Supply Chain Planning

Course description The course covers different planning problems that occur in supply chains with a special focus on IT support. The course starts with an overview of Supply Chain Planning and the use of Advanced Planning Systems. Afterwards, a basic demand planning process and factors that impact the sales plan are discussed. Supply network planning then verifies whether or not a production plan can be put into practice and aligns the supply chain towards the short- and medium-term requirements of the customer. A subsequent section on sales and operations planning highlights the importance and interdependencies between value-based and quantity-based planning. The course then elaborates on material requirements planning and capacity planning methods and refers to related execution processes such as customer order management, the purchasing of goods, and in-house production. The last section on Supply Chain Physics deals with lean management, production efficiency and the related “laws of productivity”. Attending the course enables students to identify planning challenges in supply chains and to understand software-based approaches using Advanced Planning Systems.