Course outline

Drawing on the three causes for the bullwhip effect, as established in the debriefing discussion, three areas of improvement can be established.

These three areas (see figure) can then essentially account for the next three sessions of the course. They might then be followed by an additional session addressing the challenges of inter-organisational collaboration (such as trust etc.).
bg-three-areas

Sessions (3 hours each)

1. Beergame session

  1. Introduction to supply chains (why have supply chains?)
  2. Beergame introduction (setup, structure, rules of the game)
  3. Playing the game (40-50 rounds)
  4. Brief discussion afterwards

2. Debriefing

  1. Discussion of experiences and game setup
  2. Presentation and discussion of beergame data (results)
  3. Teaching case Barilla: bullwhip causes [optional]
  4. Identification of the three main causes of the bullwhip effect
  5. Short presentation of three areas of improvement and the schedule for the next three sessions

3. Information sharing

  1. Short discussion: why is information sharing important?
  2. Principles of electronic data sharing
  3. Attaching information to physical goods: standardised product numbering, Automated product identification technologies: barcodes, RFID
  4. Electronic Data Interchange: EDI, WebEDI, XML-based ordering

4. Supply chain reform

  1. Overview: efficient replenishment initiatives
  2. Efficient inventory management: Quick Response, Continuous Replenishment, Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI)
  3. Efficient Logistics: Warehousing, Direct Delivery, Cross-Docking
  4. Just-in-Time Delivery in the automotive industry [Kanban]

5. eCollaboration

  1. eCollaboration in the supply chain: idea and philosophy
  2. Collaborative Planning Forecasting & Replenishment (CPFR)
  3. Joint product development in the automotive industry

6. Management of inter-firm collaboration

  1. Complexities of supply chain reform initiatives
  2. The role of trust and social capital in inter-firm relationships
  3. Interoperability of ICT
  4. Managing inter-firm interfaces

The discussion of the three areas of improvement (sessions 3-5) leads to an integrated supply chain model (see figure below) as the results overview of this teaching part of the B2B course.

bg-sc-model