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HCM343Agricultural Sciences2 Unitsintermediate

Procurement & Supply Management

This course provides a comprehensive overview of procurement and supply management principles and practices. It covers key areas such as procurement cycles, organizational relationships, purchasing strategies, and quality assurance. Students will learn about pricing procedures, inventory management techniques like ABC analysis, and ethical considerations in procurement. The course also explores government purchasing, competitive bidding, negotiation, international buying, and just-in-time inventory systems, equipping students with essential skills for effective supply chain management.

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208h
Study Time
13
Weeks
16h
Per Week
basic
Math Level
Course Keywords
ProcurementSupply ManagementInventoryPurchasingNegotiation

Course Overview

Everything you need to know about this course

Course Difficulty

Intermediate Level
Builds on foundational knowledge
65%
intermediate
➕
Math Level
Basic Math
📖
Learning Type
Theoretical Focus

Course Topics

Key areas covered in this course

1

Procurement Cycle

2

Supplier Selection

3

Pricing Procedures

4

Inventory Management

5

Government Purchasing

6

International Sourcing

Total Topics6 topics

Ready to Start

No specific requirements needed

This course is designed to be accessible to all students. You can start immediately without any prior knowledge or specific preparation.

Assessment Methods

How your progress will be evaluated (3 methods)

Assignments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Tutor-Marked Assessments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Final Examination

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Career Opportunities

Explore the career paths this course opens up for you

Procurement Officer

Apply your skills in this growing field

Supply Chain Analyst

Apply your skills in this growing field

Contract Manager

Apply your skills in this growing field

Purchasing Manager

Apply your skills in this growing field

Logistics Coordinator

Apply your skills in this growing field

Industry Applications

Real-world sectors where you can apply your knowledge

ManufacturingRetailGovernmentHealthcareConstruction

Study Schedule Beta

A structured 13-week journey through the course content

Week
1

Module 1: Introduction

8h

Unit 1: The Conceptual Framework and Objectives of Procurement and Supply Function

8 study hours
  • •Define procurement and supply.
  • •Identify key procurement variables.
  • •Discuss the functions of a purchasing department.
  • •List the objectives of purchasing.
  • •Explain the advantages of effective procurement.
Week
2

Module 1: Introduction

8h

Unit 2: Procurement Cycle and the Internal Organisational Relationship

8 study hours
  • •Explain the nature of a procedure.
  • •List and comment on each step of the purchasing cycle.
  • •Describe the interrelationships between the purchasing department and other organizational units.
Week
3

Module 1: Introduction

8h

Unit 3: Purchasing Organization and Concept of Centralisation and Decentalisation of Purchasing Authority

8 study hours
  • •Locate the position of purchasing in different organizations.
  • •Sketch out various forms of organizational structure for purchasing.
  • •Explain reasons for different status given to purchasing.
  • •Explain single plant and multi-plant firms.
  • •Discuss centralization and decentralization of purchasing authority.
Week
4

Module 1: Introduction

8h

Unit 4: Quality Assurance Activities

8 study hours
  • •Define quality and the right quality.
  • •Discuss issues involved in specifying quality for materials.
  • •Explain the meaning and process of standardization.
  • •Describe value analysis approaches.
  • •Highlight and discuss different types of inspection.
  • •Comment on how quality is described.
Week
5

Module 1: Introduction

8h

Unit 5: Supplier's Selection Activities

8 study hours
  • •State and discuss factors in supplier selection.
  • •Highlight and comment on sources of supplier information.
  • •Describe both qualitative and quantitative processes of supplier evaluation.
Week
6

Module 2: Pricing and Procurement

8h

Unit 1: Pricing Procedures in Procurement and Supply Function

8 study hours
  • •List the importance of obtaining materials at the right price.
  • •State the role of price in purchasing.
  • •Describe how buyers obtain prices.
  • •Highlight factors influencing price setting.
  • •Enumerate the uses and importance of discounts.
  • •Discuss procurement timing policies.
Week
7

Module 2: Pricing and Procurement

8h

Unit 2: Managing Procurement Activities

8 study hours
  • •Define planning and apply planning steps to procurement activities.
  • •Discuss the implications of budgeting and purchasing research activities.
Week
8

Module 2: Pricing and Procurement

8h

Unit 3: Procurement Practice and Methods

8 study hours
  • •State how the need to procure different materials arises.
  • •Discuss purchasing capital goods, leasing, buying used equipment, and buying for resale.
Week
9

Module 2: Pricing and Procurement

8h

Unit 4: Management of Inventory

8 study hours
  • •Highlight various classifications of inventory.
  • •Explain the economic principles behind stock control.
  • •State and describe different approaches to stock control.
  • •Comment on the problems associated with the EOQ model.
Week
10

Module 2: Pricing and Procurement

8h

Unit 5: ABC Analysis: The 80-20 Concept

8 study hours
  • •Identify and describe which items to control.
  • •Explain the meaning of the 80-20 concept.
  • •State the benefits of ABC analysis.
Week
11

Module 3: Advanced Procurement Practices

8h

Unit 1: Government Purchasing

8 study hours
  • •Highlight differences and similarities between industrial and government purchases.
  • •State the roles of government purchasing agencies.
  • •Explain tendering and the issues involved.
  • •Describe how suppliers are selected under governmental purchases.
Week
12

Module 3: Advanced Procurement Practices

16h

Unit 2: Competitive Bidding Procurement

8 study hours
  • •Describe each type of competitive bidding.
  • •State and explain the prerequisites of the competitive bidding process.
  • •Discuss the issues involved in the waiver of competitive bidding.

Unit 3: Negotiated Procurements

8 study hours
  • •Define negotiation and state its objectives.
  • •Comment on when negotiation is appropriate.
  • •Highlight the requisite position and qualifications of the negotiator.
Week
13

Module 3: Advanced Procurement Practices

16h

Unit 4: Expediting or Follow-Up of Order

8 study hours
  • •Describe the nature of expediting work.
  • •Explain the expediting process.
  • •State the characteristics of a good expeditor.
  • •Discuss the various methods of organization for expediting activity.
  • •List the advantages of the expediting function.

Unit 5: Buying Internationally

8 study hours
  • •Define concepts associated with buying internationally.
  • •Explain each of the approaches to international sourcing.
  • •State the benefits of buying internationally and the problems associated with it.

This study schedule is in beta and may not be accurate. Please use it as a guide and consult the course outline for the most accurate information.

Course PDF Material

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Study Tips & Exam Preparation

Expert tips to help you succeed in this course

1

Create a detailed study schedule allocating specific time slots for each module and unit.

2

Develop flashcards for key terms and concepts in procurement and supply management.

3

Practice applying inventory management formulas from Units 4-5 to solve numerical problems.

4

Review case studies in the course material and analyze the decision-making processes.

5

Form a study group to discuss complex topics and share insights on assignments.

6

Focus on understanding the legal and ethical considerations in procurement from Module 3 Units 1-3.

7

Create concept maps linking Units 3-5 inventory management concepts.

8

Practice SQL queries from Units 7-9 weekly.

9

Review all TMAs

10

Focus on key concepts

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