Improving Supply Chain Performance

This unit is designed to consolidate the learning from the other two compulsory units in the CIPS Advanced Diploma. You will be assessed on the learning outsomes below through either a case study exam or an assignment. Achieving success within the supply chain involves a complex range of variables, which can frequently be dependent on one another for the success of the supply chain. This unit is designed to enable students to use a range of techniques and strategies to devlop and improve supplier performance in order to achieve competitiveness, efficiency and profitablilty within the supply chain. By the end of this unit, students will be able to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of supply chain performance. They will be able to identify innovative development of systems to improve the performance of the supply chain, and make justifiable recommendations for implementation in order to aid the effectiveness of the supply chain.

Risk Management and Supply Chain Vulnerability

This unit is designed to enable students to undertake risk analysis and a variety of risk assessments relating to different aspects of purchasing and supply and to implement a range of appropriate risk management tools and techniques. Students will use a variety of risk assessment tools and techniques designed to provide a detailed analysis of supply chain situations, including legal, corporate social responsibility (CSR), ethical, health and safety, financial, international, innovation and a variety of other potential risk scenarios. The scope covers both the proactive identification and avoidance of risk, as well as provision for post-event recovery initatives. By the end of the unit students should be able to apply a variety of tools and techniques, in a diverse range of contexts, to proactively establish the level of risk presented and to recommend ways of avoiding, mitigating or managing those risks

Storage and Distribution

This unit is concerned with helping students to identify the major areas of concern in effectively managing stores and distribution throughout the supply chain. It is essential that goods are moved through supply chains to customers at the right time, in the right condition, at the right place and at the right cost. Failure in any of these areas will add unnecessary costs to the ultimate customer while success will add value, and delight the customer.

It is essential that storage, distribution and general logistics are coordinated, both upstream and downstream, in order to reduce lead times, provide agility and reduce unnecessary costs. In order for this to happen it is essential that relationships, both internally and externally, are honed to the appropriate level. To be effective, storage and distribution must fit in a seamless way to the total supply chain locally, nationally and globally.