E-Commerce Supply Chain Management

COURSE OBJECTIVE
ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH SKILLS – STUDENTS CAN CONDUCT A BASIC INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECT FROM START TO FINISH ACADEMIC SKILLS
After successfully completing this course, the student
• can recognize, analyze and demonstrate an understanding of fundamental structures of e-commerce supply chains of e-commerce supply chains

BRIDGING THEORY AND PRACTICE KNOWLEDGE: Demonstrates theoretical and empirical knowledge concerning the relevant areas in international business administration
After successfully completing this course, the student:
• can explain, contrast, and compare advanced theories, models and concepts of e-commerce supply chains, and more (1) Logistics and consumer behaviour, (2) fulfilment facilities (3) inventory management in multi-channel fulfilment, (4) sustainable fulfilment, (5) benchmarking of fulfilment activities.

APPLICATION: Can propose a solution to an international real-life business problem by applying relevant theories and methodologies.
After successfully completing this course, the student:
• can develop practical solutions to a case by applying theory from e-commerce supply chains
• can formulate management conclusions for improvements in e-commerce supply chains.

QUANTITATIVE SKILLS
• is able to explain methods to analyze the performance of e-commerce supply chains

SOCIAL SKILLS – STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE DIFFERENT PROFESSIONAL ROLES IN A CROSS-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT
After successfully completing this course, the student:
• is able to present (orally) about stylized case problems and solutions formulated

COURSE CONTENT
E-commerce retail has shown a consistent double-digit growth over the last years. It is generally recognized that the delivery of parcels to consumers is pivotal The Netherlands, while being recognized as a world leader in logistics according to the Logistics Performance Index, is best in class on several aspects of ecommerce supply chains including short deliveryt lead-times and late order cut-off times. The EU has formulated a bold target to achieve 20% of all EU online retail via cross border retail by 2020. This provides enormous challenges and particularly in the supply chain.

In this course we address key themes in managing the supply chain of online transactions. We start this course with the consumer. We start with discussing consumer preferences related to logistics options in the ecommerce supply chain. We then review facility location and design literature and consecutively discuss inventory management and inventory pooling. We will pay attention to sustainability in managing ecommerce supply chains and to a method to benchmark fulfillment centers. You will analyze stylized cases and study a real-life situation (site visit) and experience guest lectures and a company visit to an ecommerce warehouse.

TEACHING METHODS
Lectures
Tutorials

TYPE OF ASSESSMENT
Written exam - Individual assessment
Assignments - Group assessment

RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
Bachelor BK SCM 1 or similar