Course Details in 2018/19 Session

Module Title	LC Introduction to Business Strategy and Supply Chain Management
School	Birmingham Business School
Department	Birmingham Business School
Module Code	07 30471
Module Lead
Level	Certificate Level
Credits	10
Semester
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-30 hours Guided independent study-70 hours Total: 100 hours
Exclusions
Description	In their attempts to achieve superior profitability for their firms, managers need to consider three key tasks. First, firms need to be positioned within business networks, matching their internal capabilities with external market opportunities, to maximise the revenue flowing into the organisation. Second, firms need to market and sell their products and or/services. Third, firms need to be organised and managed to ensure that as little of that revenue as possible flows out of the organisation and into the pockets of suppliers. This module assesses how firms might undertake these critical tasks in an effective manner and also shows that they are inter-related. After briefly touching on the network positioning issue, the module discusses the factors associated with the boundary of the firm decision. The module then examines in detail the core concepts and practices of marketing and sales and supplier management. Particular attention is given to the impact of buyer-supplier power relations on the management practices of supplier selection, relationship management and the coordination of an extended chain of suppliers.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: explain the concept of a business network and indicate its significance to business management; evaluate the factors driving firm positioning and boundary of the firm decisions within a business network context; demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the key concepts relevant to the effective management of customers and suppliers; analyse key decisions and activities associated with managing customers and suppliers, both in the firm’s immediate supply base and in extended business networks; apply the conceptual underpinnings of the module to concrete case examples.
Assessment	30471-01 : Assessment : Coursework (100%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: One 2,500 word essay (100%) Reassessment: One 2,500 word essay (100%)
Other	Dubai-based duplicate of Birmingham-based module 07 24791
Reading List