ETLS 570 Purchasing, Logistics and Distribution

Instructor:

Thomas W. Becker

Time:

Section 01, Monday, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Location:

St. Paul Campus, OWS 250

Telephone:

Cell Phone: (651) 402-1398
Home Phone: (651) 770-7549
Twbecker356@comcast.net
Please feel free to contact me during reasonable hours.

Required Text:

Bowersox, Closs and Cooper. Supply Chain Logistics Management (ISBN 0072351004)
Articles to be distributed

Course Description:

An introduction to the operations aspects of logistics combined with an overview of Supply Chain Management. Topics will include purchasing, vendor relations, inventory strategies and control, warehousing, material handling, packaging, and transportation, combined under supply chain management philosophy. The course will be taught through lectures, problem sets, case studies, guest speakers, and a tour of a high-volume order fulfillment facility.
Prerequisite: ETLS 505 Managerial Accounting and Performance Management is recommended but not required.

Course Objectives:

To enable the student to describe, understand, analyze and recommend enhancements to the purchase, logistics and distribution functions within a manufacturing or service environment.
To provide the student with an overview of the larger issues associated with Supply Chain Management.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

	Program Outcome Reference
Demonstrate systems thinking capacity in the logistics environment.	SE1
Be able to provide input to, understand and take action on reports generated by the various functions associated with purchasing, logistics and distribution.	SE14
Be able to generate and analyze simple reports in the areas of forecasting, purchasing, inventory management, transportation and warehousing.	SE12, SE16
Be able to articulate a solid understanding of Supply Chain Management including vendor selection and vendor relations strategies and techniques.	SE9, SE13
Be able to assemble, review and recommend action plans for complex logistics and Supply Chain Systems.	SE7, SE15

Course Methodology:

We will be using a combination of lecture, case studies, class discussions, class exercises and student presentations to cover the required material

Grading Policy:

The student will be responsible for the following elements of class:

1.    Presentation                            20%
2.    Paper                                      25%
3.    Mid-term                                 15%
4.    Final                                       20%
5.    Quiz’s and Paper Presentation    10%
6.    Class participation                    10%

All class members will be graded on a curve based upon overall performance in the class. Late papers are not encouraged and will only be accepted with prior approval by the instructor. Grades will be affected by timeliness of the work

Academic Integrity:

All students are expected to understand and follow the University of St Thomas policies on Academic Integrity. These are described at:
http://www.stthomas.edu/engineering/graduate/policies/

Exams:

Exams are one of the instruments used to evaluate the knowledge gained by an individual student of the class subject matter, and the progress towards meeting the outcomes of the class and the degree. To this end all exams (in class or take home) are intended to represent the effort of the individual and not a group effort unless specifically stated otherwise.

Attendance
Policy:

Students are expected to attend all class sessions. Circumstances which prevent attendance will be honored up to two instances. Absences in excess of two times may result in a lower grade for the course. Contact the instructor when a special situation arises. All absences require that the instructor be informed in advance.

Students with Disabilities

Qualified students with documented disabilities who may need classroom accommodations should make an appointment with the Enhancement Program – Disability Services office during the first two weeks of the semester. Appointments can be made by calling 651-962-6315 or in person in O’Shaughnessy Educational Center, room 119.

Instructor Background:

Tom earned a BA in Economics and a BA in Business Finance from the University of St. Thomas in 1984. In 1989, he earned his Masters degree in Marketing from the University of St. Thomas. He worked several years as a financial analyst for a property management firm in Minneapolis where he performed financial analysis, managed the fiscal budgeting process and a financial system implementation. He also was responsible for the development and implementation of all support training materials for the financial system rollout. He has also worked for a software development firm in Minneapolis as a financial software consultant working in pre-sales, training and product development and support. Tom has worked at Andersen Windows in Bayport, Minnesota in the marketing department where he has worked on such projects as:
- Managing a customer conversion program within the distribution channel
- Development and implementation of a sales incentive program
- Managing the development and marketing of an electronic quoting tool for Andersen dealers
- Part of a development team for a preferred retailer program across the distribution channel

Also at Andersen, Tom managed the order intake process for all orders coming into Andersen West of the Mississippi. Based upon customer specifications, materials for manufacturing are sourced and production is scheduled and executed.

Currently Tom works at 3M in the Customer Contact Center where he manages several teams that perform the customer service function by processing service requests, dispatching service technicians, performing product testing and repair and finally product re-distribution.

ETLS 570

Purchasing, Logistics, & Distribution

Spring 2008

Class / Date

Topics

Assignments

Week 1

01/28/08

Introductions

Course Overview

Logistics of the course

Chapter 1

Week 2

02/04/08

Logistics Integration

Customer Service

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Week 3

02/11/08

Supply Chain Relationships

Global Logistics

Chapter 4

Week 4

02/18/08

Information Systems

Forecasting

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Week 5

02/25/08

Inventory Strategy

Inventory Management

Exam #1 handed out

Chapter 10

Week 6

03/03/08

Transportation Infrastructure

Transportation Regulation

Guest Speaker

Exam #1 Due

Chapter 11

Week 7

03/10/08

Transportation Management

Warehouse Management

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

03/17/07

SPRING BREAK

3/24/08

Easter Monday – School Closed

Week 8

03/31/08

Vendor Management

Week 9

04/07/08

Material Handling and

Packaging

Chapter 14

Week 10

04/14/08

Field Trip

Week 11

4/21/08

Logistics Positioning

Integration Theory

Term Paper Due!

Chapter 15

Week 12

04/28/08

Planning and Design Methodology

Planning and Design Techniques

Exam #2 handed out

Chapter 16

Week 13

05/05/08

Organization

Planning, Costing and Pricing

Exam #2 Due

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Week 14

05/12/08

Paper Presentations

Logistics Summary

Final Course Evaluations

To:                   ETLS 570 Class
From:               Tom Becker
Subject:           Term paper evaluation criteria

The term paper is an important part of the Logistics course requirements. Therefore, it is important that you think about the paper and its ground rules early in the semester.

The specific subject of the paper is one for you to choose however it is expected to include several of the logistics topics discussed in class and in the book. The subject should be selected in terms of viability, significant issues to be addressed and what is required to implement the topic such as manpower, materials, packaging, inventory and so on. The subject should be one of personal interest to you, which will make the project far more enjoyable.

You should support your subject with clear references to experts within the field of choice. You are free to apply personal experience to the subject but it should be well supported with outside justification.

The length of the paper should be about 10 pages typewritten double-spaced pages and must also include a bibliography of all reference material used in the formulation of the paper. The paper must adhere to the APA Publication Manual (American Psychological Association) format criteria. This text is available in most libraries and bookstores. The paper should be handed in without report covers, simply a cover page.

The most important components of any research paper are:

Abstract
Introduction
Body
Summary and Conclusions

To:                   ETLS 570 Class
From:               Tom Becker
Subject:            Panel Presentation for ETLS 570

The panel presentation accounts for 20% of your final grade and therefore is a very important component of the required class work. The purpose here is to outline the expectations I have of you when giving your presentation. As graduate school students, it is expected that you are able to think logically and communicate verbally in an accurate and succinct manner. One of the objectives of this panel presentation is to give you an opportunity to refine those skills. The ability to make straightforward and logical presentations is critical for your success. Although public speaking can cause a certain amount of stress, this environment is an opportunity conducive to honing these skills and must not be missed. It is also an opportunity for you to convince your fellow students how much you have learned in your graduate program to date. Your material should be thoroughly researched and presented in a convincing manner. After all, upon completion of this extensive research, you are expected to be the expert in the subject matter. The structure of your presentation should be logical, easy to follow and relatively structured. Please view this as a learning opportunity versus a task that must be endured.

Subjects for the panel presentation will be discussed the first session of class.

The presentation will consist of but not be limited to the following constraints:

A maximum of four members per panel to assure thorough subject coverage. Students living or working in close geographic proximity may want to be panel members together for convenience purposes.
There will be limited class time to work on your presentations.
Presentation subjects may not necessarily coincide with subject matter to be covered during class.

Panel Presentation Structure/Outline

1. The presentation should be a maximum of one hour in length. Each panel member will be responsible for a particular portion of the presentation and should cover it thoroughly. Allow adequate time for a question and discussion session at the end of the presentation. Please try to stay within these time constraints.

2. Presentation topics will be assigned the first night of class. To prepare for the presentation, you will be required to use materials outside of those used in the classroom but also integrate several concepts and ideas discussed in class. An outline of your presentation must be made available to each student prior to the panel presentation.

3. The panel presentation should include the basic elements of any formal presentation:

Introduction and Summary
Body
Summary and Conclusions

Panel Presentation Grading

Each student will earn his own grade, which will be based on the presentation itself and responses to questions and the impromptu discussion that follows.
Are acronyms defined upon first use?
Is each individual clear, concise, accurate, logical and easy to understand?
Is a fundamental understanding of the topic covered before diving into the more complicated issues surrounding the subject?
Does the presentation flow not only for each individual but also from one presenter to another?
Do the visual aids support what is being discussed at the time?