Course overview
Increased levels of outsourcing make the selection of the right suppliers and the management of the supply base more crucial than ever.
This course addresses this important domain from a holistic perspective, which considers all levels of decision-making (strategic, tactical, and operational) and all activities within the sourcing process to secure the best total value from suppliers, rather than just the lowest purchase price. To this end, the scope encompasses both the theoretical background and the practical tools of sourcing, starting from internal demand analysis all the way to business award decisions and the management of the ensuing buyer-supplier relationships.
This course is recommended for anyone seeking an introduction to modern purchasing and supply management (“procurement”) with a specific focus on sourcing.
Academic year
2022/23
Duration and dates
2 weeks from July 3 to 14, 2023
Teaching format
Face-to-Face in Mannheim, Germany
Coordinators
Prof. Dr. Christoph Bode (Main Lecturer & Academic Lead), Alexandra Gräber (Manager Short Programs), Janna Ried (Manager Special Programs, International Affairs)
Biography
Christoph Bode is a full professor at the Business School of the University of Mannheim and holds the Endowed Chair of Procurement. After graduating in industrial engineering (University of Karlsruhe, Germany and Grenoble Institute of Technology, France), he obtained his Ph.D. from WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management (Germany) and his Habilitation from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich (Switzerland). His teaching and research interests lie in the areas of procurement, supply chain, logistics, and operations management with a special focus on risk and disruptions, interfirm relationships, innovation, sustainability, and strategies and performance. His research in these areas has been published in journals such as the Academy of Management Journal, Decision Sciences, Organization Studies, Journal of Business Logistics, and Journal of Operations Management.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this course a student should be able to:
Participants will learn how to set up and manage sourcing projects while considering the broader business environment and strategic direction of the organization (competitive, functional, category, and supply base). For each topic addressed, participants will be given key concepts, conceptual frameworks, and analytic tools.
Course content
Starting from a modern conception of procurement, all major aspects of the sourcing process are covered from pre-transaction (requirements and specification management, SoWs, supply market analysis, quotation management, negotiation, contracting) to post transaction (P2P process, expediting, conflicts, performance management) issues. Special emphasis is put on optimization levers both from a technical (e.g., cost modeling) and a commercial (e.g., negotiation, reverse auctions) perspective.
Course value
6 ECTS
Required background
No formal requirements, but basic knowledge in operations/supply chain management is recommended.
Assessment
Final presentation
Bibliography
There is no mandatory or direct supplementary textbook. All teaching materials will be distributed digitally to the participants. For some topics, additional information can be found in standard procurement textbooks such as:
- Cousins, P.D., Lamming, R.C., Lawson, B., Squire, B., 2008. Strategic Supply Management: Principles, Theories and Practice. Prentice Hall, Harlow, UK.
- Johnson, P.F., Leenders, M.R., Flynn, A.E., 2014. Purchasing and Supply Management (15th ed.), McGraw-Hill, New York, NY.
- Monczka, R.M., Handfield, R.B., Giunipero, L.C., Patterson, J.L., 2015. Purchasing and Supply Chain Management (6th ed.), Cengage, Florence, KY.
- van Weele, A.J., 2018. Purchasing and Supply Chain Management (7th ed.), Cengage, Florence, KY.
Extra cost
150 Euros per participant. (Accommodation and travel costs will have to be paid by the students.)
Miscellaneous information
n/a
About the School
Located in the heart of Germany, the University of Mannheim, Business School is one of the leading Business Schools in Europe. It unites first-class research, internationality and a distinct orientation towards corporate practice.
Its innovative teaching methods and consistent quality management contribute to the best academic conditions.
© Photo by Norbert Bach