Course syllabus

Course-PM

TEK125 Logistics lp3 VT26 (7.5 hp) and TEK285  Logistics and supply chain management lp3 VT26 (7.5 hp)

Course is offered by the department of Technology Management and Economics

Note!
The course page will shortly be updated with course material and links to register for seminars. Here you can currently find a description of the course content and the schedule.​
If you have questions about the course while it is running, look in the discussion forum. If the answer is not there, post your question in the forum so that everyone receives the same answer. If the question is of a more personal nature, contact the course coordinator/examiner  directly: Tarun Agrawal tarun.agrawal@chalmers.se  ​

Lecture schedule may be subject to change. The schedule here in Canvas Course Information  is the one that applies. (TimeEdit is a booking system, so there are likely more times there than we will actually use.)

 

The course does not include a regular written exam but instead three quizzes (“duggas”) that would take place during the course and would together determine the course grade. The quizzes will take place at the following times:​

• Quiz 1: Wednesday 4 February, 15:15–17:00
• Quiz 2: Friday 20 February, 15:15–17:00
• Quiz 3: Friday 12 March, 15:15–17:00​

Other compulsory elements are:​

• Beer Game: Every student must participate in playing the Beer Game. You can choose between two different days: 28th January and 29th January.
• Case assignment: Every student must submit a written report and participate in three seminars (each seminar is one hour long).
• Guest lectures: Two to three guest lectures. See the schedule.

Contact details

Examiner and Main Teacher: Tarun Agrawal​

Division of Supply and Operations Management
e-mail: tarun.agrawal@chalmers.se  
+46 (0)31-772 4043 

 

Other teachers:

• Patricia van Loon, Chalmers
• Ola Hultkrantz, Chalmers
• Dawid Pasternak, Chalmers
• Areej Ribhi Ibrahim al-Sabban, Chalmers
• Fredrik Helgesson, ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems
• Patrik Johansson, Scania ​

Course purpose 

Logistics is about the costly but value-creating activities linked to material flows, such as planning, control, coordination and organization of the entire flow from raw material to final consumer and return flows in the opposite direction. This includes adapting and streamlining the material supply, the flows through production and distribution, but also taking a holistic perspective and streamlining the material flows between networks of companies.

The aim of the course is to provide a basic understanding of the field of logistics and to describe and provide the ability to apply a number of logistics tools, for example analysis methods, and independently problematize and analyze logistics problems. A special focus in the course is to study the logistics system from an environmental perspective.

The course is based on the logistics objectives and the physical material flow in a logistics system. The focus is on understanding how material flows can be structured and controlled through a company's material supply, production, distribution and in chains of companies, and how order processes and information flows affect the opportunities to create customer value with the help of cost-effective, resource-efficient and environmentally friendly material flows. The course discusses logistics in a holistic perspective, throughout the chain from origin to consumer, partly from an industrial perspective, where the company's various processes and its role and significance in logistics work are highlighted and partly from an academic perspective, by applying different scientific disciplines to logistics problems. The course introduces some common logistics-related analysis methods.

A number of group assignments occur in order to apply the knowledge that is imparted during the course. Among other things, logistics problems are identified, structured and analyzed in practical case data. The course consists of several different types of teaching opportunities such as lectures, exercises and internships. In addition, an interactive logistics game is included - the "beer game". Subject-wise, the following elements are covered:

• The starting points of logistics
• The physical material flow (packaging, storage, material handling, transport)
• Logistics efficiency variables and objectives (customer service, costs, capital tied up, environment)
• Structures of the logistics system (products, material supply, production, distribution)
• Management of the logistics system (customer order and forecasting process, material management, material and production management in manufacturing companies, transport planning, material procurement process)
• Logistics collaboration in supply chains
• Information system for Logistics
• Logistics and environment
• Analysis tool for logistics development

Schedule

A schedule with reading instructions is available as a PDF document here in Canvas. Booked rooms are also shown in TimeEdit, but TimeEdit does not show the course schedule. In the event of a schedule conflict, the schedule in Canvas applies.​

Course literature
Course Book: Jonsson, P.  (2008), Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Purchased e.g. at Store.​
Articles: Articles listed in the schedule will be downloadable via Canvas.
Case assignment: Available via Canvas.​

​

Class representatives
​TEK285: 

TKTDE    johan.lysemark@gmail.com      Johan Lysemark
MPIEE    olanrewajumide100@gmail.com      Olamide Ololade Olanrewaju
MPMAR    momir.reljanovic@gmail.com      Momir Reljanovic
UTBYTE    ludmylla.wonsoscky@tecnico.ulisboa.pt      Ludmylla Fernanda Ribeiro de Souza Wonsoscky
UTBYTE    aust0011@e.ntu.edu.sg      Austin Yuan Xuan Teo

 

TEK125:

TKMAS simonkarlberg2003@gmail.com Simon Karlberg

TKAUT  simk@student.chalmers.se        Simon Karlsson

TKAUT  hugo.karlsson1337@gmail.com Hugo Karlsson

TKMAS vilgot.skoglund@gmail.com       Vilgot Skoglund

TKMAS theotiainen20@gmail.com         Theo Tiainen

Course structure

Modules
The course is built around 3 modules, each of which follows the same structure. They begin with an introduction, followed by a number of lectures, exercise sessions and case seminars. Each module ends with a quiz (“dugga”). Each quiz is worth 15 points and you need a total of 22.5 points on the quizzes to pass.​

 

Lecture sessions
Teaching sessions where the course material is covered from a more theoretical perspective. Calculation examples will also be included. Students are expected to be prepared, i.e. to review the material in advance. ​

Guest lectures, where logistics is discussed from a logistics development and consulting perspective. This year’s guest lecturers represent Scania, ASSA ABLOY and possibly one more company. The guest lectures are compulsory.​

Problem-solving exercises, where teachers solve and discuss pre-defined problems with the students.

Study workshops, where you do the calculations and the teachers are available to answer questions and help.

Beer Game, where you must participate in one of the two offered occasions. The game is compulsory.

Case seminars, where you must present in writing and orally how you have solved the tasks linked to the case. Written submission and physical attendance are compulsory.​

The slides shown in the lectures will be uploaded shortly before each session, except for certain material from guest lecturers.​

 

Case assignment
The course includes a case assignment where, in each module, you will answer a number of questions. The work is carried out in groups of maximum 4 students. The work must be presented both orally and in writing. A report with your solutions is submitted via Canvas, and there will be a seminar divided into 4 smaller seminars, where the group members attend one session each (note: they should not attend the same session). Attendance at the seminar and an approved submission are required to pass. No grades or points are awarded for the case assignment, but the tasks are strongly linked to the course content and will be examined in the tests.​

 

Game
In the course we play a game called “the Beer Game”. The game is compulsory, and students sign up for one of the available occasions for their student group. You can choose between two occasions. You register for one of the groups here on the Canvas page.​

 

Literature quizzes
There will be a number of literature quizzes in Canvas. The idea is that you first read the material covered by the quiz, then test yourself by doing the quiz. These quizzes will NOT be at the same level as the  main quiz, but considerably easier. Just doing the quizzes without reading the material will NOT help you much. The quizzes are there to help you, as a check after you have read the course material. They are not compulsory and your results will not be followed up.​

 

Intended learning outcomes
After completing the course, the student should be able to:​

• account for the logistics efficiency variables and objectives
• account for the logistics system's processes, functions, flows and actors
• account for the physical material flow, including storage, material handling, transport and packaging
• account for the different costs of logistics and capital tied up apply the most common cost capital tied up-related metrics
• account for the logistics system's structures such as the products, material supply structures, production structures and distribution structures
• account for control of the logistics system in the material procurement process, the sales order process and the forecasting process
• describe the structure for material and production management in a manufacturing company
• account for and apply the basic material control methods and batch forming methods
• describe the release functions for different bearing types in the material flow
• apply some common logistics-related analysis methods such as mapping of capital tied up, ABC classification for differentiation of articles and total cost analysis for a logistics system
• account for various transport planning problems and pricing of transports
• account for some logistics effects that occur in supply chains as well as some concepts for that
• achieve increased collaboration in supply chains
• describe some important information systems for logistics
• account for the logistics system from an environmental perspective

​

Examination
The course comprises a total of 7.5 credits. ​
Quizzes  (3 x 15 points = 45 points) and/or re-exam (45 points).
The quizzes/exam are written on campus and will be conducted digitally via Chalmers’ system for digital examinations (Inspera). This means that all students will write on their own laptops, which they bring with them; the computer must be connected to Chalmers Eduroam wifi and Safe Exam Browser (SEB) must be installed. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure this. Information on how to use Inspera, SEB and how to check your computer is available on your student portal.​
NO repeat tests (“omduggor”) will be given.​

Scoring:
To receive a passing grade, you must pass both the case assignment and the tests/exam (at least 22.5 points on either the tests or the re-exam).​
Compulsory attendance at the Beer Game, case seminars and guest lectures.
Any absence from individual compulsory elements results in an individual written assignment determined in consultation with the examiner. In the event of repeated absence, the examiner has the right to fail the student on the elements, which must then be retaken at a later course occasion.​

The following elements give points:
3 tests of 15 points each, i.e. a total maximum of 45 points, of which 22.5 points are required to pass.
Quiz 1: max 15 points
Quiz 2: max 15 points
Quiz  3: max 15 points​
or
Re-exam: max 45 points, 22.5 points required to pass (alternative instead of the tests). The re-exam takes place in June and August (since this is a Study Period 3 course).
Total maximum: 45 points.​

Grading scale
For a Pass on the course i.e. Grade 3: at least 22.5 points on the tests and Pass on the case assignment.​
Grade 4: > 65%, i.e. at least 29.25 points.
Grade 5: > 80%, i.e. at least 36 points.​

Compulsory elements
The following elements, in addition to the case assignment and the 3 quizzes, are compulsory and all are central parts of the course. You may miss one (1) element and will then receive a make-up assignment, but if you miss more than one (1) you must redo these elements the next time the course is given:​

• Beer Game

• Case seminars

• Guest lectures​