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BE282 LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN PLANING AND CONTROL COURSEWORK – Spring, 2022 The coursework will be assessed by an Individual Report (2000 words – 100% of final marks)

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BE282 LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN PLANING AND CONTROL

COURSEWORK – Spring, 2022

The coursework will be assessed by an Individual Report (2000 words – 100% of final marks). 

For this individual essay, students will investigate a focal firm in a supply chain that is of interest. The organisation of interest can be located in any position in the network but is required to have a central role in the operation of the supply chain network. Typical examples would be original equipment manufacturers, large retailers or brand owners, or key part / raw material suppliers critical for networks at a broader scale, i.e. industry level. 

The main objectives of the project are to identify and map the supply chain or network of the focal organisation; investigate and critically evaluate the supply chain management strategy and practices relevant to business functions entangled with supply chain management; identify risks, challenges and opportunities for the focal firm in the supply chain context; and develop supply chain management policy recommendations for the focal firm.   

Individual essay is required to cover the key findings on the following areas

• Context and Organisational Strategy: 
  • Key characteristics of the market, demand (pattern, types of customers, level of variety and variability, degree of customisation), and product range.
  • Factors affecting supply – potential sources, production and technology issues.
  • Impact of the context on the focal organisation with an emphasis on supply chain characteristics.
  • Organisational strategy and competitive priorities.
• Describing the Supply Chain / Network: 
  • Clarify the focus on upstream and / or downstream supply chain / network  o Identify the entities; discuss the functions they serve, range of products or services they supply. 
  • Explain and visualise the supply network by identifying companies and different types of flows (material, information, and financial flows).
  • Supply chain strategy; alignment between components of supply chain strategy (i.e. operations strategy, sourcing strategy, distribution strategy, and customer service strategy) and business strategy.
• Supply Chain Planning and Management: 

Discuss the supply chain planning and management processes, systems, and techniques, considering the relations between them. In particular, discuss  o Demand Management and Forecasting^[1] 

• • • Forecasting method
    • Distribution channels used by the focal company o Production Planning and Inventory Control
    • Capacity management
    • Production process
    • Production planning horizon 
    • Inventory management policy
    • Data, information, and planning systems (ERP, MRP, Kanban, etc.) o Logistics 
    • Ownership of logistics (i.e. company owned or 3PL) 
    • Modes of transportation o Quality control and management practices affecting the supply chain performance
• Supply Chain Performance: 
  • Assess the performance of internal and supplier operations using metrics such as utilization, efficiency, delivery performance.^[2]
  • Discuss the key / distinctive issues from a management perspective in the focal organisation or the supply chain more generally (e.g. the need for responsiveness, cost control, stability in operations) considering also the priorities of the focal company (e.g. efficiency, responsiveness, agility, resilience, robustness). 
• Risks: 
  • Identify and classify the major risks that you identify in the supply chain.

Discuss weaknesses and strengths of the supply chain from a risk

management perspective and describe and critique risk management policies used.

 

Please keep in mind that you might not be able to find sufficient information about and elaborate on all of the specific items that are listed above. This list is provided as a guide on the key areas about which you should carry out research and for each area what key aspects you are expected to discuss. Your coursework will not be assessed by how many of these aspects have been covered. The assessment will instead concern a) the width of research (whether you have been able to cover the information that is available in the extant literature and public domain), b) the depth of understanding (ability to synthesize and reflect on pieces of information collected), c) the ability to identify challenges and opportunities for the focal organisation, and d) the relevance and applicability of recommendations provided. There will most likely be some pieces of information that you cannot find. Please see the notes below on   

Sources of Information

The information required will be collected by group members by researching academic and practitioner literature. A good project will achieve a balance among different sources of information, including published case studies (check http://www.thecasecentre.org), primary company information (from company websites, reports, white papers, and interviews with company managers), industry reports, business surveys, and academic publications (see Module Outline for journals related to the subject). You must reference all the sources used to retrieve information. If private sources of information, such as private company data or interviews with company managers are used, relation information must be documented and supplied to the Module Leader, with consent from the relevant business contact. 

 

 

 

             

APPENDIX: EBS MARKING SCHEME EBS Marking Scheme

Essex Business School uses the following marking scheme for non-quantitative assessments. These grades will be used to mark non-quantitative coursework and student work within EBS. These grades form a 20 point scale running from 95 to 0. These descriptors aim to give a general indication of the expectations of student performance for different degree classifications. Information regarding progression across a degree programme can be found on the following page.

 

Grade	Degree Classification		Indicative criteria for assessment of student work with nonquantitative components
	UG	PGT
95	First Class (1)	Distinction	A First Class (or Distinction) level answer is an excellent answer which demonstrates a systematic understanding of detailed, relevant knowledge. These pieces of work will display many of the following features: Structure Clearly written, well organised and signposted. Coverage Comprehensive coverage of issues in relation to question. Thorough understanding of a relevant range of literature. Analysis Argument demonstrates depth of analysis, knowledge and understanding. Evidence of reflection and own analysis of the literature together with an ability to see how lessons learned could be applied to other contexts/examples. Critical evaluation of a wide range of material; may make reference to other relevant issues. Very good use of supporting evidence and examples. Clear conclusion.
90
85
80
75
72
68	Upper Second Class (2.1)	Merit	This is a very good answer, which demonstrates a good level of knowledge. These pieces of work will display several of the following features: Structure Clearly written, well organised in a logical manner and clearly  signposted. Coverage Successfully completes task and displays clear understanding of the main issues. Substantial coverage of relevant literature and knowledge of topic. Analysis Describes and analyses issues in relation to the question. Critical discussion and presentation of an argument. Good use of supporting evidence. Clear conclusion.
65
62

                

 

Grade	Degree Classification		Criteria
	UG	PGT
58	Lower Second Class (2.2)	Pass	This is a good answer which competently completes the task. It generally reproduces taught material but may display little evidence of independent reading. A 2:2 answer will display several of the following features: Structure Adequately written. Maybe poorly structured without clear signposting. Coverage Completes most tasks expected, but could be too simplistic. Demonstrates some understanding of lecture material and basic reading.  Coverage of relevant literature but the sources are not always fully referenced.  Analysis Summarises the literature rather than critically engaging with it.  Descriptive and lacking analysis. Some understanding but lack of critical thought. Insufficient evidence of critical thinking.
55
52
48	Third Class (3)	Fail	This is a weak answer which demonstates some knowledge, but it tends to be superficial, incomplete or poorly understood. A third class answer will display several of the following features: Structure Maybe poorly written and badly structured. Lacking introduction. Coverage Shows a limited range of reading. Fails to address question or misses an important aspect of the question. Shows confusion but some basic knowledge and relevant discussion. Shows knowledge of the major issues, but not strictly relevant to the question. Analysis Major gaps in analysis. Demonstrates no widespread knowledge or analysis. Limited understanding of relvant issues. Limited discussion.
45
42
36	Fail		This is a poor answer. A fail answer will display several of the following features: Structure Disorganised. Poorly written. Random order of points. Coverage Fails to address question. Reveals little or no evidence of familiarity with relevant literature.
30
24
Grade	Degree Classificati	on	Criteria
12			Analysis Misunderstands question. Fails to give adequate answer to question. Misunderstandings of concepts and major issues. No argument. Incoherent or incomplete. Repetitive.
0