MBA with Supply Chain Management

Over the past few decades there have been many new ideas, tools and frameworks advanced to enable organisations to become both more efficient and more effective. However, few of these have had as much impact on actual business practice and performance as logistics and supply chain management. In this module, you will explore a number of the leading approaches to supply chain management and alternative logistics strategies that are linked to the types of products being sold and the processes used to create and deliver them.

Today, leading companies see their supply chains as an essential source of competitive advantage. The transformation in the way in which organisations design and manage the processes of value delivery has been truly revolutionary. Rather than thinking of the business as a set of loosely connected ‘vertical’ functions, it is increasingly recognised that the goal has to be to break down the walls between those functions and instead to manage ‘horizontal’, customer-facing processes in an integrated approach. This module explores contemporary supply chain designs that reflect this new way of thinking. The module also looks beyond how logistics can influence organisational success and considers economic sustainability with environmental management as it applies to supply chain management.

Walking into a supermarket and finding bananas and coffee from South America, wine from California and New Zealand and cocoa from Nigeria is a result of international trade. This module will provide you with an understanding of how countries expand their markets for both goods and services that otherwise may not have been available domestically. It will explore how international trade leads to greater competition and competitive pricing and how this affects the consumer. You will understand the flow of goods and services across international boundaries from supply and demand factors, economic integration, and policy variables.

This module explains how to measure and compare financial performance and use knowledge of an entity’s cost in operational and strategic management. It explores cost management and analysis, costing methods and control, strategic planning, decision making and budgeting. You will consider budgetary preparation and financial control, develop an understanding of how to appraise investment opportunities and make business financing decisions and of the role of working capital.

Business is increasingly becoming global. The global view relates not only to an assessment of competitors but also the geographic and demographic arenas in which they function. This module examines key contemporary issues surrounding international and global strategic management. A framework will be established to enable you to understand the strategic management and strategic leadership processes involved in organisations. In this context, strategy can only be analysed and understood when the various stakeholders and their complex relationships are considered as part of the management of multinational enterprises (MNEs). This is achieved by examining the design of strategic management and leadership processes and how strategic decisions affect the functioning of organisations operating in both domestic and international markets.

Operations management is the administration of business practices designed to establish the highest level of efficiency within an organisation. You will learn how to focus on the conversion of materials and labour into goods and services as effectively and efficiently as possible in order to maximise profit. You will also gain an understanding of the theory and practice behind the balancing of costs with revenue in order to achieve the highest possible operating profit.

Against a backdrop of new technologies and a proliferation of fast developing marketing channels, effective marketing requires an understanding and ability to design complex solutions that engage effectively with the customer journey. This module explores current marketing theory and how offline and online technologies interact with customers through a myriad of touchpoints. Customers from a range of market perspectives are considered and the application of holistic marketing approaches as a means of supporting ‘needs satisfaction’ and attaining customer loyalty is explored.

Organisational behaviour is the study of human behaviour in organisational settings, exploring the interface between human behaviour and the organisation, and the organisation itself. A variety of factors influence organisational behaviour, including structure, policies, processes and management. You will gain knowledge of how companies can manage and lead change effectively, and by understanding organisational behaviour you will support your personal development and ability to set the standard for accepting, negotiating, and implementing change.

This module develops critical insights into corporate social and environmental responsibility. Corporations have a clear ability to influence and shape the environment, our choices as consumers, the rules of government and the quality of our working lives. In recognition of this power there have been increasing calls for corporate social responsibility at national and international levels. The module examines contemporary themes using case studies to illustrate the complex relationship between business and society and the alternative frameworks through which the subject can be considered. It explores the issues of accountability and regulation and considers alternative forms of organising such as co-operatives and partnerships in order to question whether these structures enable organisations to engage with the broader aims of corporate social and environmental responsibility.

In this module you will investigate techniques that organisations use for performing simple analysis of data for a variety of business applications. You will develop an understanding of the types of data used in business, the differences between structured and unstructured data and how tools can be used to represent and analyse different types of data, including big data, in various contexts.

You will gain an appreciation of how data analytics can enhance business processes, for improved decision making in marketing, customer relationships, sales and forecasting. You will also learn how to apply simple analytical techniques to present information using data visualisation tools.

Enterprise and entrepreneurial skills are highly valued by employers and by enterprising individuals who are interested in starting a new business or in exploiting a unique business idea. This module enables you to seize opportunities, mitigate risks, be creative and develop problem solving skills. It provides you with the knowledge and understanding to drive your business ideas forward and overcome hurdles with the aim of successfully launching new business ventures.