Supply Chain Management (Lean SCM Black Belt)

Course details

The Postgraduate Diploma/Master of Supply Chain Management (Lean SCM Black Belt) is a part-time course. It is designed to teach you how to improve supply chain processes, while also providing cost reductions and added value for you and your organisation.

If you are a career-minded person who works in supply chain, manufacturing, quality, financial or related functions and you also have responsibility for continuous improvement within your organisation, this course is for you.

Successful supply chain management (SCM) requires strategic and operational alignment, and this is why the course includes:

• a strong emphasis on strategy
• information systems
• demand management
• change and innovation
• integrated project management

Adopting a Lean philosophy, you will apply Lean tools and complete a Lean SCM Black Belt project that achieves organisational and supply chain improvements. 

Course Details

The Postgraduate Diploma/Master of Supply Chain Management (Lean SCM Black Belt) is a practitioner-oriented course. It provides a structured approach to the key elements of supply chain design and management in order to maximise your work experience. The course combines both classroom and distance/on-line learning. The course is informed by best international practice and it includes contributions from our applied partners the Leading Edge Group, as well as fromnational and international guest speakers.

The course is delivered over two stages:

Stage 1:

The duration of stage 1 is 18 months and it leads to a postgraduate diploma qualification.

Stage 2:

Stage 2 is for a further period of six months. If you achieve a 2.1 grade in stage 1, you may progress/convert to a master’s degree.

It consists of seven modules (as outlined below) and the outcome of each module is a workplace assignment contributing to the development and implementation of a substantial organisational and SCM improvement project. This course is examined wholly by continuous assessment and there are no written examinations.

Year 1 (Autumn):

• Strategic planning and implementation in supply chains (three days in classroom and e-learning)
• Advanced Lean Tools and practices in supply chain management (three days in classroom and e-learning)

Year 1 (Spring):

• Leadership, change and innovation management in supply chains (three days in classroom and e-learning)
• Managing Lean Projects in supply chains (three days in classroom and e-learning)
• Information systems and technologies in supply chain process design and improvement (one and a half days in classroom and e-learning)

Year 2 (Autumn):

• Globalisation issues and Capstone Module seminars and workshops (four and a half days in classroom and e-learning)

Year 2 (Spring) – Optional:

• Master’s (Minor Thesis) 

Detailed Entry Requirements

You should have:

 a minimum second-class honours primary degree in a relevant area and at least four years relevant     industrial experience (including cross-functional team lead experience),

or a portfolio of evidence containing the following:

• at least six years of relevant management experience, including responsibility for teams and cross-functional/supply chain teams
• a recognised professional qualification in a relevant area
• application of learning or competence such as involvement in cross-functional projects, reports, reflective papers or journals

 testimonials of learning or competence through sign-off by an appropriate signatory within the candidate's organisation

Course Practicalities

Two delivery formats may be available, a Blended Learning Approach and a Distance Learning Approach. The former is a blend of classroom activity and on-line resources. In this format on-line resources will be provided prior to workshops, with further on-line resources provided after workshops. Each module will be supported by a 3-day workshop. The Distance Learning programme will be supported by on-line resources including tutorials, e-mentoring and discussion forums. Students are free to migrate from one delivery format to another.