OPSMGT 371 : Business Logistics

Business and Economics

2020 Semester One (1203) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Focuses on coordinating logistics across supply chains. Topic coverage features modelling using spreadsheets and includes transportation, forecasting, and inventory control models suitable for use in a distribution and supply chain context.

Course Overview

Ultimately, the main goals (intended outcomes) of the course course are the optimization mindset, modelling and problem-solving skills required to put optimization at work, and proficiency with MS Excel as a simple, widely available, and very powerful tool that can be used for solving a wide range of optimization problems. Although the course is taught in the context of logistics (supply chain) problems, the aforementioned capabilities are highly transferable across business domains.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: OPSMGT 255 or STATS 255 or ENGSCI 255

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Commerce

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Understand interconnectedness of the decision areas in a supply chain (Capability 1 and 2)
  2. Be able to understand and apply the steps of developing quantitative models for business decision-making. (Capability 2, 3, 4.2 and 4.3)
  3. Be able to create a variety of spreadsheet models most commonly used for making optimal decisions in logistics and supply chain management (Capability 3, 4.2 and 4.3)
  4. Demonstrate creative thinking and analytical capabilities to solve typical supply chain problems (Capability 2, 3, 4.2 and 5.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Individual Assignments 20% Individual Coursework
Test 30% Individual Test
Final Exam 40% Individual Examination
Group assignments 10% Group Coursework
Laboratories 0% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Individual Assignments
Test
Final Exam
Group assignments
Laboratories
An example of the optional (group) assignment is an online simulation of a company making and shipping products different regions to meet the  customer demand. Students who decided to participate in this activity, work in groups of 3-4. Teams compete against each other and  against a preset team "don't make any changes". Only teams that manage to earn a higher profit than the "do nothing" policy, earn marks for this assignment. The mark awarded to a team depends on the team relative standing. All students on a team get the same mark that will be added to their total mark with the weight of 10%.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 3 hours of lectures, a 1-hour tutorial, 2 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 4 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Learning Resources

The main learning resource are exercises offered in the course for students to work on. Students will also greatly benefit from reading the textbook, especially with understanding of the factors driving the business performance and their their non-trivial interplay. Attending/watching lectures should be considered mandatory as lectures are the only resource provided in the course to learn how  approach building every model from scratch, and how to use MS Excel most effectively/proficiently.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Students' use of the computers during the test and the exam will be monitored by a human and by a computer-based monitoring means.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 19/12/2019 10:15 a.m.