April enrolment closes soon. Final places remaining. Enrol today!

April enrolment closes soon. Final places remaining. Enrol today!

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Professional Academy Diploma in Supply Chain Management

Live Expert-Led Learning Next Course Starts May 21st from €1,700

Kick-start your career in supply chain management (SCM) with an introductory course to the high-level strategy and concepts behind this mission-critical function. Learn detailed theory and practice for everyday SCM processes. The average Supply Chain Manager salary in Ireland is €52,000.

April enrolment closes soon. Final places remaining. Download the brochure now for more information.

Choose Your Start Date

Browse our upcoming live online classes. Download your brochure to learn more.

Starts 21 May — Ends 06 Aug 24

Part-time / evening
  • Live online lectures with an industry expert
  • 12 weeks: One 3 hour lecture per week
  • Tuesdays, 6:30pm - 9:30pm
  • €1700

Starts 19 Jun — Ends 04 Sep 24

Part-time / evening
  • Live online lectures with an industry expert
  • 12 weeks: One 3 hour lecture per week
  • Wednesdays, 6:30pm - 9:30pm
  • €1700

Secure your place with a 50% deposit and the rest after your course commences. Save an additional 5% when you pay in full at time of booking.

Why UCD Professional Academy?

  • Valuable, trusted certification
  • Industry expert lecturers
  • Flexible learning options

Supply Chain Management Course Modules

This practical, interactive course will immerse you in the foundational knowledge required to start managing supply chains. You will use a strategic framework to discover the key drivers of supply chain performance, including facilities, inventory, transportation, information, sourcing, and pricing. You will gain the knowledge and skills to enhance organisational processes for corporate and personal efficiencies. You will learn to streamline supply-side activities to maximise customer value and gain competitive advantage.

Or browse our wide range of expert-led online courses and grow your career potential today.

1. Understanding The Supply Chain & Course Introduction

Introduction to the course. Understand the goal of a supply chain and be able to explain the impact of supply chain decisions on the success of an organisation.

  • What is a supply chain?
  • What are flows?
  • Supply chain decision phases
  • The objective of a supply chain

2. Supply Chain Performance: Achieving Strategic Fit & Scope

Learn how an organisation achieves strategic fit between its supply chain strategy and its competitive strategy. Understand how to identify the main levers that deal with uncertainty.

  • The value chain
  • Customer and supply chain uncertainty

3. Supply Chain Drivers & Metrics

Understand the major drivers of supply chain performance and the key performance metrics for facilities.

  • Financial measures of performance
  • The role of facilities

4. Designing Distribution Networks

Learn which key factors are considered when designing a distribution network, including the strengths and weaknesses of various distribution options.

  • Factors affecting distribution network design
  • Alternatives in omni-channel retailing

5. Network Design In The Supply Chain

Understand the role of network design in a supply chain and what influences supply chain network design decisions. Learn a framework for making network design decisions.

  • Factors influencing network design decisions
  • Framework for network design decisions

6. Designing Global Supply Chain Networks

Discover which costs need to be included when making global sourcing decisions, and the risks associated with global supply chains.

  • The offshoring decision: total cost
  • Risk management in global supply chains

7. Aggregate Planning In A Supply Chain

Learn about aggregate planning and why it is important in supply chain management. Understand the basic trade-offs to consider when creating an aggregated plan.

  • Aggregate planning and its outputs
  • Trade-offs
  • Economic order quantity

8. Sales & Operations Planning In A Supply Chain

Learn to manage supply and demand in the face of predictable variability, improving synchronisation within a supply chain. Understand how sales and operations planning is used to maximise profitability.

  • Managing supply and demand
  • Impact of promotions: maths example

9. Coordination In A Supply Chain

Discover the bullwhip effect and its impact on supply chain performance. Learn about supply chain coordination and the obstacles to coordination that occur in a supply chain.

  • The bullwhip effect on performance
  • Different types of obstacles

10. Transportation In A Supply Chain

Understand the role of different transportation modes in a supply chain and the role of infrastructure and policies in transportation. Learn the strengths and weaknesses of various transportation network options.

  • Modes of transportation
  • Performance characteristics
  • Selecting a suitable transportation network

11. Sourcing Decisions In A Supply Chain

Understand what influences the decision to outsource a supply chain function. Learn which elements of supplier performance affect the overall cost.

  • The sourcing decision
  • Total cost of ownership

12. Sustainability & The Supply Chain

Discover the role of sustainability in supply chain management and its impact on finance and operations, including corporate social responsibility (CSR).

  • Sustainability in a supply chain
  • Environmental, social, and governance pillars
Exclusive

Access to thousands of journals, articles and papers. Free of charge.

Students taking part in this course will now have access to the EBSCO Online Library, free of charge, for the full duration of the course. Here you can browse thousands of relevant journals, articles and other reliable academic and commercial texts like the Harvard Business Review, Bloomberg Businessweek and Forbes Magazine, to supplement your learning and assignments.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this course right for me?

This course is ideal for professionals looking to kickstart a career in supply chain management or logistics. You do not need any prior qualifications in this area, but an interest in some supply chain management concepts would be beneficial, for example, meeting customer demands, improving organisational responsiveness, developing value for the customer, creating logistics network resiliency, encouraging financial success, etc. 

This course does not cover SCM software systems, building a supply chain network system, or the knowledge required to establish facilities/factories.

How will this course help with my career?

This course teaches you how to achieve performance improvements in supply chain management. You will be able to discuss fluently topics such as supply chain drivers and metrics, transportation in a supply chain, and the implications of sourcing. Demand for supply chain talent is at an all-time high as organisations recognise the importance of SCM to their financial success. With this Professional Academy Diploma on your CV, you can show potential employers that you have the skills to create competitive advantage.

What is the learning experience like?

Many of our courses are now available in a variety of formats. All formats cover the same course content. You now have more choice in how you learn with us:

Live Online

Our online experience is designed to be just as interactive, supportive, and inspiring as the UCD Professional Academy campus experience.

Online courses can be accessed from any computer or laptop with an internet connection.

Live lectures are delivered using Zoom. During these lectures, your teachers will use technology interactively to ensure an engaging learning experience. When appropriate, students will be encouraged to activate their microphones so that they can ask questions and communicate with other students.

On Campus

UCD Professional Academy is delighted to welcome learners back on the UCD Belfield Campus. On Campus courses are delivered in-person with our industry experts in the O'Brien Science building.

On Demand

On Demand courses enable you to complete your course on your own schedule. Course modules are delivered in the form of one “lesson”. The lesson is broken up into short videos followed by activities designed to put the new information and concepts into practice through exercises, quizzes, forum participation and other activities.

What is the student experience like?

Student care is a high priority at UCD Professional Academy, which is why our Student Services team is on hand to support you throughout your time with us. They will respond to any queries you have, help you with any technical issues, and facilitate your learning experience at every point. All students are given access to our Student Portal, where you can see your timetable, access all your study materials, and manage your account.

How is this course assessed?

This course is assessed through a written assignment of around 3,000 words (that’s about 5 pages of a standard Word document). Your lecturer will advise on a process that will be helpful in accommodating the essential requirements. You will have two weeks following the end of the course to complete and submit the final assignment. Every week during your lectures, there will also be topic-related activities that will involve student interactions with the purpose of increasing your knowledge.

What are the benefits of a Professional Academy Diploma?

UCD Professional Academy Diplomas and Certificates are designed to give your career an advantage. Developed in conjunction with industry thought leaders our courses teach practical, applied skills to support you to achieve your career and business goals. Professional Academy Diplomas are suitable for career minded learners wishing to advance their professional skills and prospects rather than their academic credentials.

The Professional Academy is an independent wholly owned part of UCD designed to address the need for skills development in the workforce. Courses tend to be short, designed and delivered by industry practitioners, and are not part of nor do they lead to a traditional University award such as a degree or a masters. They are widely accepted by employers and many students are sponsored to study by their organisation.

For full details of UCD Professional Academy’s Certifications & Governance please visit https://www.ucd.ie/professionalacademy/governance/

How do I get my Professional Academy Diploma?

Your UCD Professional Academy Diploma will be issued electronically on a secure platform, with a link that you can share with employers and others wishing to verify your credentials. You can also add this certificate to your LinkedIn profile.

What payment options are available?

A place on any of our part-time & on demand courses can be secured with a 50% deposit with the remaining balance due within 30 days of the course commencing.

For full-time Bootcamp courses, 100% of the course fee should be paid before starting.

Please note that standard terms and conditions apply, which you can review here: https://www.ucd.ie/professionalacademy/terms-and-conditions/

Still have more questions? Download the brochure

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Live Classes

  • Weekly live online classes
  • 36 hours of course material
  • Complete in 12 weeks
  • Online classes delivered via Zoom
€1,700 Enrol Now