This course takes a broad look at supply chain sustainability. Supply chain management includes logistics/transportation, purchasing, and a few aspects of marketing. Sustainability is a multi-dimensional concept, spanning environmental, social and economic issues. Delivery is via interactive lectures, small group discussions, and writing/presenting a sustainability term paper.

This graduate seminar addresses key subject areas in supply chain management, primarily via the review of recent academic literature in the field. The material is approached from an overall management perspective, with little emphasis on specific operational or mathematical techniques.

This course examines issues of operations strategy. Representative topics include the development of operational capabilities for competative advantage, capacity strategy, operations improvement, vertical integration and outsourcing, managing operating networks, and new process development.

Purchasing and supply management are sometimes considered equal yet separate areas of business; and sometimes they are considered to be interchangeable. Purchasing is now one of the key strategic elements of an organization. The broad goal of the course is for students to better understand the strategic side of purchasing, as well as tactical approaches that support the strategy. The course builds from an initial discussion of strategic and tactical purchasing to a consideration of key processes that support the strategic goal and tactical imperative.