BUU44680 Global Supply Chain Management 2025/26
(10 ECTS)
Lecturer:
Isilay Talay
Email: talayi@tcd.ie
Office: Hours: By appointment
Pre-Requisite: GB Only
Module Description
The module will have two parts: 1) concepts & theory; 2) technical (specialized supply chain software training).
Concepts & Theory will start with giving you a fundamental grasp of supply chain management, serving as a basis for learning more advanced SCM concepts in the second semester.
Technical part will follow the training toolkit for the anyLogistix software (https://www.anylogistix.com/academic/).
Learning and Teaching Approach
The lectures will require preparation, reading from our textbook and software training manual, and usually listening to the introductory recordings to be prepared by the lecturer. These will help with coverage of the main textbook as well as with the review of technical material from past years such as probability distributions (to be used for themes such as inventory management and software configuration).
We will use the lecture contact time to solve exercises, quizzes, cases, business simulations, discussions, and software training.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyze and Apply Supply Chain Strategies
- Design and Optimize Supply Chain Networks
- Implement Supply Chain Planning Processes
- Assess and Manage Supply Chain Risk and Sustainability
- Utilize Analytical Tools for Supply Chain Decision-Making
RELATION TO DEGREE
Supply Chain Management is a key discipline within the broader field of Operations and Supply Chain Management. Its importance has gained significant attention following the Covid-19 crisis and continues to grow due to ongoing geopolitical developments and the rising concern over emissions generated by supply chain-related activities.
Workload
| Content | Indicative Number of Hours |
|---|---|
| Lecturing Hours | 40 |
| Preparation for Lectures | 40 |
| Continuous Assignment | 40 |
| Individual Assignment | 40 |
| Group Assignment | 40 |
| Reading of assigned materials and active reflection on lecture and course content and linkage to personal experiences | 40 |
| Final exam preparation | NA |
| Total | 240 |
Textbook and Readings
Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning, and Operation, Global Edition, 7th edition, 2019 (ISBN Textbook 9781292257891, eBook 9781292374598). Sunil Chopra, 7th edition.
We will follow this edition (7th) closely. The library has ordered many print copies and eBook license for the 7th edition, please make sure to do the chapter readings, ideally both before and after the lectures.
We will also follow the accompanying textbook for the anyLogistix software, you may obtain it from this site: https://www.anylogistix.com/academic/
This material will be backed by Harvard Business Publishing cases, business simulations, and tutorial notes, as well as cases from outlets such as Financial Times.
General Supplemental Readings
All students are recommended to activate their subscription to Financial Times via their Trinity account (it is offered without any fees by the College).
Student preparation for the module
Students are required to follow the module material and the Blackboard page regularly and immerse themselves in the content. Continuous assessments will comprise of low-stakes but regularly conducted and marked exercises and/or mini-assignments.
If you have followed this document up to this point, I trust it is now clear how important it is to attend the module and participate regularly. I plan to collect submissions for each continuous assessment component within three days after the lecture (sometimes sooner, depending on the content) to provide feedback before the next session. Please note, however, that some continuous assessment tasks will take place in the classroom due to their specific content and format.
Attendance will be taken at every lecture via College-issued online tools such as Vevox or MS Forms.
COURSE COMMUNICATION
Please note that all course related email communication must be sent from your official TCD email address. Emails sent from other addresses will not be attended to.
Assessment
Continuous Assessment 40%
A collection of low-stakes but regularly conducted and marked exercises and/or mini-assignments that are based on the topic and material covered that week and comprised of individual or group assessment pieces such as individual mini-essays, 5-min recorded group presentation focusing on a case, mini opinion-pieces, in-class quizzes (dates will be announced, based on the topic, could be classical pen & paper or online), reflection piece on a business simulation (to be experienced either in-class or asynchronously), etc.
Individual Assignment (Semester 1) 30%
Critical discussion essay on a choice of a core course theme and its application on a current global discussion topic
Group Assignment (Semester 2) 30%
Case study analysis and presentation, aimed to be a live case if circumstances allow, otherwise analysis of a chosen end product’s and its main commodity’s supply chain including scenario analysis for a chosen potential crisis.
Reassessment
Supplemental assignment 100% - Individually written, evidence-based reflective report applying core course concepts (both concepts & theory and technical) to a real-world event or development.
Biographical Note:
Dr. Isilay Talay is an Assistant Professor in Operations and Supply Chain Management in Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin. Her recent research interests lie in interplay of production and financing decisions, international trade, optimal staffing and workforce allocation. Her past published work includes optimal procurement and production with uncertain yield, dynamic pricing and replenishment with stochastic demand, and optimal staffing in healthcare with uncertain attrition.
She holds a Ph.D. in Operations Management from Duke University (USA), a MSc in Industrial Engineering from Koc University (Turkey), and BSc in Industrial Engineering from Istanbul Technical University (Turkey). She had practical training in healthcare operations and database management in Duke University Medical Center and she has previously worked as an Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Antalya Bilim University (Turkey).