Overview

Get started on your journey to becoming a supply chain specialist with this foundational course. You’ll explore what supply chains are, how they operate, and the essential role of a supply chain specialist in today’s global economy. Through real-world case studies, particularly from the aerospace industry, you’ll understand the core workflows, planning strategies, and leadership principles that drive resilient, efficient supply chains. You’ll also gain insight into logistics and distribution systems, stakeholder management, global market dynamics, and risk mitigation techniques vital for modern operations. By the end of this course, you will be able to: - Describe the core functions and goals of global supply chains - Recognize key planning and network design strategies - Understand leadership and change management in supply chain contexts - Optimize logistics and distribution networks - Identify and mitigate operational, legal, and geopolitical risks

Syllabus

Introduction to Supply Chain Management

Get started on your journey to becoming a supply chain specialist! In this first module, you will become familiar with the Coursera platform, what this specialisation covers and how to achieve your certificate. When you've learned your way around Coursera, you'll get introduced to the concept of supply chain and what a supply chain specialist does. After the bases are covered, you'll dive into the fundamentals of supply chain, such as the main workflows and frameworks to ensure efficiency. Furthermore, you'll learn the importance of regulations and their impact on supply chains. Additionally, you will be introduced to the aerospace industry, which will be used as a case study throughout the course.

Global Supply Chain Strategy and Leadership

Planning is the basis of a resilient global supply chain strategy. But strong planning also requires strong leadership. In this module, you’ll learn how to develop strategic supply chain plans, how to manage internal and external stakeholders, the fundamentals of leadership and change management, and how to design supply chain networks. Furthermore, you’ll learn how to spot global market trends affecting supply chain decisions.

Logistics, Distribution, and Transportation Management

Distribution and transportation is the beating heart of supply chains - it’s what makes them move. In this lesson, you will examine how logistics and distribution processes work in global supply chains, and why they are essential for efficiency and cost-effectiveness. You will learn how to design and optimise distribution networks to ensure that products are delivered on time and in the most efficient manner possible.

Supply Chain Risk Management

Modern supply chains are constantly facing countless risks. In this lesson, you will learn how to identify, assess and mitigate risks within the supply chain. You will explore different types of risks, including operational, financial, regulatory, and geopolitical risks, and understand the importance of legal compliance. You will also examine how to assess the potential impact of these risks on supply chain performance.

Understanding Global Supply Chains Final Project

Welcome to the final project of the course "Understanding Global Supply Chains"! This hands-on project will be graded and necessary for you to receive your certificate. It will require around 60 minutes to complete, so make sure to set aside enough time to focus on it!