MBA Essentials – Strategic Procurement and Supplier Management
Program Overview
The MBA Essentials in Strategic Procurement and Supplier Management is a four-day short course from the University of Birmingham Business School. It offers focused training in best practices for procurement, contracting, and supplier management, providing participants with the skills to advance their careers in these fields. The course covers theories, organizational context, and practical implementation strategies, equipping participants to undertake rigorous analyses, understand constraints, and effectively manage supplier relationships.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The MBA Essentials – Strategic Procurement and Supplier Management is a four-day short course offered by the University of Birmingham's Business School. It is a "unbundled" module from the full Executive MBA degree, designed to fit busy schedules and support managers with their career prospects.
- Understand and have opinions on key debates within strategic procurement, contracting, and supplier management.
- Demonstrate an appreciation of issues surrounding the management of the procurement operation.
- Undertake a rigorous make-buy analysis for an area of third-party expenditure.
- Understand constraints on effective organizational buying behavior.
- Understand key criteria informing supplier selection decisions.
- Calculate buyer-supplier power relations.
- Understand key issues related to supplier performance and relationship management.
- Be familiar with key global sourcing risks and be able to take a view on managing them.
- Recognize hazards and management options relating to contracting.
- Demonstrate an appreciation of the principles of conflict management.
Outline:
Content:
The course covers the following key areas:
- Theories: Explores concepts like trust, opportunism, and power, and their impact on procurement and supplier management practices.
- Implementation: Discusses how managers can implement strategic procurement, contracting, and supplier management activities, covering topics like:
- Make-buy decision
- Organizational buying behavior
- Supplier and relationship selection
- Supplier performance and relationship management
- Contracting
- Conflict management
Structure:
The course is delivered over four days, with a total commitment of 100 hours.
Course Schedule:
Assessment:
Assessment Methods:
Faculty:
Careers:
Potential Career Paths:
Outcomes:
The course aims to provide participants with the skills and knowledge to:
- Develop their careers in procurement and supplier management.
- Meet the needs of a wide range of learners and organizations.
Other:
- The course offers up to 15 £1,000 scholarships for learners.
- The University of Birmingham is ranked number one for being targeted by top UK employers (High Fliers Research 2021).
- The course is delivered over long weekends (Friday to Monday), minimizing the impact on work commitments.
- Birmingham Business School holds triple-crown accreditation from AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS.
- Birmingham Business School is the UK's oldest business school, with over 100 years of innovative teaching and research.
- The University of Birmingham is a member of the Russell Group and Universitas 21.
- The course provides 10 UK credits at Postgraduate level from the University of Birmingham.
- Participants receive a Postgraduate Microcredential certificate from the University of Birmingham.
University of Birmingham Summary
Overview:
The University of Birmingham is a leading global university with a strong focus on research and innovation. It is committed to developing solutions for a thriving planet and improving the health of people around the world.
Services Offered:
Student Life and Campus Experience:
The University of Birmingham offers a welcoming environment for students, with opportunities to settle in, make new friends, discover the city of Birmingham, and prepare for their studies. The university also has a vision for its campus development in the next 20 years, aiming to enhance and refine the global campuses.
Key Reasons to Study There:
Global Impact:
The university's research is focused on addressing major global issues, such as climate change and global health.Multidisciplinary Collaboration:
The university encourages collaboration across disciplines to drive innovation and find solutions to complex problems.Pioneering Breakthroughs:
The university is known for its pioneering research and breakthroughs in various fields.Academic Programs:
Other:
The university has five research challenge themes that guide its focus and draw on its vast expertise and resources. These themes showcase the university's pioneering breakthroughs, multidisciplinary collaboration, and significant global impact.
Entry Requirements:
- Home/UK based students:
- A good Honours degree (or equivalent), or equivalent professional qualification
- Five years work experience with evidence of extensive managerial experience or professional responsibility. Three years exceptional work experience meeting this criteria will also be considered.
- Overseas/International students:
- A good Honours degree (or equivalent), or equivalent professional qualification
- Five years work experience with evidence of extensive managerial experience or professional responsibility. Three years exceptional work experience meeting this criteria will also be considered.
- IELTS 6.5 (with no less than 6.0 in any band).
- Equivalent scores for other English proficiency tests:
- TOEFL: 88 overall with no less than 21 in Reading, 20 in Listening, 22 in Speaking and 21 in Writing
- Pearson Test of English (PTE): PTE Academic 67 with no less than 64 in all four skills
- Cambridge English (exams taken from 2015): Advanced – minimum overall score of 176, with no less than 169 in any component
- Students currently studying at a Chinese university:
- Candidates without a first degree or professional qualification:
- At least ten years’ work experience including significant managerial responsibility.
Language Proficiency Requirements:
- International Students: IELTS 6.5 (with no less than 6.0 in any band).
- Equivalent scores for other English proficiency tests:
- TOEFL: 88 overall with no less than 21 in Reading, 20 in Listening, 22 in Speaking and 21 in Writing
- Pearson Test of English (PTE): PTE Academic 67 with no less than 64 in all four skills
- Cambridge English (exams taken from 2015): Advanced – minimum overall score of 176, with no less than 169 in any component
