This course introduces students to the fundamentals of logistics management.  Emphasis will be placed on the role of logistics in supporting various economic and organizational activities.  The course also discuss contemporary logistics issues.

Course Descriptions:

       Week 1 - Introduction to logistics  • Definition of logistics  • Key logistics activities • Role of logistics  •  Challenges and areas for          logistics performance improvement  

Week 2 - Customer service • Definition of customer service • Elements of customer service • Importance of customer service for gaining strategic advantage • How to establish a customer service strategy  

Week 3 - Customer Service Interactive Activity  Objective: To enhance students' understanding of effective customer service skills through practical application in simulated scenarios. Materials Needed: Scenario cards (each with a different customer service scenario) Randomly assigned roles (customer and customer service representative) Timer Distribute scenario cards to students. Each card should contain a different customer service scenario. For example, a customer returning a product, a customer with a complaint, etc. Assign roles randomly, designating some students as customers and others as customer service representatives. 

Week 4 - Logistics Information Systems (LIS) • Customer order cycle • Order processing systems • Inside sales/telemarketing 

Week 5 - Electronic Data Interchange • Integrating order processing and the company’s logistics management • Using LIS to support time-based competition  

Week 6 - Interactive Activity (LIS)   

Week 7 - Inventory concepts and management • Inventory concepts • Measures of inventory management • Impact of demand on inventory management  

Week 8 - Inventory management under conditions of certainty • Fixed order point versus fixed order interval policy • Financial aspects of inventory strategy • Inventory turnover and its impact on inventory carrying cost (might replace some topics in future detailed planning if the topic is too difficult for understanding)   

Week 9 - Interactive games / activity (Inventory Management)   

Week 10 - Facility Location  • To examine the strategic importance of facility location • To explain the general process of determining the optimum number of facilities • To describe the major factors that influence facility location  

Week 11 - To examine a site’s specialized location characteristics • To explain location decisions using simple grid systems •To learn about the facility's latest issue. • Administration and control of material flow  

Week 12  - 1 hour Interactive activity (Facility Location)  Example : Mapping Exercise / Debate forum / Mock business expansion game   

Week 13 - Transportation • Time and place utility • Transportation/logistics/marketing interfaces • Factors influencing transportation costs and pricing  

Week 14 - Carrier characteristics and services • Regulatory issues • Carrier pricing and related issues • Logistics and traffic management  

Week 15 - Interactive activity (transportation)  Example : Supply chain relay game where students choose their modes of transportation and explain the challenges and advantages of each transportation mode.   

Week 16 - Warehousing • Nature and importance of warehousing • Types of warehousing • Warehousing operations  

Week 17 - Public versus private warehousing • Facility development (if there is extra time then a recap of this topic will be included)   

Week 18 - Interactive activity (warehousing)  Example : Physical Tetris where students try to stack as much inventory possible into a limited space   

Week 19 - Purchasing • The role of purchasing in supply chain • Purchasing activities • Purchasing cost management • Managing supplier relationships  

Week 20 - Interactive activity (Purchasing)  Examples : Vendor selection with purchasing challenging issues / purchasing strategy game   

Week 21 - International logistics  •  To discuss macroenvironmental influences on international logistics • To explain documentation as well as terms of sale and methods of payment for international shipments •  To distinguish among the unique activities of international trade specialists •  To illustrate transportation and inventory considerations in international distribution  

Week 22 - Recap and revision