Global Supply Chain Management Module Global Supply Chain Management ASSIGNMENT ONE “Supply Chains are only of any interest to customers when they go wrong. Therefore, Supply Chain Resilience is considered as a very important factor in modern Supply Chains” The above statement is shown to be true in numerous occasions in the past. Examples include the “Horsemeat Scandal” in processed meat products, “100’s of garment workers crushed to death” in an arguably avoidable factory collapse in Bangladesh, or other “Supply Chain Scandals” in Asia that have affected McDonald’s, Burger King and Starbucks and more. These scandals (specifically in branded products) have caused significant reputational and financial damage (as well as loss of human life) to different types of industries. By taking as an example a Supply Chain that you are familiar with, identify and discuss in detail ONLY ONE important Factor (such as Demand Forecasting, Inventory Management, Bullwhip Effect, Traceability, etc.) that is critical to the efficient and effective management of your chosen Supply Chain. In doing so please justify the importance of your chosen Factor to the Supply Chain and address the potential negative effects of mismanaging that Factor (100% of the assignment grade). Typical examples of Supply Chains may include: production of fresh milk, automobile manufacturing, outpatient appointments or accident and emergency departments in public hospitals, banking services, supermarkets, the garment industry, pharmaceutical products, food supply chains etc. 1 Global Supply Chain Management Some of the data for this assignment may be ‘live’; for instance the horsemeat scandal was reported extensively in the newspapers, on the media and other company accounts. You should use these sources for information on what may go wrong within your chosen Supply Chain. Material for most Supply Chains is easily available and is included in books and articles. Theory of supply chain strategies, relationships and response to breakdown is to be found in textbooks and peer review journal articles. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA This assignment represents 50% of your overall module mark. The maximum word count is 3000 words (+/- 10%). You will also need to take the following into account when completing your assignment: • Quality of executive summary (does it give a brief complete summary of your paper for an executive to read?) • Establishment of relevant theory (e.g. what do I mean by supply chain resilience or supply chain obstacles?) • Allocation of credit and sources used (have I included references and citations to the material I have used?) • Clarity of argument • Overall report presentation including spelling and grammar • Adherence to nominated word limit (+/- 10%) • Word processed (letter size 12, times new roman, 1.5 space), fully referenced (Harvard Referencing System) The assignment must be submitted via OnlineCampus. Please remember that marks for assignment will also be awarded in relation to presentation and structure, and aspects such as use of examples, figures, tables, illustrations and statistics that indicate wider/independent reading. 2 Global Supply Chain Management INDICATIVE READING Please refer to the reading list issued at the start of the module. Further material in the form of articles from refereed journals and web references are available, with www.emeraldinsight.com and www.sciencedirect.com being two good starting points for refereed publications. RELEVANCE TO LEARNING OUTCOMES: • Analyse and critically evaluate the ways in which supply chains are adapted in view of specific market dynamics and environments. • Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of global lead-time management and time-compression. • Critically analyse the theory, concepts and models of global supply chain management to interpret and understand complex and ambiguous risks in global logistics and supply chain environments. • Locate, summarise and synthesise a range of information from published literature and electronic sources on GSCM. ASSESMENT HOUSEKEEPING You are required to follow the University’s regulations regarding plagiarism and citing sources and references used. Assignments may not be submitted late. Marking penalties for late submission will follow the University regulations for PMC and late submission. Please note that there are changes in the late submission process this year. 3 Global Supply Chain Management Criterion / Mark range 90-100 80-89 70-79 60-69 50-59 40-49 0-39 Overall level (indicative – not for grading) Scope Understanding of subject matter Literature Critical analysis based on evidence Structure of argument, leading to conclusion Standard comparable to journal publication Outstanding clarity of focus, includes what is important, and excludes irrelevant issues. Outstanding with critical awareness of relevance of issues. Outstanding expression of ideas. Comprehensive literature review. Evaluation and synthesis of source material to produce an outstanding contribution. Standard of critical analysis – showing questioning of sources, understanding of bias, independence of thought Well structured, compelling and persuasive argument that leads to a valuable contribution to the field of study, paving the way for future work. Standard comparable to conference paper publication Excellent clarity of focus, boundaries set with no significant omissions or unnecessary issues. Excellent with critical awareness of relevance of issues. Excellent expression of ideas. Excellent independent secondary research. Sources are evaluated and synthesized to produce an excellent contribution. Excellent standard of critical analysis – excellence in questioning of sources, understanding of bias, independence of thought Argument has excellent structure and persuasiveness, leading to very significant insights and relevant future work. Distinctive work for Masters Merit work for Masters Acceptable for Below Masters Significantly level level Masters pass standard below Masters pass standard Clear focus. Very good Clear scope and Scope evident and Poorly scoped, Little or no setting of boundaries, focus, with some satisfactory but with with significant scope or focus includes most of what is omissions or some omissions and omissions and evident. relevant. unnecessary issues. unnecessary issues. unnecessary issues. Very good with critical Good with some Basic with limited Poor with little Little or no awareness of relevance of awareness of awareness of awareness of understanding issues. Outstanding relevance of issues. relevance of issues. relevance of of subject expression of ideas. Ideas are expressed, Limited expression of issues matter is with some limitation. ideas. demonstrated. Very good independent Good secondary Limited secondary Little or no Poor use of secondary research. research to extend research to extend extension of taught Sources are evaluated and taught materials. taught materials. taught materials. materials. No synthesized to produce a Evidence of Limited evaluation of Poor choice and synthesis. very good contribution. evaluation of sources, sources, deficiencies synthesis of with some deficiencies in choice and materials. in choice and synthesis. synthesis. A very good standard of Critical analysis with Analysis evident but Little or no No valid critical analysis. Sources some questioning of uncritical. Sources are analysis. analysis. are questioned sources, not always appropriately, and a very understanding of bias, questioned, with good understanding of independence of limited independence bias, showing thought. of thought. independence of thought Well-structured and Structured and fairly Argument has some Argument is No evidence of persuasive argument convincing argument structure and unstructured, no argument or Insightful conclusion draws leads to conclusion development towards recognizable conclusion. together key issues and that summarises key conclusion with conclusion. possible future work. issues. limitations in summary of issues. 4