Assignment brief

Qualification
Start date

Unit 14: Strategic Supply Chain Management and Logistics

Edexcel BTEC Level 7 Extended Diploma in Strategic Management
and Leadership
Mar 02, 2015

Deadline

Mar 31, 2015

Unit number and title

Assessor name

Dr. Sahar Hussein

Assignment title

The role of Supply Chain in the success of the organization

Strategic Plan

The purpose of this assignment is provides the learner with the understanding and skills to
manage supply chain and use it as a tool to drive the organization towards achieving its
strategic objectives.
This assignment will enable the learner to:
- Transform business from classic purchasing process to supply chain concept
- Manage supply chain to enhance the organization processes.
- Use the organization resources efficiently and effectively.
- Face the global challenges and the aggressive completion in the marketplace today

Scenario
You have been asked to submit a report to your organisation board of directors to get their
approval on transforming from the current purchasing practices to full supply chain approach
in order to improve the overall performance of the organization and support future growth,
expansion, and cost minimization. In your report includes the following:
Minimum length required for each section is indicated
Task 1

Using examples, explain the importance/benefits of supply chain approach and how it
will help in achieving your organisations strategic objectives. (200 words) AC 1.1.

Using examples, explain the link between supply chain and other business functions in
your organisation (200 words) AC 1.2.

Using examples, discuss the key drivers for achieving an integrated supply chain
strategy in your organisation (200 words) AC 1.3.

Task 2
Evaluate the effectiveness of current strategies used by your chosen organisation to
maintain relationships with suppliers. (200 words) AC 2.1.

Use different information technologies to create strategies to develop your chosen

organisations relationship with suppliers? (200 words) AC 2.2.

Choose one policy/system that you like to adopt in your organisation and explain how
this policy will help enhancing suppliers relationship? (200 words) AC 2.3.

Task 3
Assess how various information technologies could be used to integrate different parts
of the supply chain of your chosen organisation (200 words) AC 3.1.

Evaluate how information technology has contribute to the management of the supply
chain of your chosen organisation (200 words) AC 3.2.

Assess the success of information technology in managing the supply chain of your
chosen organisation (200 words) AC 3.3.

Task 4

Explain the role of logistics in supply chain management in your chosen organisation
(200 words) AC 4.1.

Evaluate the current procurement practices in your chosen organisation (200 words) AC
4.2.

Discuss the key factors that must be considered when improving logistics and
procurement practices in your chosen organisation? (200 words) AC 4.3.

Task 5

The board of directors have approved the transformation to Supply Chain approach. Plan
an effective strategy to improve the supply chain of your chosen organisation (300
words) AC 5.1.

Assess how a supply chain improvement strategy will benefit overall business
performance in your chosen organisation (200 words) AC 5.2.

Explain the barriers that you will face and your strategy to overcome those barriers
during the supply chain implementation (200 words) AC 5.2.

Grading
To gain a PASS grade student must satisfactorily cover the learning outcomes:
Learners need to research information and produce a review of the screen the current
purchasing and logistics practices in their organization.
For AC1.1, learners need to explain the importance/benefits of effective supply chain
management in achieving organizational objectives. To illustrate this, they could relate this
explanation to the achievement of objectives in their own organization.
For AC1.2, learners need to explain the link between supply chain management and business
functions in their own/chosen organization. To illustrate these links, the explanation needs to
contain real examples from their chosen organization.
For AC1.3, learners need to discuss the key drivers that are moving their chosen organization
towards implementing an integrated supply chain.
For AC2.1/2.2/2.3, Learners need to demonstrate their understanding of the role of IT in supply

chain management for their chosen organization, they need to assess the effectiveness of IT in
managing the supply chain, (AC2.1), assess how IT could assist in the integration of different
parts of the supply chain (AC2.2). and evaluate how IT has contributed to the management of
the supply chain (AC2.3)
For AC3.1/3.2, learners need to describe the strategies currently used in their chosen
organization to maintain relationships with suppliers and evaluate the effectiveness of these
strategies before choosing the best policy to adopt to enhance suppliers relationships.
For AC4.1, learners need to explain the role of logistics in the management of the supply chain
in their chosen organization and then evaluate procurement practices (AC4.2). Having
examined both procurement and logistics management, learners need to discuss the factors
that must be considered when looking at making improvements to logistics practices in the
organization
(AC4.3).
For AC5.1, having reviewed their chosen organizations supply chain and logistics activities,
learners need to plan a strategy to implement the supply chain approach and set management
rules for this approach.
For AC5.3, learners need to identify any current or potential barriers that could prevent or
hinder the implementation strategy from being successful in their chosen organization.
Learners need to explain clearly how these barriers will be overcomed.

Guidelines for the Assignment:

Use standard Arial font size 11.

Use 1.5-line spacing.

Have a 2.5-centimeter margin on the left hand side of the page and a 2-centimeter
margin on the right hand side.

Include page numbers.

Headings: use 16-point Arial Bold for first level headings, and 14-point Arial Bold for
second level headings. If a third level heading is required, use 12-point Arial Bold.

Attach a completed Statement and Confirmation of Own Work to the front of the
paper copy of your assignment.

The first page of your assignment should be a title page, which should also state your
name, Edexcel BTEC ID number and the name of the Centre where you are studying.

Include a table of contents.

Start each task on a new page and include the question at the top of the page.

Ensure any diagrams, screen shots, PowerPoint slides, etc. fit correctly on the page and
are referenced, for example, Fig. 1, Fig. 2, etc.

Check spelling, grammar and punctuation.

You should also ensure that you proofread your document, because the above checks
do not always pick up every mistake.

Use accurate Harvard referencing and include a bibliography.

Ensure you are aware of the word limit for the assignment (2500-3500 word limit) and
any regulations that apply if you exceed the word limit.

Include the total word count at the end of the assignment.

Note:
All work must be delivered in hard copy and soft copy; all assignments should be properly
referenced.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Textbooks
Chopra S and Meindl P . Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning and Operation, 4th
Edition (Pearson Education, 2009) ISBN 0136094511
Christopher M . Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 4th Edition (Financial Times/Prentice
Hall, 2010) ISBN 0273731122
Stadtler, H and Kilger C - Supply Chain Management and Advanced Planning: Concepts,
Models, Software and Case Studies, 4th Edition (Springer, 2007) ISBN 3540745114
Chaffey D . E-Business and E-Commerce Management: Strategy, Implementation and Practice,
4th Edition (Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 2009) ISBN 0273719602
Harvard Business Review on Managing the Value Chain (Harvard Business School Press, 2000)
ISBN 1578512344
Harvard Business Review on Supply Chain Management (Harvard Business School Press, 2006)
ISBN 1422102793
Turban T, Lee J K, King D, Liang T P and Turban D . Electronic Commerce 2010: A Managerial
Perspective, 6th Edition (Pearson Education, 2009) ISBN 0137034652
Fred Sollish, and John Semanik, The Purchasing and Supply Chain Guide to CPM - , 2005

Journals
European Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management (Elsevier)
The Journal of Supply Chain Management (Institute for Supply Management)
Supply Chain Management (Emerald)
Websites
www.cips.org Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply
www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm Supply Chain Management: An International Journal
www.iwvaluechain.com Industry Week.s The Value Chain
www.logistics.about.com/mbody News about logistics and the supply chain

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