Objectives and competences
Learning objectives:
Improving skills in sourcing management.
Improving skills in customer service area.
Presenting IT systems in sourcing and customer service.
Improving skills in creating and executing effective sourcing strategies.
Acquiring knowledge of the overall order management cycle and processes.
Competences:
Student is able to improve logistics processes in sourcing and customer service.
Student can select important information, which has an influence on sourcing and customer service.
Student has an impeccable attitude to work and coworker.
Student is capable to reduce the sourcing cost, using optimization of sourcing initiatives.
Student makes a significant contribution to overall organizational performance.
Student can manage customers via various communication methods and can overcome challenging customers.
Content (Syllabus outline)
Sourcing plans.
Supplier agreements.
Operational purchasing processes.
Electronic (e)-Procurement tools.
Customer service policy and purchasing decisions.
Customer service organization.
Key Performance Indicators (KPI) in customer service area.
Information Technology Systems (ITS and CRM).
Customer segmentation and identifying niche market in sustainable consumption.
Tutorials:
Prepares sourcing plans.
Establishes supplier agreements.
Creates and manages collaborative supplier relationships.
Negotiation strategies with all involved stakeholders.
Implements a customer service policy.
Establishes a customer service organization.
Defines and implements Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to improve customer service.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems.
Learning and teaching methods
Lectures: Students understand the theoretical frameworks of the course. Part of the lecture course is in a classroom while the rest is in the form of e-learning (e-lectures may be given via video-conferencing or with the help of specially designed e-material in a virtual electronic learning environment).
Tutorials: Students enhance their theoretical knowledge and are able to apply it. Part of the seminar is in a classroom while the rest is in the form of e-learning (e-tutorials may be given via video-conferencing or with the help of specially designed e-material in a virtual electronic learning environment).
Intended learning outcomes - knowledge and understanding
Knowledge and Understanding:
Student has a knowledge about methods and techniques used in sourcing and customer service.
Student knows main aims of sourcing and customer service.
Student knows about relationships between companies in supply chain.
Student understands the role of procurement and supply management in a supply chain context.
Student understands supply management and strategy development, including types of supply strategies.
Student understands procurement analysis and classification.
Student understands the impact of effective customer service, key aspects of, and employee responsibilities in, the customer return process.
Student understands key metrics used in customer returns functions.
Student understands key concepts and practices in customer relationship management.
Student understands concept of sustainable consumption.
Intended learning outcomes - transferable/key skills and other attributes
Transferable/Key Skills and other attributes:
Student is able to improve sourcing and customer service with using IT systems.
Student can use standards to solve problems in sourcing and customer service.
Student knows special (logistics) terminology and can communicate with partners in the supply chain (also in foreign languages).
Student is capable to assess supply markets.
Student is capable to develop a sourcing strategy, implementing and institutionalizing it.
Student can select the most appropriate sourcing strategy for a given service.
Student can recognize how the service performances are measured.
Student can identify key steps in the customer life cycle.
Student recognizes regulatory concerns in customer service operations.
Readings
1. Obrecht, M., Cvahte Ojsteršek, T., Čuček, M., Fale, M., Orel Šanko, N., Vičič, P., Slomšek Šlamberger, B., & Pavić, L. (2024). Oskrbovalne verige znanja: smernice za zeleni in digitalni prehod (1. izd.). Univerza v Mariboru, Univerzitetna založba. https://doi.org/10.18690/um.fl.2.2024
2. Obrecht, M. (2020). Life cycle management in supply chains: integrating environmental life cycle thinking into supply chain management: visokošolski učbenik (1. izd.). Fakulteta za logistiko Univerze v Mariboru. https://fl.um.si/knjiznica/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/E-BOOK-Obrecht_2020-LCMinSC-FINAL.pdf
3. Chopra, S., & Meindl, P. (2019). Supply chain management: strategy, planning, and operation (7th ed., global ed.). Pearson.
4. Monczka, R. M., Handfield, R. B., Giunipero, L. C., & Patterson, J. L. (2016). Purchasing and supply chain management (6th ed.). Cengage Learning.
