Foundation of Global Supply Chains

S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research via Coursera

Go to class Write review

Details

Go to class

Provider

Coursera
Pricing

Paid Course
Languages

English
Certificate

Paid Certificate Available
Duration & workload

18 hours 57 minutes
Sessions

On-Demand
Subtitles

English

Found in

Overview

Coursera Flash Sale

40% Off Coursera Plus for 3 Months!

Grab it

This four-module course delivers a rigorous, end-to-end mastery of modern supply chains—from foundational architecture to performance governance, network design, and coordination at scale. Beginning with first principles (value creation, surplus maximization, decision horizons, cycle and push–pull views), the course builds analytical fluency with the Supply–Demand Uncertainty Framework and strategic fit. Learners then elevate from theory to instrumentation: translating competitive priorities and order-winner/qualifier logic into channel-spanning KPIs using SCOR and the Balanced Scorecard. The journey advances to network design across manufacturing and services, quantifying cost–service trade-offs, inventory positioning, site selection, and optimization models (transportation, facility location, network flow, transshipment) with practical Solver implementations. Finally, the course treats coordination as a design problem of incentives, information, and governance—diagnosing bullwhip, deploying CPFR/VMI, and operationalizing visibility via control towers, RFID/IoT, and blockchain—under the realities of global heterogeneity and sustainability imperatives. The result is an executive-caliber capability to architect resilient, data-driven supply chains that align strategy with measurable performance and deliver superior customer promise at optimal total cost. This course is intended for management students and professionals aspiring to careers in supply chain management, logistics, operations, or procurement. To succeed in this course, you should have a basic understanding of operations management, quantitative methods, and analytical problem-solving. Upon completing this course, you will: 1. Conceptualize supply chains as integrated systems of value creation, flow, and surplus. 2. Apply strategic frameworks (cycle view, push–pull, uncertainty alignment, strategic fit) to design and evaluate supply chains. 3. Translate competitive priorities into channel-spanning performance metrics using SCOR and Balanced Scorecard frameworks. 4. Architect network structures that balance cost, responsiveness, risk, and sustainability through analytical modeling and scenario evaluation. 5. Diagnose and mitigate coordination failures (e.g., bullwhip effect) using collaborative mechanisms (CPFR, VMI) and governance levers. 6. Leverage emerging technologies (IoT, blockchain, control towers) to enhance supply chain visibility, integration, and resilience. 7. Critically assess global supply chain challenges across cultural, regulatory, and geopolitical contexts.

Syllabus

Course Orientations

This four-module course delivers a rigorous, end-to-end mastery of modern supply chains—from foundational architecture to performance governance, network design, and coordination at scale. Beginning with first principles (value creation, surplus maximization, decision horizons, cycle and push–pull views), the course builds analytical fluency with the Supply–Demand Uncertainty Framework and strategic fit. Learners then elevate from theory to instrumentation: translating competitive priorities and order-winner/qualifier logic into channel-spanning KPIs using SCOR and the Balanced Scorecard. The journey advances to network design across manufacturing and services, quantifying cost–service trade-offs, inventory positioning, site selection, and optimization models (transportation, facility location, network flow, transshipment) with practical Solver implementations. Finally, the course treats coordination as a design problem of incentives, information, and governance—diagnosing bullwhip, deploying CPFR/VMI, and operationalizing visibility via control towers, RFID/IoT, and blockchain—under the realities of global heterogeneity and sustainability imperatives. The result is an executive-caliber capability to architect resilient, data-driven supply chains that align strategy with measurable performance and deliver superior customer promise at optimal total cost.

Supply Chain Fundamentals

This module establishes the conceptual foundation of Supply Chain Management (SCM). It introduces the objectives of SCM, core decision domains across strategic, tactical, and operational horizons, and the structural flows of material, money, and information. Learners engage with frameworks such as the cycle and push–pull views, the Supply–Demand Uncertainty Framework, and the notion of strategic fit, to critically evaluate efficiency–responsiveness trade-offs. Through cross-industry illustrations, the module positions SCM as both an operational imperative and a source of strategic advantage in a globalized context.

Supply Chain Performance Measures

This module equips learners to design and govern high-performance supply chains through rigorous, end-to-end measurement. It links competitive priorities (cost, quality, speed, flexibility, innovation) and order winner/qualifier logic to channel-spanning KPIs, then operationalizes strategy via the SCOR framework (Plan–Source–Make–Deliver–Return) and the Balanced Scorecard. Emphasis is placed on metric architecture, partner integration, target-setting, and continuous improvement—ensuring that what the supply chain measures is what the enterprise values.

Supply Chain Network Design

This module develops a rigorous, design-forward view of supply chain networks across manufacturing and services. Learners examine structural choices—facility footprint, distribution architecture, inventory positioning, and resource allocation—through the lenses of cost–responsiveness trade-offs, risk and resilience, and sustainability. Methods span managerial frameworks (site-selection and network planning) and quantitative models (transportation, facility location, network flow, and transshipment), including practical solution approaches in Excel/Solver. The module also connects aggregate planning strategies (chase, level, hybrid) to network performance, and integrates logistics/warehousing innovations such as cross-docking and 3PLs.

Supply Chain Coordination

This module examines how firms achieve end-to-end alignment across actors, processes, and information. It treats coordination as a design problem—of incentives, information, and governance—to mitigate distortion (bullwhip), synchronize plans, and unlock joint value. Learners evaluate collaboration mechanisms (CPFR, VMI), global coordination challenges (culture, regulation, visibility), and technology enablers (control towers, RFID/IoT, blockchain). Emphasis is placed on measurable performance uplift, trust architectures, and resilient, data-driven operating models.