MBA Electives

Logistics/Supply Chain Management Electives

Supply chain management is an integrated approach to manage the total flow of a distribution channel from supplier to ultimate customer. The underlying rationale for an integrated supply chain management approach is that it increases the opportunity for cost savings, better customer service, and competitive advantage for all companies in the supply chain. In recognition of the importance of this functional area, a required core course (BMGT 671) was launched in Spring 2001. The Logistics/Supply Chain Management concentration integrates courses across three areas: Logistics and Transportation, Operations Management, and Marketing. The curriculum also provides students with a hands-on exposure to information technology tools essential to modern supply chain management. Students choosing this concentration are required to complete the core course along with three of the following courses:

BULM 730
Transportation Management
Prerequisite: BUSI 671

A study of the fundamental differences among the various transportation modes in terms of their basic cost structures, market competition, and service characteristics. The wide range of issues facing managers in each of the transportation modes including decisions on market entry, pricing, competitive responses, service levels, capital structure, and growth objectives in a deregulated environment. The decision of transportation managers in other countries are presented for international comparisons.

BULM 732
Logistics Management
For BMGT majors only, or permission of department

Theoretical and case material is used to analyze managerial decisions related to business logistics. The many trade-offs faced by a logistics manager are examined such as the trade-off between inventory levels and mode of transportation used, the trade-off between inventory levels and customer service, and the trade-offs that should be made if they reduce total logistics costs or increase company profits.

BULM 733
International Logistics and Transportation Management
Prerequisite: BUSI 671

Examination of goods movements in the global marketplace, the differences in distribution systems around the world, governmental restrictions on the movement of goods, required export and import documentation, and the roles of various transportation intermediaries or export facilitators in international trade.

BULM 742
Managing Technology in the Supply Chain
Prerequisite: BUSI 671

Provides an overall framework for analyzing e-supply chain enterprise-wide portals. Demonstrates the ability to link various supply chain and enterprise resource planning applications through middle ware at the portal level. All supply chain participants (including suppliers and customer) share a common portal view linked to a single shared database. Hands-on learning experience with commercial portals and applications.  

BULM 744
Managing the Real Time Supply Chain
Prerequisite: BUSI 671

Explores real-time or net-centric supply chain management and the technological, organizational and managerial drivers and practices associated with it. Students conduct a rapid assessment of a company's logistic/supply chain with its accompanying infrastructure technology and supply chain applications in order to develop capability to design and execute a strategic plan for creating a real-time e-supply chain capability as well as estimating its potential benefits

BULM 758
Extending Advanced Supply Chain Planning Across the Enterprise
Prerequisite: BULM 742

In this follow-on course, the students' experience with an advanced supply chain planning (ASCP) application is extended and broadened to include a range of additional activities across the firm's extended enterprise. Students are given a lab-based, hands-on experience with the following set of complementary modules of the ASCP application: inventory optimization, demand planning, global order promising, and collaborative planning. Each of these modules builds a firm's capability to respond to events in real-time with a unified, integrated response across the enterprise. Students are provided with analytical tools to execute each of the modules and to evaluate their outputs and consequences throughout the extended enterprise.