Education > Self-Study Resources > ASCM Self-Study > Course Learning Objectives

ASCM Course Learning Objectives

Learn to master supply chain management-whenever and wherever it's most convenient for you. APICS Advanced Supply Chain Management (ASCM) consists of five courses on CD-ROM, ranging from one to two hours in length. All courses include an introduction, executive overview, case study, and self-testing. The ASCM curriculum consists of five modules and may be purchased individually or as a complete set.

1. Supply Chain Creates Net Value
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to

• Provide a working definition of value
  
• Compare the various perspectives of value and understand that supply chain management enables companies to manage the trade-off between these perspectives
  
• Identify the three ways to measure value: operational, customer, and financial
  
• Explain the causes of non-value-added activities
  
• Understand that supply chains increase net value by increasing value-added activities as well as minimizing non-value-added activities
  
• Identify how supply chains create net value according to the three ways of measuring value.
  

2. Build a Competitive Infrastructure
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to

• Identify the right supply chain for a given business strategy
  
• Define the three kinds of supply chains found in every business
  
• Describe a supply chain in terms of the three types of flows
  
• Define the four ways customers interact with supply chains
  
• Compare alternative supply chain structures
  
• Describe how Internet technologies enable supply chains
  
• Use a velocity figure of merit to compare supply chain alternatives
  
• Describe how trust among trading partners maintains supply chain alignment
  
• Identify commonly encountered issues that erode trust.
  

3. Leverage Worldwide Logistics
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to

• Define logistics
  
• Explain the increasing importance of logistics in today's business world
  
• Describe the major decisions faced in analyzing logistics and explain how these decisions support the physical and information flows in a supply chain
  
• Compare the landed cost of physical goods procured domestically vs. physical goods procured internationally
  
• Explain how international logistics can be used to integrate physical goods from different countries of origin into the supply chain
  
• Discuss the goals of an effective logistics strategy and explain how the different pieces of a logistics system work together to support the logistics strategy
  
• Identify the logistics risks associated with managing a worldwide supply chain.
  

4. Synchronize Supply with Demand
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to

• Provide a definition of synchronization
  
• Identify differences between current supply chains and the new Internet-enabled supply chains
  
• Describe what gets synchronized in supply chains
  
• Discuss elements of synchronization strategies
  
• List the benefits of having a synchronized supply chain
  
• Identify the driving need for supply chain synchronization
  
• Present three key areas that can most affect synchronization
  
• Discuss collaboration as a special enabler of supply and demand synchronization.
  

5. Measure Performance Globally
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to

• Answer the question: "Why is measuring supply chain performance important?"
  
• Understand the role that performance measurement plays in a successful supply chain strategy
  
• Determine the appropriate types of measurements to consider
  
• Define different supply chain metrics
• Understand industry initiatives such as theory of constraints (TOC) and activity-based costing (ABC) that play a role in performance measurement
  
• Determine the organizational impact of implementing and modifying supply chain performance measurements.
  

Questions about ASCM? E-mail APICS Customer Support for answers.