Supply chain management: Be global

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/supply-chain-management-global

Introduction

### Course Review: Supply Chain Management: Be Global on Coursera In the fast-evolving world of business, understanding supply chain management (SCM) is crucial for success, especially in the context of globalization. The **"Supply Chain Management: Be Global"** course offered on **Coursera** serves as an enlightening platform for professionals and students looking to deepen their understanding of global supply chains and enhance their strategic decision-making skills. #### Overview of the Course The course addresses the complexities of managing supply chains in a global market characterized by competition and uncertainty. It emphasizes the importance of aligning supply chain strategies with operational capabilities and market demands. You'll engage with a structured learning approach that combines video lectures, quizzes, and practical assignments to ensure a comprehensive learning experience. With a focus on making critical trade-off decisions among cost, quality, and flexibility, the course prepares participants to tackle real-world challenges in supply chain management. Each week presents a unique theme around which objectives are mapped, and participants are guided through interactive content. #### Course Syllabus Breakdown 1. **Strategic Supply Chain Management in Global Markets**: The first week lays a foundational understanding of global supply chains, examining their components and the importance of strategic fit. Discussions here are rich and relevant, making you appreciate the variances in global supply chain dynamics. 2. **Logistics Drivers of Global Supply Chains**: This week's content focuses on logistics, a key driver of efficient SCM. By learning about various logistics drivers and accompanying trade-offs, participants gain valuable insights into push and pull strategies, enhancing their strategic toolkit. 3. **Principles of Global Supply Chain Network Design**: For businesses looking to expand, understanding the implications of creating a supply chain network in new markets is vital. This week explores critical factors for global expansion and equips learners with the knowledge to approach market entry strategically. 4. **Sourcing Decisions in Global Markets**: This segment tackles one of the core responsibilities of supply chain managers: sourcing. From in-house production to outsourcing and inventory management, participants develop the analytical skills required for informed decision-making. 5. **Risks and Sustainability in Global Supply Chains**: With global incidents posing risks to business operations, understanding risk management and sustainability is increasingly essential. This week involves deep dives into identifying risks and developing sustainable practices, ensuring resilience in supply chains. 6. **Supply Chain Diagnostic Framework**: The final week synthesizes the course content through the supply chain diagnostic framework. You’ll apply your learning to real business cases while exploring contemporary debates such as the role of disruptive technologies in SCM. #### Review and Recommendations "Supply Chain Management: Be Global" excels in providing a well-rounded education on the intricacies of global supply chains. The course integrates theoretical knowledge with practical application, making it suitable for both newcomers and seasoned professionals. **Pros:** - **Comprehensive Curriculum**: Covers essential aspects of global supply chains, providing a thorough understanding of the field. - **Interactive Learning**: The combination of videos, quizzes, and case studies keeps learners engaged and allows for practical application. - **Relevance to Current Trends**: Addresses contemporary issues such as risk management and sustainability, aligning with real-world business challenges. **Cons:** - **Pace May Be Challenging**: For those without prior SCM knowledge, some concepts could be complex and may require additional study outside of course materials. - **Limited Personal Interaction**: As a fully online course, opportunities for networking and personal mentoring can be minimal. In conclusion, I highly recommend "Supply Chain Management: Be Global" for anyone interested in mastering the intricacies of global supply chains. This course is especially beneficial for supply chain professionals, business students, and managers tasked with overseeing supply chain operations in a globalized economy. If you are looking to elevate your understanding and skills in supply chain management, consider enrolling in this insightful course on Coursera.

Syllabus

Strategic supply chain management in global markets

Welcome to week 1 of Be global! This week you will start the discussion of global supply chains and supply chain management. You will examine a number of global supply chains and their components. You will explore global supply chains from various perspectives including their main product/service offerings and how it would affect the nature of supply chains and their characteristics. And you will investigate strategic fit in supply chains and the ways to ensure your supply chain strategies are well aligned with your operational capabilities and global market requirements. So are you ready to start this week?

You might have heard of supply chain management being associated with the term 'logistics' as 'supply chain logistics'. Logistics plays a critical role in efficient supply chain management and that is why sometimes its name is synonymous with supply chain management. This week you will be equipped with the knowledge of the main logistics drivers in supply chains and the trade-offs that can be made between each two sets of logistics drivers. These trade offs would of course reflect supply chain strategy and by using several case examples, you will learn how to consider these trade offs and when to apply them. You will also learn about the push and pull strategies in supply chains and why they complement your decisions about the logistics drivers. So if you are ready, let's jump into this week's content!

If you want to expand your business globally, or if you have been tasked to develop your supply chain network in a new country or market, how do you approach this problem? What decisions do you have to make? What are the main considerations you need to focus on? Going global or expanding your business globally has certain requirements and implications for supply chains. This week you will learn about all these requirements and how they can be formulated in a specific global context

The success or failure of many small to large businesses globally often are dependent upon their sourcing decisions. As a supply chain manager you need to make the right decisions about in-house production or outsourcing, selecting your suppliers, and how much inventory and from whom to buy as some of the most fundamental yet complex decision tasks that businesses and supply chain managers should fulfill. By the end of this week you will have tools and techniques to help you in this decision making process.

There is not a day passing by that you do not hear about a major natural or man-made disaster happening around the globe. These adverse events usually disrupt business operations and in severe cases impose millions or billions of dollars of financial and/or reputation losses to businesses. The study of risks and sustainability in supply chains will specifically enable you to identify these sources of risks and developing remedies to manage these risks and their consequences to achieve resilient and more sustainable supply chains. By reviewing and practicing this week's content you will gain a deep knowledge of how global businesses manage risks and sustainability in their supply chains.

Throughout this course you have been introduced to the supply chain diagnostic framework that contains all the fundamental theories and schools of thoughts that a global supply chain manager should know and adopt. This week you will put your knowledge into test and see if you can apply it to various business cases. You will be also introduced to more contemporary debates in global supply chain management in the use of disruptive technologies in supply chain operations.