Module Global Supply Chain Management

ASSIGNMENT 1

“Supply Chains are only of any interest to customers when they go wrong. Therefore, Supply Chain Resilience is considered as a very important factor in modern Supply Chains”

The above statement is shown to be true in numerous occasions in the past. Examples include the “Horsemeat Scandal” in processed meat products, “100’s of garment workers crushed to death” in an arguably avoidable factory collapse in Bangladesh, or other “Supply Chain Scandals” in Asia that have affected McDonald’s, Burger King and Starbucks. These scandals (specifically in branded products) have caused significant reputational and financial damage (as well as loss of human life) to different types of industries.

By taking as an example a Supply Chain that you are familiar with, identify and discuss in detail ONE ONLY important obstacle (such as Demand Forecasting, Inventory Management, Bullwhip Effect, Traceability etc.) that must be overcome to manage that Supply Chain successfully (100% of the assignment grade). 

Typical examples of Supply Chains may include: production of fresh milk, automobile manufacturing, outpatient appointments or accident and emergency departments in public hospitals, banking services, supermarkets, the garment industry, pharmaceutical products, food supply chains etc.

Some of the data for this assignment may be ‘live’; for instance the horsemeat scandal was reported extensively in the newspapers, on the media and other company accounts. You should use these sources for information on what may go wrong within your chosen Supply Chain. Material for most Supply Chains is easily available and is included in books and articles. Theory of supply chain strategies, relationships and response to breakdown is to be found in textbooks and peer review journal articles.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

This assignment represents 50% of your overall module mark. The maximum word count is 3000 words (+/- 10%). You will also need to take the following into account when completing your assignment:

• Quality of executive summary (does it give a brief complete summary of your paper for an executive to read?)
• Establishment of relevant theory (e.g. what do I mean by supply chain resilience or supply chain obstacles?)
• Allocation of credit and sources used (have I included references and citations to the material I have used?)
• Clarity of argument
• Overall report presentation including spelling and grammar
• Adherence to nominated word limit (+/- 10%)
• Word processed (letter size 12, times new roman, 1.5 space), fully referenced (Harvard Referencing System)

The assignment must be submitted via Turnitin. Please remember that marks for assignment will also be awarded in relation to presentation and structure, and aspects such as use of examples, figures, tables, illustrations and statistics that indicate wider/independent reading.

INDICATIVE READING

Please refer to the reading list issued at the start of the module. Further material in the form of articles from refereed journals and web references are available on Blackboard. www.emeraldinsight.com and www.sciencedirect.com are two good starting points for refereed publications.

RELEVANCE TO LEARNING OUTCOMES:

• Analyse and critically evaluate the ways in which supply chains are adapted in view of specific market dynamics and environments.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of global lead-time management and time-compression.
• Critically analyse the theory, concepts and models of global supply chain management to interpret and understand complex and ambiguous risks in global logistics and supply chain environments.

• Locate, summaries and synthesis a range of information from published literature and electronic sources on GSCM. 

ASSESMENT HOUSEKEEPING

You are required to follow the University’s regulations regarding plagiarism and citing sources and references used. Assignments may not be submitted late. Marking penalties for late submission will follow the University regulations for PMC and late submission. Please note that there are changes in the late submission process this year.

Text Books:

Kenneth Lysons and Brian Farrington, (2012), “Purchasing and Supply Chain Management”, Eighth Edition And Donald Waters, (2009), “Supply Chain Management: an Introduction to Logistics”, Second Edition 

 

Criterion / Mark range	90-100	80-89	70-79	60-69	50-59
Overall level(indicative – not for grading)	Standard comparable to journal publication	Standard comparable to conference paper publication	Distinctive work for Masters level	Merit  work for Masters level	Acceptable for Masters
Scope	Outstanding clarity of focus, includes what is important, and excludes irrelevant issues.	Excellent clarity of focus, boundaries set with no significant omissions or unnecessary issues.	Clear focus.  Very good setting of boundaries, includes most of what is relevant.	Clear scope and focus, with some omissions or unnecessary issues.	Scope evident and satisfactory but with some omissions and unnecessary issues.
Understanding of subject matter	Outstanding with critical awareness of relevance of issues. Outstanding expression of ideas.	Excellent with critical awareness of relevance of issues. Excellent expression of ideas.	Very good with critical awareness of relevance of issues. Outstanding expression of ideas.	Good with some awareness of relevance of issues. Ideas are expressed, with some limitation.	Basic with limited awareness of relevance of issues.  Limited expression of ideas.
Literature	Comprehensive literature review. Evaluation and synthesis of source material to produce an outstanding contribution.	Excellent independent secondary research. Sources are evaluated and synthesized to produce an excellent contribution.	Very good independent secondary research. Sources are evaluated and synthesized to produce a very good contribution.	Good secondary research to extend taught materials. Evidence of evaluation of sources, with some deficiencies in choice and synthesis.	Limited secondary research to extend taught materials. Limited evaluation of sources, deficiencies in choice and synthesis.
Critical analysis based on evidence	Standard of critical analysis – showing questioning of sources, understanding of bias, independence of thought	Excellent standard of critical analysis – excellence in questioning of sources, understanding of bias, independence of thought	A very good standard of critical analysis.  Sources are questioned appropriately, and a very good understanding of bias, showing independence of thought	Critical analysis with some questioning of sources, understanding of bias, independence of thought.	Analysis evident but uncritical. Sources are not always questioned, with limited independence of thought.
Structure of argument, leading to conclusion	Well structured, compelling and persuasive argument that leads to a valuable contribution to the field of study, paving the way for future work.	Argument has excellent structure and persuasiveness, leading to very significant insights and relevant future work.	Well-structured and persuasive argument Insightful conclusion draws together key issues and possible future work.	Structured and fairly convincing argument leads to conclusion that summarises key issues.	Argument has some structure and development towards conclusion with limitations in summary of issues.

 

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