Logistics and supply chain management functions can account for as much as half of the total costs of running a business. The success of the logistic and supply chain management not only impacts on the profitability of a firm but also has a significant and growing impact on customer experience and satisfaction. Logistics and supply chain management plays a major role in implementing organisational strategy and in many industries has sole responsibility for managing customer service. An understanding of the role of this activity within an organisation and how improving logistics and supply chains can assist business managers to better respond to market opportunities is essential for business students. Students undertaking this unit are given a solid grounding in the language, concepts, techniques and principles that underlie the field of logistics and supply chain management, and how knowledge of these concepts contributes towards a strategically effective and operationally efficient organisation or network of organisations.

Supply chain management, as well as logistics, transport and infrastructure management, relies on the ability to make effective decisions based on the information provided by careful analysis of data. Students undertaking this unit will develop a strong understanding of the basic techniques underpinning quantitative analysis and will develop highly marketable skills in spreadsheet modelling and the communication and presentation of data to support management decision making. This unit emphasises the practical aspects of quantitative analysis with computer-based workshops. Students are guided through the basic theories used in decision making but emphasis is placed on how the theories are applied in practice, drawing on real-world experience in quantitative analysis. The unit covers demand forecasting, spreadsheet modelling, optimisation of production and transportation using linear programming, simulation and basic statistics and linear regression techniques.

Procurement practitioners have to be able to generate insights from large volumes of transactional, aggregate, structured and unstructured data resulting from growing stakeholder needs, the globalisation of supply markets, evolving regulatory environments and relevant technological changes. This unit explores challenges in procurement practice using real procurement spend data from organisations with different strategic priorities. Students gain an appreciation of spend analysis techniques involving large datasets and an understanding of how the insights are applied in the context of category strategies, sourcing risk management, negotiations and ethical sourcing. The usefulness of large volumes of both structured and unstructured data for input to procurement strategy is explored. The unit includes an industry-led workshop and certificate component and is suitable for both early career procurement professionals as well as students interested in the application of data analytics in procurement.

Production and operations management designs, operates and improves the processes and systems through which products are made and delivered. Firms can improve their productivity and gain competitive advantage through effective and innovative production and operations management. This unit offers a thorough examination of various production and operations management concepts from a supply chain perspective. The key teaching topics include operations planning hierarchy, resource management, capacity planning, quality management, retail operations, sustainable/green operations, and reverse logistics. Students learn about the successful production and operations management practices that have helped organisations improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their supply chains and create competitive advantage.

This unit provides students with an understanding of the management of international freight, including express, freight forwarding, rail, trucking, air freight and ocean shipping. The unit covers underlying supply chain drivers of international trade flows and the demand for capacity in different freight transport modes, as well as industry structure, institutional environment (customs, etc.) and market access. Building on this background the unit highlights the implications for profitable international logistics operations. The unit focuses on corporate strategies around fleet and network planning as well as revenue and cost management. The material covered in the unit takes into account recent developments in global and regional economic activity and discusses implications for the various sectors of the air, sea and intermodal freight businesses. This unit involves case studies and industry presentations, and analysis from the perspectives of shippers, carriers, end customers, regulatory bodies and investors.

The world is increasingly filled with systems, devices and sensors collecting large amounts of data on a continual basis. Most of these data are associated with locations that represent everything from the movement of individuals travelling between activities to the flow of goods or transactions along a supply chain and from the location of companies to those of their current and future customers. Taking this spatial context into account transforms analyses, problem-solving and provides a powerful method of visualising the world. This is the essence of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and this unit. This unit starts by introducing students to the 'building blocks' of GIS systems, including data structures, relational databases, spatial queries and analysis. The focus then moves on to sources of spatial data including Global Positioning System (GPS), operational systems such as smartcard ticketing and transaction data along with web-based sources highlighting both the potential and challenges associated with integrating each data source within a GIS environment. The unit is hands-on involving learning how to use the latest GIS software to analyse several problems of interest using real 'big data' sources and to communicate the results in a powerful and effective way. These include identifying potential demand for new services or infrastructure, creating a delivery and scheduling plan for a delivery firm or examining the behaviour of travellers or consumers over time and locations. This unit is aimed at students interested in the spatial impact of decision-making and on the potential for using large spatial datasets for in-depth multi-faceted analytics.

This unit conveys the fundamentals of maritime logistics and positions each student to become a competent practitioner with an understanding of the key concepts, techniques and management methods of maritime logistics. The unit commences with a review of world seaborne trade, trends and cycles in the industry. This includes a review of ship types, ship life cycles, and the markets for new and second-hand ships. There is an analysis of competition and efficiency in maritime logistics, including the impact of vertical and horizontal integration, alliances, freight stabilisation agreements and conferences. Ship owning, financing, chartering and insurance are covered in detail. Ship certification, flag state control, and the role of the IMO are described. Intermodal supply chains are studied for both bulk and containerised freight. Tramp and liner shipping is covered, with a detailed look at routing and scheduling for liner operations. Presentations by maritime professionals will complement the lectures and provide students with windows on the workings of the industry.

This unit conveys the fundamentals of city logistics, which is the pickup, storage, transport and delivery of freight in urban areas. All aspects of city logistics from planning, management and operation to security, efficiency and mitigation of environmental impact are covered for cities of all types. The relationships between land use, transport and city logistics are described. Traffic engineering concepts like 'link' and 'place' are explored and the implications for location and design of loading zones and docks as well as underground service networks are considered. Forms of urban freight consolidation centre are looked at along with the role of alternative transport modes, like public transport, cycles, electric vehicles and drones. Ecommerce and fulfilment models are also studied. The implications for city logistics of new technologies, apps and the 'sharing economy' are considered. International case studies are covered. Seminars by city logistics professionals complement the lectures. Students have an opportunity to develop city logistics solutions for themselves through a group design project.

Aviation is an international growth industry offering extensive commercial and employment opportunities in airlines, airports, logistic providers, banks, consultancies and other players of the aviation supply chain. This unit covers all aspects of international business and management along the aviation value chain and analysis from the perspectives of consumers (passengers and cargo), producers, distributors, brokers and investors. Students develop industry skills and an understanding of the strategic management and economics of operating airlines and other aviation entities, including financial analysis, risk management, sustainability, logistics, innovations and implications of competitive strategies for the development of hubs and alliances both in the global and regional/remote context. The growth in air traffic (i.e. in the Asia/Pacific region) creates endless opportunities and the unit thus also covers forecasting, entrepreneurship and the role of the private sector in airline/airport business development. As a result of our strategic partnership with CAPA and a number of airlines and airports, students have access to industry databases, guest lecturers, company information and aviation contacts/networks.