Introduction to Informatics and Supply Chain Management

3 ECTS credits
87 h study time

Offer 2 with catalog number 3019727DNW for working students in the 1st semester at a (D) Master - preliminary level.

Semester

1st semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Enrollment Requirements

NOTE: registration for this course is only possible for working students. Day students can register for courses whose code ends with an R. At Inschrijven / studentenadministratie@vub.be you must be registered at the VUB as a working student for the current academic year.

Taught in

Dutch

Faculty

Faculty of Social Sciences & SolvayBusinessSchool

Department

Business Technology and Operations

Educational team

Johan Devos
Lieven Deketele
Sam Verboven (course titular)

Activities and contact hours

15 contact hours Lecture
3 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
83 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

The module 'Supply Chain Management' introduces the operations environment of a supply chain with a focus on manufacturing and quality management.

The following is an indicative description of the content of the SCM part:

Manufacturing processes
Layout decision models
Trends to improve performance in operations (Six sigma, Lean management, Continuous improvement tools,…)
Quality management
Statistical quality control

The IT part of the course introduces the basic concepts related to information systems and their use in business, with examples in supply chain management and more. The following is an indicative description of the content of the IT part:

Information systems in global business today
IT infrastructuring and emerging tech
Networking: telecom & internet
Data: databases and foundations of business intelligence
Ethics, privacy and societal challenges of IT

Course material

Digital course material (Required) : Handouts, papers en aanvullend cursusmateriaal, Canvas
Digital course material (Required) : Oefeningen en aanvullend oefenmateriaal, Canvas
Handbook (Recommended) : Introduction to Operations and Supply Chain Management, Cecil B. Bozarth - Robert B. Handfield, 5de, Pearson, 9781292291581, 2019
Handbook (Recommended) : Management Information Systems, Managing the Digital Firm, Jane P. Laudon & Kenneth C. Laudon, 17de, Pearson, 9781292403281, 2021

Additional info

Additional course material (articles, webpages, etc.) will be made available through the online learning platform.

Learning Outcomes

General Competencies

Students can independently explain the basic concepts of operations management, business strategy, and product and process design and demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of these various concepts through specific examples using appropriate terminology.
Students can frame key concepts, terms and techniques of Lean Manufacturing/Just In Time and Total Quality Management in their historical context and make connections to their relevance in current business operations.
Students will be able to analyze given example situations and describe applicable business strategies and processes, make connections to the concepts covered in the course, and reach conclusions based on calculating and interpreting relevant parameters using calculator and formulary.
Students will be able to describe key concepts of statistical quality control, select appropriate techniques and parameters for specific tasks, and calculate them using calculator and formulary to reach informed decisions.
Students can explain the basic concepts of information systems and their value in a business environment.
Students can discriminate between different computer systems: from CPU to cloud computing and analyze the management implications thereof.
Students can relate challenges in IT related to security, ethics and social aspects to current cases.
Students can translate the material seen in class into practice, through a case study.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 100% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Schriftelijk Examen with a relative weight of 100 which comprises 100% of the final mark.

Note: Schriftelijk examen waarbij de kennis van de theorie en de oefeningen wordt nagegaan

Additional info regarding evaluation

The written exam covers the material discussed during the lectures, the guest lecture and the exercise session and in self study of the parts on IT and SCM. The exam may consist of multiple choice questions, open questions, exercises, etc. Marks on multiple choice questions may be corrected for guessing.

A weighting of 50% is given to both parts (IT and SCM).
However, students must obtain a partial result of at least 17/50 for both parts separately, in order to avoid an imbalance in knowledge. Otherwise, the lowest partial result determines the overall mark for this subject. For example: a student with partial results 20/50 and 30/50 obtains a total point of 50/100, while a student with partial results 15/50 and 35/50 obtains a total point of 30/100.

Partial results can be transferred to a subsequent exam period only within the same academic year if the student obtained at least 25/50 for this part.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context