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Global Supply Chain Management Functions

Investigate buyer-supplier management, alongside the planning and control of production and inventory.

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  • Duration

    2 weeks

  • Weekly study

    8 hours
Overview
Requirements

Discover why buyer-supplier relationships are vital in supply chain activities

This course explores activities related to procurement, purchasing, supplier management and sourcing strategies, and the building of long-term supplier and buyer relationships. You will also have the chance to examine if traditional aspects of the supply chain have been replaced with new methods.

Inventory classifications and management to be more efficient in global supply chains are investigated. By exploring concepts and tools, you should be able to develop a critical understanding of inventory management, potential operational problems, and major approaches to manage inventory investment.

What topics will you cover?

  • The ‘buy’ element of supply chain management.
  • The sourcing of professional services.
  • The function of inventory.
  • The operational problems that tempt firms to increase inventory levels.
  • The major approaches used to manage inventory investment.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explain the purpose of stocks within a supply chain
  • Describe the concepts and key considerations in inventory management
  • Explain the types of inventory
  • Describe the costs of inventory and its turnover

Who is the course for?

Students studying MSc International Business Management.

Aspiring managers wanting to work in business and management careers in multinational organisations, management consultancies, government organisations or management education and training.

Please note that the staff described in the ‘Who will you learn with?’ section below may be subject to change.

Who developed the course?

Coventry University

Coventry secured 5 QS Stars for Teaching and Online Learning in the QS World University Ranking 2020 and has received No. 1 in the world for Massive Open Online Courses in MoocLab’s World University Ranking 2021.

  • Established

    1992

  • Location

    Coventry

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control

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