Supply Chain Management and Customer Service in the New Economic Environment
Undergraduate level | 5th semester | Compulsory Unit | ΟΚ1901
Credit Units ECTS: 5
Teaching Hours (Weekly): 3
Course Type: General Knowledge, Skills Development
Prequisites: --
Teaching and Examination Language: Greek
For Erasmus students study course and exams are offered in English.
Course Material
The course’s content includes the following
- Basic issues of Logistics
- Logistics processes
- Contribution of Logistics in Home Economics: value adding for consumers in the production/distribution chain
- Customer Service content and factors
- Customer service policy
- Design of physical Distribution Channels
- Procurement management and Suppliers selection
- Procurement Dilemmas
- Modern Inventory Management
Learning Outcomes
The objective of the course is the understanding of the Logistics and Customer Service principles, with analysis to management issues regarding the physical flow of goods from the point of production to the point of consumption, in the framework of qualitative requirements of consumers, in terms of quality and services provided. After the completion of the lectures the students will be able to :
- know about supply chain management content in relation to home economics and consumers
- acknowledge Logistics significance within the business environment
- identify the general and special goals of supply chain management
- understand the various Logistics functions and their interdependence
- acknowledge the importance of Customer Service and its dependence on Supply Chain performance
- explain the connection between inventory and customer service
- understand the factors of a Customer Service Policy
- know practices that are implemented by the enterpises towards providing high quality services to their customers
- to understand "track and trace" content and the importance of the information on the products' packaging
General Skills
- Analysis of data and information with the use of modern information technologies
- Development of skills for working in an international environment
- Generation of new research initiatives
Learning and Teaching Techniques - Evaluation
Teaching Methods: Face-to-face
Use of ICT: Use of ICTs during teaching, use of e-class application, contact through e-mail.
Course Organization:
| Activity | Semester Work Load |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 30 |
| Learning interaction during teaching | 20 |
| Bibliography studying and analyzing | 10 |
| Group work activities | 20 |
| Individual/non-guided studying-essay writing | 45 |
| Total | 125 |
Assessment Methods:
Students’ assessment is based on written examination (100%). Main criteria for the assessment during written examination are:
- Educational correctness, scientific substantiation of the answers.
- Ability to use correctly concepts, notions, terms that have been studied and analyzed during the course.
- Reflective and composing ability as regards studying and using of sources and material provided.
- Innovativeness and creativity of educational and teaching proposals.
- Expressiveness, clarity and comprehensiveness of the answers.
- Thought organization, structure of the written essay.
- Morphological features of a written essay
The abovementioned criteria are described to the students during the first teacher-student meeting, and are displayed in the e-class website throughout the semester.
Suggested Bibliography
- Chopra, S. and Meindl, P. (2001), Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning, and Organization., Prentice-Hall Inc. New Jersey, USA. ISBN 0-13026465-2
- Christopher, M. (1998), Logistics and Supply Chain Management: Creating Value-Adding Networks, Second Edition. Prentice Hall – Financial Times-Pearson Education Ltd. ISBN-13: 978-0-273-681176-2
- Lambert, D. (2004),The Eight Essential Supply Chain Management Processes. Supply Chain Management Review
- Roberts C.M. (2006), Radio Frequency identification (RFID), Computers and security, Vol 25, p. 18-26
- Rushton, A. & Oxley, J. (1998), Handbook of Logistics and Distribution Management, Cranfield Institute of Technology, London: Kogan Page Ltd. ISBN 0 74 94 0588-
Relevant scientific journals
- Journal of Business Logistics - Wiley Online Library
- The International Journal of Logistics Management - Emerald Insight
- Logistics Research - a SpringerOpen journal