MGT3009 Global Supply Chain Management
Assessment guidelines and marking criteria for the first assignment
[Assessment guidelines]
- Goal: Students are required to critically analyse the global supply chain strategy, elements and network design of a real-life supply chain with a purpose of expanding the global supply chain.
- Style: Individual Report
- Word limit: 3,000 worlds (+/- 10%)
- Learning outcomes: The assessment will address learning outcomes 1 to 5.
- Company choice: Any Multinational Company of your choice.
- Structure of the report: see Page 2 below.
- Due date: Friday 8 January 2021 23:59
- Guidance:
- choose a multinational company of your choice
- Conduct research on the chosen company using secondary sources of information (e.g.
published articles, reviews, newsletter, etc.), and prepare an individual report covering the following points:
- Analyse and discuss the firms’ international business strategy (International, Standardisation, Localisation or Transnational Strategy)
- Analyse and discuss the firms supply chain strategy (Cost vs responsiveness trade off)
- Analyse and discuss the strategic fit between firm’s international business strategy and supply chain strategy (looks for gaps in the strategic fit)
- Critically examine each of the elements of the supply chain:
- Facilities
- Sourcing/Procurement
- Inventory
- Transportation/Distribution
- Information sharing.
- Finally show how these five elements are connected to each other in their global supply chain distribution network, and critically analyse for gaps in their distribution network. You should be able to draw your own distribution network of the company.
- You should end up with recommendations (at least 3) for improving their global supply chain. The recommendation should directly stem from the gaps in the analysis. This include gaps in the strategic fit in the international business strategy and supply chain strategy; gaps in the elements (wherever applicable) in the supply chain; and finally gaps in how they are interconnected in the supply chain network.
An ideal individual report will have the following content attributes:
| Marking Criteria
Mark for Each Component |
| Introduction and conclusion (5 % weighting):
Clear introduction stating the scope and aim/objective of the report, and concise conclusion reflecting the analysis and referring to the introduction |
| Supply chain management system:
Discuss International Strategy (20%): Select one of the four possible international strategies. Draw a diagram to locate them and possibly show how the company is moving from one to another. |
| Supply chain management analysis):
Discuss the Global Supply Chain Strategy and its strategic fit with International Strategy (25%): Discuss the strategic fit/misfit between the international business strategy and global supply chain strategy through the lens of cost and responsiveness trade-off. • Overall emphasis on an analytical approach given the quality/quantity of information available in public documents. • Good use of examples from the company’s activities to illustrate points. |
| Critical analysis and Discussion of each elements of global supply chain (25%, which is 5% for each element) – Discuss the five elements of global supply chain: facilities,
sourcing and procurement, inventory, transportation, and information sharing in line with their global supply chain strategy, and discuss relevant gaps • Evidence of research using secondary sources of information. • Review of academic articles on supply chain management to discuss some advantages and disadvantages of this strategy identified in the literature • Evidence of high level of understanding of the relevant theory • Application of relevant theoretical concepts to practice • Evidence of reflective, critical analysis of issues, convincing arguments, excellent discussion Good use of examples from the company’s activities to illustrate points. |
| Explain how these elements are integrated to each other (20%): Please explain the global distribution network design of the company by integrating these five elements together and discuss relevant gaps in their integration. |
| An ideal report will have the following style attributes (5% weighting):
• Very well-written, using formal language and formal essay style with proper and thorough referencing. • Coherent and logical structure; the arguments should progress naturally from point to point, stick to the point, and avoid repetitive sentences. • Descriptions limited to essential/relevant information. • If charts/tables are used, they must be properly labelled. • Style and presentation are important so check for spelling, punctuation and grammar at the very least. Excellent citation accuracy- provide all references and in correct format. |
[Marking Rubric]
| Criteria | Excellent | Good | Fair | Poor | Very poor |
| Introduction and conclusion
(20%) |
(17-20) Outstanding discussion and justification of topic selected
Tightly structured, logical and draws coherent conclusions to the topics covered |
(13-16)
Thorough discussion and justification of topic selected
Undertakes a systematic analysis of the issues and draws coherent conclusions to the topics covered |
(9-12) Evidence of some discussion and justification of topic selected
Sound conclusions to the topics covered |
(5-8)
Adequate discussion and justification of topic selected
Adequate conclusions to the topics covered |
(1-4) Discussion and
justification of topic selected is inadequate
Inadequate conclusions on the topics covered |
| Theoretical backgrounds
and target company supply chain (20%) |
(17-20) Reflective interpretation showing knowledge, understanding and explore issues with care.
Very good evidence of evaluation carried out within the assignment |
(13-16) Evidence of reflective
interpretation showing knowledge and understanding.
Logical presentation of argument and presents a balanced perspective. Good evidence of evaluation carried out within the assignment |
(9-12)
A mainly descriptive account which although demonstrating knowledge and understanding does not question or explore alternative interpretations in depth. Presents a less balanced perspective. Evaluation reasonably well carried out. |
(5-8)
Little reflective interpretation demonstrated. Thinking sometimes confused and represents a somewhat biased perspective. A very limited attempt at evaluation within an assignment. |
(1-4)
No evidence of reflection and critical analysis; lacks a logical approach; presents a biased perspective. Little or no attempt at evaluation within an assignment. |
| Advantages (25%)
: Content: relevant and informative, applying depth of knowledge and understanding |
(21-25) Excellent and well-informed understanding of theories and concepts involved | (16-20) Good
understanding of theories and concepts involved |
(11-15)
Demonstrates satisfactory knowledge and understanding theories and concepts |
(6-10) Adequate content; limited depth of knowledge and understanding shown | (1-5) Inadequate content; limited depth of knowledge and understanding shown |
| Disadvantages (25%)
: Content: relevant and informative, applying depth of knowledge and understanding |
(21-25) Excellent and well-informed understanding of theories and concepts involved | (16-20) Good
understanding of theories and concepts involved |
(11-15)
Demonstrates satisfactory knowledge and understanding theories and concepts |
(6-10) Adequate content; limited depth of knowledge and understanding shown | (1-5) Inadequate content; limited depth of knowledge and understanding shown |
| Presentation (10%): Clearly presented with limited | (9-10) Very well- structured content with limited spelling | (7-8)
Well-structured content with some spelling and/ or |
(6-7)
A satisfactory organisational structure with several spelling |
(4-5)
A weak structure with little understanding of content with |
(1-3)
The structure is inappropriate, badly planned |
| spelling and grammatical errors Reference to sources including directions for further study | or grammatical errors
Use of primary and a few secondary sources. Referencing is consistently accurate |
grammatical errors Use of research which is relevant and up to date. Able to critically appraise the literature and theory gained from a variety of sources. Referencing is accurate. | and/ or grammatical errors +
Use of relevant but not always recent research. Clear evidence and application of the literature relevant to the subject. Referencing is mainly accurate |
incohesive grammar
Evidence of use of research, but not recent or relevant. Unsatisfactory reference list. Literature is presented uncritically, descriptively which indicates a limitation of understanding. Referencing is absent or unsystematic. |
with major grammatical errors
No evidence of research. Literature either not consulted or irrelevant to assignment set. Referencing is absent or unsystematic. |
