Your class participation and contribution will be assessed during discussion of questions and cases. This will be based on the extent to which you prepare, the relevance and depth of your comments, reflections on your work experiences or other industry examples, as well as how you contribute to the learning experience of the class. Please notify your instructor in advance if you have to miss a class, or if you will be late or leaving early from class.

Assessment criteria:

• Be prepared with class readings before each session.
• Work effectively in groups to solve cases and industry questions in class.
• Actively participate in class discussions and contribute to them using relevant sources, experience and/or extensive knowledge on the topic.
• Attend the class on-time and be actively present throughout each session to the end.

The mid-term test will include the materials (PowerPoint slides, assigned textbook chapters, handouts in class, etc.) studied before. The details of test format will be announced in class. There will be no make-up test for anyone who cannot sit the test. Please contact the lecturer in advance if you have a serious problem with the date. The test is designed to assess your understanding not memory as they are based on materials covered during the term. Any required material or specific case study for the test will be placed on iLearn before the date.

This Assessment task relates to the following aspects:

• Explain and present the fundamental concepts of supply chain management.
• Construct reasoned opinions on supply chain management concepts and present reasoned verbal and written arguments about their commercial application.
• Report and present relevant supply chain issues through case study analysis, based on the concepts of Supply Chain Management; Review of industry presented topics.
• Participate in coordinated group discussions generating reports on Supply Chain Management concepts and issues - through group learning activities and joint projects.

Syndicate groups will be formed at the beginning of class. Groups might experience minor changes up until the third session after starting on 26th October, 2018. Each group should select a group representative who will be responsible for communications with the lecturer.

Each syndicate group will be required to 1) research and deliver a 20 mins presentation to the class on a specific supply chain management topic, 2) submit to the lecturer a soft copy of the slides by email before the presentation, and upload the soft copy of the slides via Turnitin on iLearn. The last slide in the presentation should list the specific research sources (e.g. journals, webpages, textbooks, etc.). APA reference style is required for this assessment. A penalty of late submission is applied. Please refer to the details described in the section of Group Case Report Assessment (extensions and penalties).

The presentation (and slides) should cover the following: • Brief description of the topic(s) to be presented – the suggested topics for each syndicate group are listed in the table of supply chain management topics on the page of unit schedule. Please note that not all listed topics must be included in the presentation. • Brief description of one or more Australian firms which have issues in the application of the selected topic(s). This will also require a very brief description of the organisation and the products/services it provides. Please note that the selected firms are from various industries, including manufacturers, agricultural producers, wholesalers/retailers, hospitals, medical clinics, health care providers, financial institutions, IT design and infrastructure, telecommunications providers, utilities providers, government, hotels, transportation and distribution services, etc. • Critically propose realistic and feasible solutions/recommendations from the perspective of supply chain management to cope with the identified issues. This is the most important part of the presentation and where most of the focus should be placed. This section should also include challenges encountered and tactics used by management in order to overcome these challenges.

Marking scheme: • Novelty, originality, and applicability of the report • Knowledge and understanding core material • Appropriateness of research • Quality of argument • Depth of analysis • Professionalism in delivery (e.g., engaging the audience, introduction to the problem, seamless flow of presentation (What? Why? How?), maintaining eye contact, satisfactory response to the questions asked by the audience, effective time management in presenting the slides and in Q&A, and design and animations used in the slides). Each group should maintain an effective and equal collaboration so that individuals within each group will be assessed equally. No extensions will be granted.

Choose one of the following topics and write a business report (each group chooses one topic only, or you can choose your own topic):

• Make-to-Stock vs. Make-to-Order
• Quality Management
• JIT Manufacturing
• Warehousing & Cross-Docking
• Supply Chain Risk Management
• Transportation Management
• Reverse Logistics & Returns Management
• Inventory Management
• Sales & Operations Planning
• Distribution Network Design
• Online Business & Logistics
• Outsourcing & Offshoring

Instructions:

1. Students will be required to write a concise group report of around 2,000 words (excluding references and appendices). The most important component of this report is the application of insights, concepts, tools and techniques discussed in class to the groups' chosen organisation in line with your group presentation.

2. The date of submission is planned after the end of the course to ensure students can review all the materials covered in the subject. Students are required to select the make use of topics studied in class in order to (1) draw links to a chosen organisation's function, department or operation, (2) conduct a problem analysis in details and (3) provide a detailed solution(s) to improve the organisation's situation.

3. Marking scheme: the report will be assessed based on the following criteria:

• Organization selection
• Background research
• Problem identified
• Analysis methods
• Effective use of data and resources
• Implementation plan
• Practical implications
• Strength of recommendations/conclusion
• Report readability
• Overall presentation (structure, logic, formatting, referencing and citations)

4. The following report format should be used:

Apart from the cover page, which contains the unit information, student numbers, student names, the report should include the following:

1. Executive Summary

2. Overview of the Topic

3. A Real-World Example

4. Issues identified

5. Analysis and Discussion

6. Conclusions

7. References (List the references used in the report in strict Harvard style)

8. Appendix, if any

Note:

• Group case reports should be typed 1.5-spaced, with normal margins, and Times New Roman 12pt font. Clarity and structure are critical elements of success. Use the available pages wisely and forego dwelling on defining terms that are obvious and already known. The report should be written as a professional business type of report, reflecting its practicality, applicability and relevance to the business.
• Each group representative will submit a soft copy of group report to Turnitin via the MGSM893 iLearn on or before the due date as listed above. ONLY ONE single file must be submitted, with ALL attachments, displays and charts included. This can be submitted as a pdf format to avoid unexpected change of format.
• Please ensure your group members' full name, student number, unit code (MGSM893), unit name (Supply Chain Management), and lecturer (Dr. Junsong Bian) is clearly visible on the cover page of your report. In addition, each group representative will submit the peer evaluation form signed by ALL group members to the lecturer by email.

Extensions and penalties

No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24-hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission – 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved. No submissions will be accepted after solutions have been posted.