on a longitudinal basis. The findings are designed to foster information sharing and provide data for benchmarking efforts in the development of supply chain management courses and curricula in academia, as well as training, development and recruitment efforts by professionals in the field of supply chain management.

Managing inventory at GoUNESCO

Learning outcomes This case calls out the following inventory management learning objectives in a project context: to understand the project categories of inventories and their drivers for planning purposes, to learn how to manage different categories of inventory and to learn the importance of effective allocation of inventory at different project locations. Case overview/synopsis GoUNESCO is a start-up formed with the objective of providing a platform for laypersons to engage with places of heritage value. Among others, one of the key components of this platform is “go heritage runs,” in short GHR. In the past three years, the popularity of runs organized under the brand GHR has been increasing, both in terms of locations and the number of participants in each location in successive years. Inventory planning and management for projects is tricky. Different categories of inventory have different implications of shortages or excesses. The case dwells into inventory planning and management of t-shirts and medals, to drive home this point. Complexity academic level The case can be positioned in service operations management or supply chain management courses while covering inventory management topics for both Master of Business Administration (MBA) and executive MBA students. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.

An exploratory study of experiential learning in teaching a supply chain management course in an emerging market economy

PurposeThe study is exploratory and aims to investigate students’ learning experience in a supply chain management (SCM) course at a university in Bahrain. The selected learning skills were cognitive, affective and interactive, whereas the adopted pedagogical tools were case analysis, evaluative essay and game exercise.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey was distributed to undergraduate students enrolled in an SCM course at a university in Bahrain. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis techniques were used. Inferential analysis tests were principal component analysis, Kruskal–Wallis analysis of variance and Dunn’s post hoc pairwise comparison test.FindingsResults are inconclusive but revealed significant differences in students’ perceptions of learning skills among the adopted teaching methods. Significant differences in the perceived learning skills were found between the evaluative essay and the case analysis and between the report and the game exercise. The game exercise was the most useful technique in improving students’ interactive, cognitive and affective skills, followed by case analysis and evaluative essay.Research limitations/implicationsAs the sample of this study consisted of students enrolled in a particular SCM course at a University in Bahrain, the small sample size may restrict the study’s conclusive findings.Practical implicationsIt is recommended to establish an experiential or problem-based learning support unit to assist faculty in the planning, design and development of pedagogical and assessment tools.Originality/valueThe research findings are expected to help design, assess and enhance students’ learning experience in SCM and other business courses that adopt a process-based experiential learning perspective.

Undergraduate supply chain management courses: content, coverage, assessment and gaps

PurposeThis paper aims to provide the results of a survey of supply chain management (SCM) courses in higher education. This research is unique because it represents the first large-scale study of undergraduate SCM course syllabi taught at universities.Design/methodology/approachThe unit of analysis is an SCM syllabus. Content analysis was performed on each syllabus to identify the actual course coverage including requirements, pedagogy and content emphasis. This aggregated information was used to compare historical research findings in this area, with the current skills identified as important for career success. This data provides the input for a gap analysis between offerings in higher education and those needs identified by practitioners.FindingsData gathering efforts yielded a sample of 109 undergraduate courses representing 79 schools across North America. The aggregate number of topics covered in undergraduate courses totaled 120. The primary evaluation techniques include exams, projects and homework. Details regarding content and assessment techniques are provided along with a gap analysis between the coverage of supply chain courses and the needs identified by previous academic research.Originality/valueThis study is the first large-scale content analysis of undergraduate SCM course syllabi. The goal is to use this data as a means of continuous improvement in the quality and value of the educational experience on a longitudinal basis. The findings are designed to foster information sharing and provide data for benchmarking efforts in the development of SCM courses and curricula in academia, as well as training, development and recruitment efforts by professionals in the field of SCM.

Op‐Ed Writing Assignment in Supply Chain Management Courses

ABSTRACTNewspaper op‐eds, dedicated to commentary essays from outside of a newspaper, function as a platform for the public to exchange opinions. We designed an op‐ed writing assignment as part of a semester‐long course project in global supply chain management (SCM). Student teams conducted research on a SCM topic, presented their findings in the classroom, and wrote an op‐ed for submission to a local or regional newspaper. This teaching brief describes the implementation of this assignment at a northeast U.S. university. The goals of this assignment were: (1) to educate students on how to write an op‐ed and (2) to educate students on how to publish their opinion articles. Insights on the benefits and challenges that students experienced from completing the op‐ed assignment are discussed. A description of a case‐based version of the op‐ed writing assignment used in a Canadian university is also provided.