The master course in Global Sourcing and Organisation (GSO) focuses on the understanding and design of purchasing practices within a global supply chain context. Based on real-life business problems, the students learn to analyse and improve the organisation and practices of international procurement departments, addressing the need for high purchasing maturity, the implications of digitalisation and relevant purchasing objectives.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
Research:
- Explain the importance for firms to organise their procurement function and demonstrate the needed capabilities to operate within an international business environment
- Critically reflect on research contributions to understanding the importance of supply management practices within a global market environment and the implications of technology within the worldwide sourcing context
- Collect and analyse empirical data to evaluate the purchasing maturity of a firm in terms of purchasing professionality and use of technology
- Critically evaluate and analyse why some firms struggle with purchasing practices whilst others seem better equipped to cope with current supply management challenges
Design:
- Analyse the business problems of current purchasing organisations in their international context and maturity stage
- Design solutions to improve future global sourcing practices within an international supply chain context that demonstrate expert competencies with theory-based practice
- Critically evaluate organisational structures and sourcing practices to enable worldwide sourcing
- Design an improvement plan for a firm to improve its global sourcing practices, for example, to manage global supply chain risk, by the use of suitable strategies and technology
Organise:
- Organise and manage group work by taking responsibility for effective group work through communication, project management and teamwork skills
- Propose concrete implementation advice for practitioners at a senior level about how to improve supply management practices within a global operating procurement organisation
- Demonstrate negotiation competence in an international environment that is shaped by cultural factors and strategic implications
- Identify and develop competence requirements within purchasing organisations to increase their maturity level
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This course is designed to develop knowledge and competencies in global sourcing practices for a globally operating purchasing and supply management department. Organising the department is one of the prominent responsibilities of the chief purchasing officer, the CPO. In contrast to the bachelor's programme, the master's programme aims at preparing students to perform managerial roles in purchasing. Therefore, this course provides the necessary insights and skills for organising purchasing on a global level. Barelyany business function is being globalised at a similar speed as purchasing. Thus, coordinating global sourcing efforts is often a managerial task in purchasing.
This course also aims to establish awareness of opportunities and risks, providing an understanding of the particularities of global sourcing. The course involves the students actively training their supply management skills by assessing the maturity of a purchasing function, understanding the implications of supply disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic and learning to estimate the implications of digitalisation in the purchasing domain. The use of technology in the buyer-supplier interface is a topic that significantly impacts the business environment, especially in purchasing practices. In addition, the course shows the importance of negotiation skills within a multicultural business environment. Thus, the lectures provide the fundamentals and consultancy skills to work in purchasing and supply management in a global market environment.
The learning goals are to be achieved through a combination of lectures, teamwork in non-contact hours, engagement with practice, and reading materials.
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The final mark is based on an individual multiple-choice exam (15%), a group assignment (35%), and an individual open-question exam (50%). A minimum mark of 5.5 is required for all three assessments. The final mark of the course is awarded when the student has completed all three assessments.
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| Part |
Type |
Weight |
Description |
| Individual exam (closed book, multiple choice questions) |
Individual |
15% |
Testing the understanding of the elements in a purchasing maturity model |
| A group assignment |
Group |
35% |
Applying the learned maturity model and purchasing practices in a real-life business context |
| Individual exam (closed book, open questions) |
Individual |
50% |
Open-question exam on the topics: purchasing organisations, worldwide sourcing, negotiation practices, supply risk management, and digital technologies in the supply chain |
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