Distribution Management

Docente: David Ford

Course type: Master +2
Value in ECTS: 3
Bibliographic references available on the University Library website

Academic Year 2012/13 - II. year - Fall semester

Course goals
Distribution includes all of the activities that are involved in delivering a suitable offering to end-customers. This is a very broad topic and we will concentrate on some of its key aspects. We will base the course on the ideas of IMP Group on the nature of business networks. This will enable us to examine distribution from the perspective of suppliers, distributive intermediaries and retailers.

Course outline
The course consists of seven sections with the following themes:
1. The nature of business networks and their implications for distribution.
2. Distribution in the modern economy.
3. Distribution as a problem for manufacturers.
4. Analysing distribution networks and relationships
5. Physical distribution
6. Retail evolution
7. Retail strategy

Organisation and Approach
The course comprises classical lecture parts and research / group work presentations by students. An interactive atmosphere should be created through open discussion of different issues between the instructor and the students.

Examination
The examination will be in form of a written exam at the end of the course that will cover all the readings and other material distributed in class. In the overall credit for the course the weight of the written final exam is 60% and the in-class work 40%.

Teaching material and required readings
There is no single reference book (textbook) that deals with distribution adequately. However, Ford D et al, Managing Business Relationships, Third Edition, John Wiley, 2011 is a useful starting point, especially Chapters 1-4.