Supply Chain Management and Strategic Sourcing

The course examines how organizations design, manage, and strengthen supply chains to create long-term competitive advantage. The course emphasizes the critical role of supplier selection and partnership development, recognizing that supply chains are no longer transactional networks but strategic ecosystems. Students explore how effective sourcing decisions influence cost, quality, innovation, resilience, and risk, and how collaboration and relationship management with the right supplier-partners can enhance performance across global and domestic operations. In addition, the course will delve into negotiation preparation and actual negotiations as critical aspects of supplier engagement. The course also highlights the growing strategic importance of sourcing in todays geopolitical and economic environment. Governments and industries increasingly use sourcing strategies to gain leverage and protect national and economic interests, as seen in competition over rare earth minerals,semiconductor manufacturing, and shipbuilding capacity, to name a few. Through case studies and applied analysis, students will learn how sourcing strategies intersect with corporate business strategyto ensure competitive advantage and supply chain security preparing them to make informed,strategic decisions in an interconnected and uncertain global landscape.STEM-designated.Prerequisite: Students should take either BZAN1021 (Undergraduate) or BZAN7700/7720 (Graduate) prior to this course.