INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS AND GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN

The course provides students with in-depth insight into different areas of Operations and Supply Chain Management, emphasizing real-world problems that companies face in the global market. The syllabus covers different types of Operations Management algorithms and methods that are helpful for decision-making and problem-solving in the field of International Operations and Supply Chain Management.

Students are expected to have: - Basic knowledge in applied statistics and quantitative methods. - Basic knowledge in Economics, including: economies of scale and scope, learning experience curve, marginal and variable costs, basic market structures (perfect competition, monopoly, oligopoly). - Basic corporate organization principles, including: key functional areas (marketing, finance, operations, HR), understanding of Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet.

Knowledge and understanding: Students will understand how to approach Operations and Supply Chains in an international setting, including global reshuffling, physical flows, transportation and warehousing economics, network design, capacity management, forecasting, inventory management, and production scheduling. Applying knowledge and understanding: Students will be able to use different methods and algorithms to solve various problems in Operations and Supply Chain Management, applying data-driven decision making for models and real-world scenarios. Making judgements: Students will acquire the ability to independently analyze different aspects of supply chain operations, evaluate trade-offs in network design, and identify proper solutions for logistic and industrial problems. Communication skills: Students will be able to present case analyses, work in groups on projects and simulations, and communicate findings using proper technical terminology. Learning skills: The knowledge acquired during the course will enable students to independently understand and interpret developments in global supply chain management, logistics technologies, and operational strategies.

The course covers the following topics: 1. Introduction to International Operations and Supply Chain Management: core concepts, terminology, global context and megatrends. 2. Logistic and Industrial Global Footprint: supply chain design, key economics (warehousing, long haul, middle mile, last mile deliveries), physical footprint decisions. 3. Managing Global Supply Chain: hands-on use of the GSC simulation covering product design, forecasting, production, and procurement in a global setting. 4. Production Planning and Capacity Allocation: production organization, long-term and short-term planning, capacity economics, procurement strategies. 5. Inventory Management: the classic newsvendor model, service level, multi-period inventory management. 6. Network Design and Responsive Supply Chains: proximity to customers, flexibility, delayed differentiation, read-react capability. 7. Global Logistics: Sustainability and Tariffs: sustainability in global logistics, impact of tariffs on sourcing and network design. 8. Technologies in Warehousing and Last Mile Deliveries: automation, robotics, last mile innovation, and machine learning applications in operations.

Several references will be suggested during the course including book chapters, papers, datasets, simulations, games, and business cases. These references will be made available in the description of each weekly session. Slides and other teaching materials are available on Luiss Learn. The course makes use of two simulations: - Benihana simulation: a restaurant operations management simulation used to develop hands-on intuition on production, capacity, and service-level decisions (Weeks 3-4). - Global Supply Chain (GSC) simulation: a multi-round individual simulation covering product design, forecasting, and global production and procurement decisions (Weeks 6-8).

The course adopts a multi-format active learning approach designed to develop both analytical and professional skills: 1. Lectures: Conceptual frameworks and quantitative methods are introduced in each session, with emphasis on real-world applicability. 2. Case studies and multimedia materials: Each week features case studies, short videos, and exercises drawn from real company experiences in international operations and supply chain management. Students are expected to prepare assigned materials before class. 3. Simulations: The course includes two simulations: - Benihana simulation: a restaurant operations simulation developing intuition on production, capacity, and service level decisions (Weeks 3-4). - Global Supply Chain (GSC) simulation: a multi-round individual simulation on product design, forecasting, and global production decisions (Weeks 6-8). 4. Group project: Teams conduct independent research analyzing the impact of a specific technology or tariff policy on an industry or company of their choice, producing a written paper of maximum 15 pages. 5. Class participation: Students are encouraged to engage actively through questions, peer discussion, and one-to-one interaction with the professor. Preparation requirement: Assigned materials should e read before each class. Materials and preparation questions are available on Luiss Learn.

The course follows the SMART educational model adopted by Luiss Graduate School for the 2025/2026 cohort onward. Assessment varies based on attendance status, recorded via the BEACON system. COMPLIANT STUDENTS (>=70% attendance): Continuous Assessment – 1/3 of the overall grade: Mandatory in-semester activities. Absence from any activity results in a grade of 0 for that component, included in the overall grade. The grade obtained cannot be rejected. Activities and relative weights within the 1/3: - Group Project: written paper on the impact of a technology or tariff on an industry/company. Max 15 pages. Evaluated on comprehension, technical language, critical analysis, and argumentation quality. Plagiarism checks applied. - Simulations: engagement and results in the Benihana simulation (two rounds + one-pager) and GSC simulation (three rounds + one-pager). Performance KPIs communicated at the start of the course. - Class participation (20% of continuous assessment): attendance and active engagement in discussions, Q&A, and one-to-one interaction. Final Exam – 2/3 of the overall grade: Individual written exam at the officially scheduled end-of-semester dates. Format: multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions, and optional extra-credit questions. The grade obtained cannot be rejected. Note: The continuous assessment + final exam combination is valid only in the end-of-semester exam session. In retake sessions, assessment is based on the final exam only (100%). The grade obtained cannot be rejected. NON-COMPLIANT AND/OR EXEMPTED STUDENTS: Final Exam only – 100% of the overall grade: individual written exam of at least 4 hours, covering all course material (slides, cases, exercises, chapters). Format: open questions, multiple choice, exercises, and logical problems. The grade obtained cannot be rejected. GRADE WITHDRAWAL: - Oral exam: withdrawal allowed until the professor expresses a grade, prior to registration on Web Self-Service. - Written exam followed by oral: withdrawal permitted during the written exam or the subsequent oral exam. - Written exam only: withdrawal permitted until the end of the exam. Note: "Salto d'appello" no longer applies from the 2025/2026 cohort onward. Grades cannot be rejected.

Students are welcome to pursue their final dissertation in the area of International Operations and Global Supply Chain Management. A solid proposal is a key to formalizing the thesis process. Proposals should include: - A clear storyline and research hypothesis - A specific focus and main arguments - Grounding in real company or industry data - A methodology for applying quantitative and/or qualitative methods to an operational problem Priority in supervision is given to proposals that: 1. Address emerging or unresolved challenges in global supply chain management 2. Combine data-driven analysis with strategic or operational management frameworks 3. Build on topics or cases covered during the course Eligibility: Students must have completed the course with a satisfactory grade. Please consult the professor for minimum grade requirements. For further information or to submit a proposal, please contact the professor during office hours or via institutional email.