Global Supply Chain Strategy, Sourcing and Logistics

Global supply chain strategy, sourcing and logistics is the set of decisions on where to buy, how much stock to hold and how goods move across borders so that cost, service and risk stay in balance. This 5-day course is for supply chain and procurement managers, ends with a supply chain strategy brief for one product family and prepares for no exam. Blackbird Training Centre offers this global supply chain strategy, sourcing and logistics course.

Introduction

The course rests on three reference models. The SCOR model, the Supply Chain Operations Reference, maps work into plan, source, make, deliver, return and enable processes and supplies standard performance measures. The Kraljic Portfolio Matrix sorts purchases by profit impact and supply risk to guide the sourcing approach for each category. Incoterms rules define where cost and risk pass from seller to buyer in international trade. The level is advanced and managerial, and teaching uses case studies built around a distributor and a manufacturer, each redesigning its network.

Course Objectives

• Distinguish total cost of ownership from purchase price and apply the difference to a supplier selection.
• Compare single, dual and multiple sourcing and select the approach that suits each Kraljic category.
• Interpret demand variability and the bullwhip effect and set safety stock levels that match a service target.
• Select transport modes and Incoterms rules that balance landed cost, lead time and risk on a trade lane.
• Apply SCOR metrics to measure network performance and justify a change of supplier or distribution site.
• Justify a supply chain risk response, from buffer stock to second sources, for a defined disruption scenario.

Target Audience

• Supply chain managers who own end-to-end flows and decide where trade-offs between cost, service and risk should fall.
• Procurement and category managers who set sourcing strategies and choose between price, supplier capability and supply security.
• Logistics and distribution managers who run international freight and decide on modes, routes and service providers.
• Inventory and demand planning leads who set stock policies and judge how much buffer a volatile product needs.
• Operations managers in manufacturing, retail and healthcare supply who decide whether to make, buy or relocate supply.

Course Outline

Day 1: Supply Chain Strategy and Network Design

• SCOR Model: Plan, Source, Make, Deliver, Return and Enable Processes
• Efficient vs Responsive Supply Chains: Matching Strategy to Product Demand Patterns
• Network Design: Number, Location and Role of Plants and Distribution Centres
• Offshoring vs Nearshoring: Landed Cost, Lead Time and Resilience Trade-Offs Compared
• Supply Chain Performance Metrics: Perfect Order, Cash-to-Cash Cycle and Cost to Serve

Day 2: Strategic Sourcing and Supplier Choice

• Kraljic Portfolio Matrix: Strategic, Leverage, Bottleneck and Routine Purchase Categories
• Total Cost of Ownership vs Purchase Price: Full Cost of a Supplier Decision
• Single vs Dual vs Multiple Sourcing: Supply Security Compared With Buying Leverage
• Supplier Relationship Management: Segmenting Suppliers and Running Joint Performance Reviews
• Negotiation and Contract Terms: Price Adjustment, Service Levels and Exit Clauses

Day 3: Inventory Policy and Demand Variability

• Bullwhip Effect: How Order Swings Grow Upstream From Small Demand Changes
• Moving Average vs Exponential Smoothing: Forecasting Methods for Different Demand Profiles
• Safety Stock Calculation: Service Level, Lead Time and Demand Variability Inputs
• ABC Inventory Classification: Setting Review Frequency and Stock Policy by Item Value
• Warehouse Operations: Slotting, Picking Methods and Space Use in Distribution Centres

Day 4: International Logistics and Trade Terms

• Sea vs Air vs Road Freight: Cost, Transit Time and Emissions Compared
• Incoterms Rules: Where Cost, Risk and Delivery Duties Pass Between Parties
• Freight Forwarders and Shipping Documents: Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice, Packing List
• Customs Compliance: Tariff Classification, Origin Rules and Duty Exposure on Trade Lanes
• Last-Mile Delivery: Service Options, Delivery Windows and Cost per Drop

Day 5: Supply Chain Strategy and Risk in Practice

• Supply Chain Risk Register: Likelihood, Impact and Early Warning Indicators
• Buffer Stock vs Second Source: Choosing a Response to a Disruption Scenario
• Ethical and Sustainable Sourcing: Supplier Codes of Conduct, Audits and Emissions Data
• Supply Chain Analytics: Data Dashboards and Control Towers Applied to Network Decisions
• Final Deliverable: Supply Chain Strategy Brief Covering Sourcing, Stock and Logistics

Skills You Will Gain

• Total cost of ownership analysis
• Kraljic category segmentation
• Safety stock setting
• Demand forecasting
• Incoterms selection
• Landed cost modelling
• SCOR performance measurement
• Supply chain risk registers

Why Attend This Course

• From choosing suppliers on unit price to comparing them on total cost of ownership and supply risk.
• From holding the same stock cover for every item to setting safety stock by value, variability and service target.
• From accepting a forwarder's default terms to selecting Incoterms rules and modes for each trade lane.
• From separate sourcing, stock and freight decisions to a single supply chain strategy brief, the final deliverable of the course.

Conclusion

Supply chain strategy is the choice of how a business balances cost, service and resilience in the way it buys, holds and moves goods. The course separates purchase price from total cost of ownership, efficient from responsive supply chains, and buffer stock from second sourcing as answers to risk. It is the right choice for managers who already run sourcing, inventory or logistics and want sharper strategic judgement across all three, rather than preparation for a certification exam.

Course FAQs

What is global supply chain strategy, sourcing and logistics?

It is the set of decisions on where materials come from, how much stock is held and how goods cross borders to customers. Strategy sets the balance between cost, service and risk; sourcing and logistics carry that balance into supplier and freight choices.

What is the difference between total cost of ownership and purchase price in global sourcing?

Purchase price is what the invoice shows. Total cost of ownership adds freight, duty, inventory carrying cost, quality failures, supplier management and end-of-life costs, so a cheaper supplier can prove dearer once every cost of the decision is counted.

Which models does the Global Supply Chain Strategy, Sourcing and Logistics course follow?

It uses the SCOR model for processes and metrics, the Kraljic Portfolio Matrix for sourcing strategy and Incoterms rules for the split of cost and risk in international shipments.

Is the Global Supply Chain Strategy, Sourcing and Logistics course right for a procurement category manager?

Yes. A category manager who sets sourcing strategy gains the inventory and logistics view needed to judge supplier offers on landed cost and supply risk, which brings buying decisions closer to the rest of the chain.

What do delegates produce in the global supply chain strategy course?

Delegates produce a supply chain strategy brief for one product family: sourcing approach by Kraljic category, safety stock policy, transport modes and Incoterms rules per lane, and a risk response plan, built through the case studies.