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Since it began in 1969, the OU has taught more than 1.8 million students and has almost 220,000 current students, including more than 15,000 overseas. The Open University is rated one of the best in the UK for student satisfaction in the National Student Survey. The OU is one of only four UK universities to have consistently achieved more than 90% in the survey’s history. Over 70% of students are in full-time or part-time employment, and four out of five FTSE 100 companies have sponsored staff to take OU courses.

The UK’s latest Research Excellence Framework exercise (REF 2014) places The Open University in the top third of UK higher education institutions by ‘research power’ ranking. 72% of OU research submitted was assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent.

Course: The Digital Economy: Effective Supply Chain Management

Learn how to manage supply chains effectively in the digital era.

You can choose to start on August 7 or October 30, 2017.

Duration 4 weeks - 3 hours per week - FREE online course

Why join the course?

The goods and services that customers depend on each day don’t just appear out of the blue. They reach end users through increasingly intricate channels, involving people and processes all over the world and supported by continually advancing technology.

1. Create value with your supply chain

Understanding the key relationships in these channels can help you cut costs, boost performance and create more value for customers, whether you are a sole trader, in a small to medium-sized organization or work for a large firm. Supply chains raise challenging questions for all organisations, with quality, profitability and responsibility, including political and ethical issues, high on today’s management agenda.

This free online course will equip you with a critical appreciation of the way supply chains work, and how you can make them work better for you and your customers. Whether you are an entrepreneur, work in the public sector or in a small to medium enterprise (SME), you’ll find out how the supply chain is changing as the digital era evolves.

2. Thrive in the digital economy

The Digital Economy: Effective Supply Chain Management is one of four courses from The Open University about the digital economy, designed to help experienced managers get to grips with today’s technology-enabled business environment.

The course has been developed by The Open University Business School – a pioneering institution that is triple accredited by AMBA, EQUIS, and AACSB.

Holders of FutureLearn Certificates of Achievement for all four Digital Economy courses can earn 15 UK credits towards The Open University Business School’s flexible MBA by passing a linked Open University assessment module (requiring separate OU registration and fee).

What topics will you cover?

• What supply chain management is and why it is important
• The distinct processes that make up a digital supply chain
• How risk is assessed in the digital supply chain
• How organisations are using the supply chain to gain a competitive advantage
• Competitive advantage in the digital supply chain
• How supply chain management fits with the company’s strategy
• The future of supply chain management

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

• Identify and understand the impact of the digital economy on structure and function of a supply chain, recognizing opportunities to reduce cost and create value in your own professional context.
• Demonstrate and recognizing the impact of the digital economy when taking an informed approach to decisions such as outsourcing and quality management.
• Improve your analytical and prioritizing skills.
• Develop your ethical awareness as a manager.

Apply for this course: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/supply-chain-management?lr=8#section-educators