MSc in Procurement Management

The module will be delivered in intensive presence blocks in part-time, in which the emphasis is not only on traditional lectures, but also on examples of best practice in which high levels of interaction between lecturers and students are the decisive elements of teaching and learning. Additional contemporary learning methods, including non-assessed presentations may complete the student-centred focus on participants’ individual achievements.

1. International Procurement Management Introduction

Drivers of globalisation have extended the requirements for the procurement profession and its managers significantly. The selection of suppliers on international markets and their fit into the organisational process of value creation is a sophisticated task, which influences profitability and competitive advantages.

In a popular understanding not always the cheapest solution is the best solution. Therefore, procurement managers need skills and capabilities qualifying them to act and interact on the international market place, to build internationally sustainable relationships, but must also be enabled to assure quality and reliability of suppliers.

These tasks need specific processes of monitoring and evaluation for the effective selection of the right suppliers and interpersonal soft skills to act and interact in a multi-cultural environment of different business attitudes and practices.

Again a more holistic set of considerations and reflections influences processes and procedures needing students’ cross-functional appreciation of key performance indicators and critical success factors.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students should be able to:

•  Understand the constituents of the international procurement systems
•  Evaluate the financing of the global supply chain
•  Benchmark international suppliers
•  Understand frameworks, like the six key drivers of Supply chain 
management – Warehousing – Customs clearance – Air freight – Project 
cargo
•  Define new supply chain and procurement designs

2. Logistics and Supply Chain Operations Management Introduction

This module provides contemporary insights into logistics and supply chain management and an in-depth assessment of the different options of design. The understanding of each subject area and their interaction is a core element for the procurement function.

The module will enhance students’ understanding to consider the impact of procurement decisions and their consequences on the broader value chain of an organisation. Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Just-in-Time or Real-Time processes, Kanban and other models are considerations, which improve the value chain’s final objective, the margin, decisively. Therefore it needs a sound understanding for the decision-making process in ways of sound tactical selection, but also operational implementation.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students should be able to:

•  Understand Supply Chain Management as a wider concept than logistics
•  Appreciate the impact on competitive advantages
•  Consider the various interfaces in the organisational context and for 
internal and external stakeholders
•  Evaluate different designs of the supply chain
•  Understand the management of cross-functional drivers

3. Warehousing and Inventory Management Introduction

Today’s turbulent environment has created new challenges for warehousing and inventory management. Permanently shortening product lifecycles, cycles of trends and innovation-driven shifting consumer behaviour have changed the requirements for warehousing and inventory management. Organisations need flexible responses to the ever-changing curve of supply and demand, which enables timely and demand-driven processes of quick reaction.

Procurement and distribution channels have multiplied, but differ substantially in the ways they have to be operated. Facilitating new technologies like, e.g. RFId, offer flexibility and solutions, which need sound planning and implementation.

This module looks on the standards in the field and adopts equally non-traditional thinking, which leads students to think creatively for solution-oriented processes to master the complexities involved.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students should be able to:

•  Understand key issues of warehousing and inventory management
•  Assess the challenges of inventory management in markets of high 
volatility
•  Allocate the differences of a diversity of procurement and distribution 
channels
•  Develop planning processes and design effective implementation
•  Understand the complexity of warehousing processes and their
operational impacts