Transportation and Distribution

Catalog description

Role of transportation and distribution operations in matching supply with demand; principles of transport industry analysis and competitive positioning. SCM 810 Transportation and Distribution (4) The course is set against a background of microeconomic theory and in a framework of supply chain management. Course design is directed toward graduate students with relatively little or no previous academic work in transport management and economics. Subject coverage includes both conceptual and applied material, such as the principles of industry analysis and competitive positioning; theory and practice of transport demand, costing, pricing, and revenue and demand management in distribution settings.After completing this course, students should have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to:a. Perform an industry analysis and assess a firm's competitive positioning in its industry b. Explain the principal categories of cost in a transport/distribution operation and how those cost categories behave with changes in the level of activity c. Perform a basic activity-based costing analysis for a transport/distribution operation d. Articulate the principal characteristics of transport demand e. Understand the measure of price elasticity of demand and to use this measure to quantify the revenue impact of price changes f. Articulate principal distribution strategies g. Calculate a cost-based price and a differential price h. Explain the principles and primary applications of revenue and demand managementThe evaluation of students is based on small team case study submissions, individual short paper and problem assignments, on-line discussion postings, and peer reviews.This course is a prescribed course for the on-line Master of Professional Studies in Supply Chain Management (MPS/SCM). THe course is the second course in the first year of study, building on foundation knowledge developed in the first course but with a focus on the deliver portion of the supply chain.