Supply Network Management in Defence and the Commercial Environment

What you will learn

• Demonstrate an understanding of the broad direction of academic research in logistics and supply network management,
• Contrast the underlying similarities and differences between supply networks within the commercial and defence environments,
• Critically evaluate the utility and applicability of logistics and supply network management theories, models, and approaches to defence,
• Critically evaluate and apply risk models to supply networks,
• Critically analyse and identify the added value of the logistics process in defence and the commercial environment,
• Analyse and evaluate the potential for improvement in the logistics and supply network management in defence

Core content

Logistics and Supply Networks - Context, Design, Functions and Purpose

• Strategic context and challenges,
• Efficient and effective supply networks; agile, lean, and hybrid models in defence and in the commercial environment,
• Value chain analysis,
• Comparative logistics and supply networks - commercial and defence,
• Trade-offs in the defence logistics and supply systems,
• Operational logistics and supply network implications of differing support contracting approaches.

Managing the Inventory Function in Defence

• The nature of the defence inventory in comparison with that found in commerce and industry and the resultant challenges,
• The costs and risks of different inventory management strategies (e.g., stockpile versus surge),
• Inventory management to achieve desired service levels and availability.

Achieving and Assuring an Integrated Defence Supply Network

• Differing approaches to analysing supply networks,
• Managing risk in the supply network,
• Operational coherence and assurance
• Supply network performance management.,

Information and Knowledge Management in Logistics and Supply Network Management

• The role of data, information, and knowledge in logistics and supply network management decision making; its critical contribution to established management models,
• Operational logistics information in defence; current and developing systems,
• Business-to-business, business-to-customer, customer-to-customer networks; asset tracking, consignment visibility, FID, barcoding.

Location and travel

Cranfield Defence and Security (CDS) is a Cranfield School based at the Ministry of Defence establishment on the Oxfordshire/Wiltshire borders.

Shrivenham itself lies in the picturesque Vale of the White Horse, close to the M4 motorway which links London and South Wales. It is 7 miles from Swindon, the nearest town, which lies off the M4 at the hub of Britain’s motorway network.

Bath, Cheltenham, Bristol and Oxford are all within an hour’s drive and London less than two hours away by car.

All visitors must be pre-booked in at reception by the person they are visiting on the campus.

For further location and travel details