MBA 723: Supply Chain Management Master Syllabus
Course Instructor:
Office Number:
Office Hours:
Email:
Course Meeting Times:
Course Website: Canvas
Textbook
Designing and Managing the Supply Chain 3e (Customized e-textbook published by McGraw Hill) by D. Simchi-Levi, P. Kaminsky and E. Simchi-Levi. You can purchase the e-book directly by searching for the title (or ISBN: 9781307515619).
Course Overview
Supply chain management (SCM) is a set of approaches and methods used to efficiently integrate suppliers, manufacturers, warehouses and stores, so that merchandise is produced and distributed at the right quantity, to the right location, at the right time, in order to minimize system-wide costs while meeting service requirements. Efficient management of a supply chain requires effective applications of the concepts, tools and techniques of SCM that will be introduced in this course. The scope of SCM decisions is broad, ranging from strategic supply chain management to tactical and operational inventory control. Several key supply chain management concerns will be covered in this course including inventory control, information sharing, supply chain contracting, demand management, global supply chain issues and some of the emerging topics in supply chain management such as sustainability. We will also discuss some industry-specific supply chains and the use of IT and decision support systems in the context of supply chain management.
MBA Program Learning Goals
- Teaming and Leading: Demonstrate the team leadership and interpersonal skills needed to form, lead, and work effectively on diverse organizational teams.
- Knowledge of Functional Business Disciplines: Demonstrate knowledge of all core functional areas of business and an ability to integrate them into a meaningful firm level perspective.
- Analytical Decision Making: Demonstrate the ability to analyze uncertain complex management situations using appropriate tools, techniques and information systems for decision-making.
- Communication: Demonstrate written, oral and presentations skills necessary to explain problems and solutions effectively and persuasively.
- Ethics and Responsibility: Demonstrate knowledge of ethical decision making considerations, corporate social responsibility and sustainability practices.
- Global Awareness: Identify relevant economic, political, and social factors that impact business conducted both within and across national boundaries.
(Goals addressed in this class are in bold)
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Understand the components of supply chain management and how they are related to other major business decision areas.
- Use and develop tools and quantitative techniques required to analyze, manage, and improve supply chain processes in order to increase competitiveness.
- Appreciate the strategic importance of supply chain management and supply chain strategies and understand how they need to be integrated with other functions of the organization.
- Develop logical and analytical thinking required in handling real world business processes.
Course Material & Method of Instruction
The lecture notes will be posted on Canvas every week. The course will be covered using a mix of lectures, discussions, problem solving, games, case studies and guest lectures. Since we will cover a broad range of topics, it is very important that you keep pace with the material. Hence, you are expected to read the assigned material before coming to class. Solving homework exercises and preparing for the quizzes will ensure that as well.
Homework Exercises
I will post some homework exercises (practice problems) after certain classes; the solutions will be available soon after as well. These homework exercises will neither be collected nor graded. However, you are expected to go through them to improve your understanding of the material. In order to get the most out of these problems, you should first review the relevant lecture and spend some time to do it on your own and then refer to the solution. I would recommend that you stop by my office hours to clarify any questions you might have.
Quizzes
There will be three quizzes that will be administered on Canvas. The quizzes will be made available on Wednesdays at 5pm and will be due Monday at 6:30pm before class (The detailed schedule is at the end). There will be no make-up quiz. They will be timed (once you start the quiz you will not be able to pause the timer). Quizzes are open lecture notes/book/cases, but no collaboration with other students or use of unauthorized material (i.e., material not provided through the course's Canvas or not mentioned on the Syllabus) is allowed.
Case Studies
You are required to submit a report for two of the case studies (Case 1 and 4 as indicated below in the course schedule). For these two case studies, you will be working in groups, but will be required to turn in only one report at the beginning of class. Further details about the format together with some guiding questions will be posted for each of these cases under the ‘Assignments’ folder on Canvas a week before the due date.
For the other two cases (Case 2 and 3), you are required to go through them on your own and be ready to discuss it in class. You will not be required to submit a report for these case studies; yet your preparation and quality of your answers will affect your participation grade; a few guiding questions for these cases will be posted as well (under the ‘Assignments’ folder on Canvas).
Here is a list of all the case studies for this class with detailed information on how to obtain them. You should refer to the “Course Schedule” for the due date of each:
Case 1: “Hamptonshire Express” This case is provided by Harvard Business School publishing (Case number:698053-PDF-ENG) and is available at the coursepack created for you.
Case 2: “Wal-Mart Inc. Takes on Amazon.com” This case is provided by Harvard Business School publishing (Case number: 718481-PDF-ENG) and is available at the coursepack created for you.
Case 3: “Wal-Mart Changes Tactics to Meet International Tastes” This case is available in your textbook at the beginning of Chapter 10 “Global Logistics and Risk Management” on page 309. (By Jonathan Friedland and Louise Lee: Source: The Wall Street Journal).
Case 4: “H&M’s Global Supply Chain Management Sustainability: Factories and Fast Fashion” This case is provided by Harvard Business School publishing (Case number:W93C73-PDFENG) and is available at the coursepack created for you.
Games, Simulation and Reading Assignments
To facilitate your learning and help communicate some of the fundamental concepts for certain topics, we will play the following games and run one simulation (the corresponding schedule is provided in the ‘Course Schedule):
Game 1: “Inventory Management Game” This is an in-class game you will play as a group (randomly assigned) on week 2. You should read the hand-out (will be posted on Canvas under Lecture 2) and familiarize yourself with the game and its objectives.
Game 2: “Beer Game” This is an on-line game provided by Responsive Learning Technologies. You need to first register for the game and you will need the course code (‘barrels’) to access the game. You are expected to read the hand-out which will be posted on Canvas under Lecture 3 and practice the game before class.
Game 3: “Customer Valuation Game: This is another in-class game we will play at the very beginning of session five. You are just required to go through the brief hand-out and familiarize yourself with the game setup.
Supply Chain Simulation: This is an on-line simulation and is provided by Responsive Learning Technologies. The students should first register and then purchase individual access codes. The institution name is "George Mason University" and the product is titled "SC + eB Code for MBA 723". The students should then register their teams (these are your case groups) and the course id is ‘barrels’. Your group name should be “scgroupx” where “x” is your group number (will be on Canvas). Once I introduce you to the game at the end of session 6 (Dec 2nd), the game will start at 10pm that day. You have one week to play the game with your group and turn in a printed report (on Dec 9th) at the beginning of class with all the names. Please make sure that you take notes of your strategic actions throughout the game as you will be graded based on your overall profitability and the quality of the strategic actions you take. Note that teams without a strategy (e.g., do nothing) will obtain zero points from their game report. I will post a detailed description of the game, as well as past demand data for forecasting purposes.
Other than the hand-outs for these games and simulation, for some of the classes, you may have brief reading assignments (such as some articles I may send out on the subject) or short cases. You are required to read them before coming to class which may be used to stimulate further discussion on that week’s topic.
In-Class Participation and Classroom Rules
Class discussion is an important part of the learning process. To stimulate a rich-class environment, it is important to come prepared for the class. Active participation is expected throughout the entire class with thoughtful contributions to advance the quality of the discussion. You will have plenty of opportunities throughout the semester to contribute to that in various ways:
- You will be assigned case studies together with some discussion questions for each case. While you are not required to submit a report for all the case studies, I expect all of you to be prepared to discuss them in class. Meaningful contributions to class discussion include any comments, questions or analyses which advance the general class understanding of the case concept or issue. Sometimes I may start a discussion and then call on one of you to lead it.
- As you will notice, I may cover some of the topics by asking questions to understand your points of view, and then use your answers as building blocks to reach a conclusion or get the main message across. Some of those questions may require precise answers, perhaps based on earlier lectures, while others may be quite openended.
- You need to prepare for the games we will play in class and you are expected to contribute to discussions before and after we play the game.
- We will also hold discussions based on some of the reading assignments.
Although attendance will be taken, it will not automatically translate into perfect participation score. Please refer to the rubric at the end of the syllabus.
Exam
There will be a take-home cumulative final exam that will be made available right after last class and you will have two days to complete it. NO MAKEUP WILL BE GIVEN without a valid, per university policy, documented excuse. Information presented through the lectures, cases, in-class discussion/activities, and by the guest speakers may be included on the exam. Exam is open lecture notes/book/cases, but no collaboration with other students or use of unauthorized material (i.e., material not provided through the course's Canvas or not mentioned on the Syllabus) is allowed.
Project
The main goal of the project is for you to explore how some of the supply chain management (SCM) concepts and techniques you have learnt applies to real business. While I keep the project topic flexible, I will give you some ideas and strategies that you can use to frame your project. The project is a group assignment. There will be two deliverables for the project: (i) a report (subject to a 6-page limit, 1 inch margins, 1.5 spaced, 11 point font excluding the appendices due on December 16th 7PM), and (ii) a 12-minute presentation (including questions) on the last day of class (December 16th). You must also turn in a short proposal (not more than one-page) of your project on November 25th (will not be graded) that explains your topic/problem and what your plans are to finalize your project.
When formulating the topic of your project, you can take one of the following perspectives:
- SCM consultant: Choose a business (local or otherwise), which could benefit from SCM ideas. If you were hired as an SCM consultant, what kind of SCM initiatives would you implement? Explain how this business would benefit from such initiatives. Do you foresee any implementation challenges and risk factors?
- Industry analyst: Focus on an industry that is of interest to you (e.g. retail, electronics, auto etc). By gathering information from a few companies in this industry, do a comparative study of the SCM practices and opportunities. If you think SCM is not being used to its full potential, explain what other SCM ideas have further potential in this industry. If SCM is being used extensively, make an assessment of their effectiveness and discuss the driving force behind differences among firms. How would new technologies (e.g., blockchain, autonomous robots, 3D printing etc.) affect and shape supply chains in this industry?
- Entrepreneur: Develop a business plan for a new company which provides or utilizes SCM solutions. Describe how you will make your business operational and differentiate from competitors.
- Innovator: Do you have this next great idea for an SCM solution that many businesses can benefit from? Describe your idea and make a pitch for its value proposition.
Your project grade will be based on four components: (30%) breadth and depth of research (the quantity and quality of material you find concerning your topic); (30%) quality of analysis; (20%) quality of writing (including proper citations); and (20%) quality of class presentation.
Grading
Your overall course grade will be based on:
- Quizzes: 20%
- Case study and game reports: 20%
- Final: 35%
- Class participation: 15%
- Project: 10%
Grading Scale
| Grade | Points Earned |
|---|---|
| A | 93-100 |
| A- | 90-92 |
| B+ | 87-89 |
| B | 83-86 |
| B- | 80-82 |
| C+ | 75-79 |
| C | 70-74 |
| C- | 65-69 |
| F | below 65 |
Groups
Please group yourselves into teams of two by the second week of class. Please email me (and cc your TA) your team list so I can create groups on Canvas and possibly assign someone else to your group if necessary. Every team member should contribute equally to its group reports. You are expected to be in constant communication with your group members and be prepared for every group meeting. I will ask you to perform a peer review of your team members at the end of the semester and will make adjustments to the case/project/game grades based on your comments.
Communication
I communicate remotely with students only by George Mason e-mail and via Canvas. For security and confidentiality, I will only reply to George Mason e-mail addresses.
Please come and see me during my office hours as soon as you have any questions about the material or the class in general. If you have any questions about your grade, you should contact me within the first week the grades are posted and please bring any other issues you may have to my attention as soon as they arise.
Disability
Any student with special needs should bring them to the instructor’s attention no later than the second week of class. For students with any disabilities, please also contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at (703) 993-2474. All academic accommodations must be arranged through the ODS. For more information, please visit the Office for Disability Service website.
Academic Integrity
George Mason University shares in the tradition of an honor system that has existed in Virginia since 1842. The Honor Code is an integral part of university life. On the application for admission, students sign a statement agreeing to conform to and uphold the Honor Code. Students are responsible, therefore, for understanding the provisions of the code. In the spirit of the code, a student's word is a declaration of good faith acceptable as truth in all academic matters. Cheating and attempted cheating, plagiarism, lying, and stealing of academic work and related materials constitute Honor Code violations. To maintain an academic community according to these standards, students and faculty must report all alleged violations of the Honor Code to the Honor Committee. Any student who has knowledge of, but does not report, an Honor Code violation may be accused of lying under the Honor Code. All students are expected to adhere to this code. All acts of academic dishonesty will be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of this code.
For practical purposes, the meaning of the code for this class is:
- When taking the exams or quizzes, collaboration with other students or use of unauthorized material (i.e., material not provided through the course's Canvas or not mentioned on the Syllabus) is not allowed.
- Case and simulation reports represent original ideas of the team members.
- You may not present the work, or the opinions of someone else without proper acknowledgement.
Inclement Weather & Campus Emergencies
Information regarding weather related changes in the University's schedule (e.g., closing or late opening) will be provided on the George Mason website and via MasonAlert. Students can sign up for the Mason Alert system to provide emergency information of various sorts. If campus is closed, please check Blackboard for announcements from the professor.
Business Library Liaison Information
Jo Ann J. Henson, MLIS Business and Economics Liaison Librarian Fenwick Library Fairfax Campus: Business InfoGuides
Religion
Students who will miss class for religious reasons should inform me of their anticipated absences as soon as possible.
Counseling Center
George Mason University has a counseling center that can provide assistance if you find yourself overwhelmed by life, want training in academic or life skills, or the like. More information is available at the Counseling and Psychological Services website.
Course Schedule (Tentative)
| Week | Date | Topics | Quizzes | Deliverable | Preparation | Chapters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 28 | Introduction | Short case: Dell | Chapter 1 | ||
| 2 | Nov 4 | Inventory Management | Quiz 1 | Create and email Groups | Inventory Game | Chapter 2 |
| 3 | Nov 11 | Information Sharing and Contracting in Supply Chains | Case 1 report | e-Beer Game | Chapter 4, 5 | |
| 4 | Nov 18 |
Industry specific supply chains:
|
Quiz 2 | Case 2 | ||
| 5 | Nov 25 | Customer Value, Pricing and Supply Chain Management | Project proposal | Customer Valuation Game | ||
| 6 | Dec 2 | Global Logistics, Network Design, Outsourcing and Procurement Management | Quiz 3 | Case 3 | Chapter 3, 6 and 7 | |
| 7 | Dec 9 | Sustainability and Emerging Topics in Supply Chain Management |
SCM game report Case 4 report |
|||
| 8 | Dec 16 | Project presentations/ IT, Decision Support Systems and Recent Advances in SCM (Guest speaker) / Course review | Project reports | |||
| Dec 18 | Take Home Final Exam Due |
Rubric for Case Study Reports
| Performance Level | |||||
| Criteria | % | 1 (60-69) | 2 (70-79) | 3 (80-89) | 4 (90-100) |
| Situation analysis | 20 | Does a poor analysis of the environment the firm is operating in; no mention of the potential (internal and external) threats and opportunities. | Does a weak analysis of the environment the firm is operating in; limited mention of the potential (internal and external) threats and opportunities. | Does a reasonably good analysis of the environment the firm is operating in; identifies some of the potential (internal and external) threats and opportunities. | Does a thorough analysis of the environment the firm is operating in; successfully identifies any potential (internal and external) threats and opportunities. |
| Identification and clear presentation of the problems and issues facing the company | 20 | Demonstrates minimal understanding of the issues, key problems, and the company’s present situation. | Demonstrates limited understanding of the issues, key problems, and the company’s present situation. | Demonstrates adequate understanding of the issues, key problems, and the company’s present situation. | Demonstrates superior understanding of the issues, key problems, and the company’s present situation. |
| Critical evaluation and analysis of the alternative(s) and recommendation(s) | 40 | Displays poor understanding and assessment of the solution(s) and recommendation(s). | Displays an inadequate analysis and assessment of the solution(s) and recommendation(s); discusses and evaluates only some of the implications and the consequences with weak arguments. Necessary references are generally missing. | Demonstrates an adequate analysis and assessment of the solution(s) and recommendation(s); discusses and critically evaluates the implications and presents the consequences with solid arguments. Occasionally makes the necessary references. | Effectively identifies, analyzes and assesses solution(s) and recommendation(s); thoroughly discusses and critically evaluates the implications and presents the consequences with strong arguments. Makes necessary references. |
| Proper organization and logical flow of the analysis | 10 | No organization and flow of ideas, arguments, analysis and recommendations. | Poor organization and flow of ideas, arguments, analysis and recommendations and a report with minimal structure. | Good organization and flow of ideas, arguments, analysis and recommendations and a well- structured report. | Excellent organization and flow of ideas, arguments, analysis and recommendations and a clearly structured report. |
| Proper writing and grammar | 10 | Grammar, spelling, punctuation, professional writing, and syntax needs significant improvement | Grammar, spelling, punctuation, professional writing, and syntax needs improvement | Accomplished grammar, spelling, punctuation, professional writing, and syntax | Excellent grammar, spelling, punctuation, professional writing, and syntax |
Rubric for In-class Participation
| Performance Level | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 4 |
|
| 3 |
|
| 2 |
|
| 1 |
|
| 0 |
|
To print: Right-click and choose “Print,” then follow your browser’s print settings.
To download: Right-click and choose “Print,” then select “Save as PDF.”