Supply Chain Management encompasses all the activities associated with a given product, from the raw materials stage to the final consumer. Effective SCM requires a detailed understanding of processing issues, and also of supply chain structures, supply and demand variability, information systems, purchasing, production scheduling, inventory management, process design and customer services. The purpose of the Certificate/Diploma in Supply Chain Management is to provide personnel across a range of organisational functions with a holistic understanding of the dynamics of supply chains and to enhance their ability to continually improve supply chain performance. This course runs over two academic years; students can exit after Year 1 with a Certificate qualification or progress to Year 2 for a Diploma qualification. Year 1 includes three Lean SCM Green Belt modules.

Click on any module code for a detailed module description.

The Certificate/Diploma in SCM will provide you with a rigorous grounding in supply chain management across the entire organisation. The course ensures that you will appreciate the fundamental concepts and principles of SCM and be able apply them in your place of employment. Key benefits of the course include:

• improving supply chain efficiency and effectiveness
• enhancing process design, customer services and information services
• providing all organisational functions with acute awareness of costs and the ability to enhance value-adding activities.

In Year 1 you must complete six modules (30 credits).
Three of these modules (15 credits) are Lean SCM Green Belt Modules.

In Year 2 you will complete five modules (30 credits).
One of these will be a research project module (10 credits).
Each module is delivered over a two-day seminar/workshop in UCC, which will take place from 9am to 5pm and will be complemented by a half-day (Saturday) review session.

The course incorporates classroom, workplace and on-line learning. Graduates have identified interaction among participants and learning from others from different backgrounds/experiences as one of the primary benefits of the course. 

The modules you will study are:

Year 1 Modules:

• FE1803: Purchasing, Negotiation and Supply Chain Design (5 credits)
  Sourcing and strategic purchasing, buyer behaviour and relationship building. The principles of postponement and speculation, physically efficient and market responsive supply chains, the impact of demand/supply characteristics on supply chain strategy and business models, the lean and agile paradigms. Business-to-business collaborative scenarios, negotiation strategies and best practice negotiation skills.
• FE1808: Introduction to Supply Chain Management, Lean Thinking and Continuous Professional Development (5 credits)
  Personal effectiveness, personal learning styles, personal motivations and report writing. Introduce the main components of supply chains and the key factors that impact on supply chain management. Introduce lean thinking and its origins, principles and goals.
• FE1809: Introducing Lean to the Supply Chain: Tools, Practices and Value Stream Mapping (5 credits)
  Supply Chain evolution and management implications, introduction to key concepts such as supply chain processes, value stream mapping and cellular flow manufacturing. Introduce lean tools such as JIT, Kanban and Kaizen events.
• FE1810: Enhancing Supply Chain Performance (5 credits)
  Apply performance improvement techniques to supply chains: value stream mapping, Kaizen events, 55 methodology and associated tools and techniques. Prepare a road map to lean implementation.
• IS1813: Information Technology in the Supply Chain (5 credits)
  The evolution of Inter-Organisational Systems (IOS) over the last 30 years is reviewed. The types of cooperation agreements in which trading partners enter in order to increase the degree to which their operations are integrated are studied in detail using a number of case studies. Specific applications for improving the efficiency of supply chains are considered. The need to understand the end-to-end demand function of supply chains is emphasised. Finally, a number of case studies of organisations who used their competitive position to become managers in their supply chains are studied.
• MG1811: Inventory and Operations Management (5 credits)
  Construction of enterprises and their operating environments, overview of each function within an enterprise, managing and integrating the functions, and inventory categories and management.

Year 2 Modules:

• AD2820: Leadership and Team Building (5 credits)
  Effective leadership, team-building, conflict management and resolution and relationship management.
• FE2805: Logistics and Supply Chain Design (5 credits)
  Marketing channels, the role of intermediaries, transaction cost framework, inter-firm relationships, supply chain collaboration, traditional and tiered supplier networks, and extended supply chains.
• FE2806: Project (Supply Chain Management) (10 credits)
  Project Management principles, tasks and resources, project lifecycle, the role of the Project Manager, Project Management techniques and methodologies. Preparation of a research proposal, review of relevant literature, methodology design, data collection and analysis, and writing a coherent research report.
• FE2807: Quantitative Methods for Supply Chain Managers (5 credits)
  Introduction to and assessment of research methods, quantitative models and techniques used to support management decision-making along the supply chain.
• MG2801: Change Management (5 credits)
  Identifying the need for change, identifying and overcoming resistance to change, operating as a change agent within one's own organisation, implementing and measuring the results of effective change.

This course is assessed as follows:
Year 1:

• Examination is by continuous assessment (60%) and written examinations (40%).
• Assignments are based on current/previous practical experiences.
• The Lean SCM Green Belt Project encourages applied learning.

Year 2:

• Examination is by continuous assessment (75%) and written examinations (25%).
• Assignments are based on current/previous practical experiences.
• The SCM Research Project encourages applied learning.

Our core teaching staff have extensive experience of teaching. They deal with a wide variety of students, including undergraduates, postgraduates, mature students and post-experience/adult learners. We combine academic and practical expertise and the course modules are delivered in conjunction with best-in-class practitioners, which enhances overall interaction with industry.

The course is offered by the Department of Food Business and Development in association with the various centres and departments, including:

• Adult Continuing Education
• the Department of Accounting, Finance and Information Systems
• the Department of Management and Marketing