595.701.8VL - Product and Supply Chain Management for Technical Professionals

Course Structure

The course is composed of 12 modules, each consisting of asynchronous recorded lectures, readings and instructional videos and either an individual or team-based assignment.  Team-based assignments result in team-based presentations on roughly alternate Tuesdays from 7:30 to 9:30pm, conducted on Zoom.  Refer to Canvas for exact scheduling of individual and team-based assignments.  The link to Zoom for team-based presentations and discussion is listed on the Canvas homepage.

Course Topics

Overview of Product and Supply Chain Management 
Product Management and Supply Chain Roles and Responsibilities, Lifecycles, Industry differences
Product Types, Stage Gates 
Organization Structures, Building Product Management Teams, Role of Senior Management
Strategy and Portfolio Management
Lifecycle (with roles by functional area)

• Concept and Plan Phases, Elements of a Business Case
• Development, Production, Distribution
• Support, Sustainment and Retirement

Course Goals

This course provides foundational knowledge of Product and Supply Chain Management for effective Engineering and Technical Leadership, while giving students a taste of the experience of being a product/supply chain manager. 

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

• By the end of this course, you will be able to:
  :
  • Identify different types of product management and supply chain management positions within a commercial, government or non-profit enterprise.
  • Describe a framework for a typical lifecycle used by product/supply chain managers, from initial concept to withdrawal of support at end-of-life of the product.
  • Lead a cross-functional team in the development of a product and its supply chain, from initial concept and business case to the sunsetting of the product and retirement of support, in a simulated business context.
   • Assess alternatives for make/buy decisions within the value chain, to include suppliers, partners as well as possible mergers and acquisitions.
  • Assess product/supply chain opportunities and risks and propose mitigation measures.
   • Manage a portfolio of products in various stages of maturity across the lifecycle, in a simulated business context.
  • Deliver persuasive investment strategies, business plans and product/supply chain changes to funding stakeholders, including enterprise senior leaders, venture capitalists and other funding sources.

Textbooks

This course provides many of the reading and reference materials in eReserves. Students are required to purchase the following textbook which serves as the foundational text for the course: Product Design and Development 7th Edition,2020, K. Ulrich, S. Eppinger, M. Yang. ISBN: 978-1-260-04365-5 (hardcopy); ISBN: 978-1-260-13444-5 (loose leaf edition). A digital version - Kindle or PDF is also acceptable.

Other Materials & Online Resources

Online resources are provided as part of the course in the eReserves section on Canvas.

Required Software

JHU provides all the software required for authoring and collaboration:  Microsoft Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, Microsoft Project, and Teams.

Student Coursework Requirements

• A central case study will be used as the basis for both individual and team assignments. Weekly individual assignments will be graded, and detailed feedback provided, which will then become input to the team project.
• Weekly module assignments related to the case study will be assessed on how effectively the student applied the principles, tools and techniques presented in the lectures and reading materials (including podcasts and webcasts)
• Team assignments will engage groups of 3 to 5 students to incrementally build a business plan throughout the semester, using the graded individual assignments as input to the team project. Students will play various product management/supply chain management roles, just like a cross-functional team in a real enterprise.
• Teams will present their evolving business case to the instructors who will act in senior executive roles, at various milestone and decision checkpoints defined by the lifecycle in the case study – at approximately five points throughout the semester.

Individual Assignments

             - Short essays in modules 1, 3, 5, 8, 10 - 20%

             - Final essay in module 11 - 10%   

Team Assignments in modules 2, 4, 6/7, 9, 11/12 - 45%

          - Midpoint Team Presentation in module 7 - 10%

          - Final Team Presentation in module 12 – 10%

          - Team peer assessment - 5%

Grading Policy

Grading

Student assignments are due according to the dates in the Calendar. Your instructors will post grades within one week after assignment due dates.

 A grade of A indicates achievement of consistent excellence and distinction throughout the course—that is, conspicuous excellence in all aspects of assignments and discussion every week.

A grade of B indicates work that meets all course requirements on a level appropriate for graduate academic work.

A grade of C indicates work that mostly meets all the course requirements on a level appropriate for graduate academic work.

A grade of D indicates work that partially meets all the course requirements on a level appropriate for graduate academic work

A grade of F indicates work that fails to meet the majority of all the course requirements on a level appropriate for graduate academic work

Final grades will be determined by the following weighting:

Individual Assignments

             - Short essays in modules 1, 3, 5, 8, 10 - 20%

             - Final essay in module 11 - 10%   

Team Assignments in modules 2, 4, 6/7, 9, 11/12 - 45%

          - Midpoint Team Presentation in module 7 - 10%

          - Final Team Presentation in module 12 – 10%

          - Team peer assessment - 5%

Academic Policies

Deadlines for Adding, Dropping and Withdrawing from Courses

Students may add a course up to one week after the start of the term for that particular course. Students may drop courses according to the drop deadlines outlined in the EP academic calendar (https://ep.jhu.edu/student-services/academic-calendar/). Between the 6th week of the class and prior to the final withdrawal deadline, a student may withdraw from a course with a W on their academic record. A record of the course will remain on the academic record with a W appearing in the grade column to indicate that the student registered and withdrew from the course.

Academic Misconduct Policy

All students are required to read, know, and comply with the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) / Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) Procedures for Handling Allegations of Misconduct by Full-Time and Part-Time Graduate Students.

This policy prohibits academic misconduct, including but not limited to the following: cheating or facilitating cheating; plagiarism; reuse of assignments; unauthorized collaboration; alteration of graded assignments; and unfair competition. Course materials (old assignments, texts, or examinations, etc.) should not be shared unless authorized by the course instructor. Any questions related to this policy should be directed to EP’s academic integrity officer at ep-academic-integrity@jhu.edu.

Students with Disabilities - Accommodations and Accessibility

Johns Hopkins University values diversity and inclusion. We are committed to providing welcoming, equitable, and accessible educational experiences for all students. Students with disabilities (including those with psychological conditions, medical conditions and temporary disabilities) can request accommodations for this course by providing an Accommodation Letter issued by Student Disability Services (SDS). Please request accommodations for this course as early as possible to provide time for effective communication and arrangements.

For further information or to start the process of requesting accommodations, please contact Student Disability Services at Engineering for Professionals, ep-disability-svcs@jhu.edu.

Student Conduct Code

The fundamental purpose of the JHU regulation of student conduct is to promote and to protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically. 

For a full description of the code please visit the following website: https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/policies-guidelines/student-code/

Classroom Climate

JHU is committed to creating a classroom environment that values the diversity of experiences and perspectives that all students bring. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Fostering an inclusive climate is important. Research and experience show that students who interact with peers who are different from themselves learn new things and experience tangible educational outcomes. At no time in this learning process should someone be singled out or treated unequally on the basis of any seen or unseen part of their identity. 
 
If you have concerns in this course about harassment, discrimination, or any unequal treatment, or if you seek accommodations or resources, please reach out to the course instructor directly. Reporting will never impact your course grade. You may also share concerns with your program chair, the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, or the Office of Institutional Equity. In handling reports, people will protect your privacy as much as possible, but faculty and staff are required to officially report information for some cases (e.g. sexual harassment).

Course Auditing

When a student enrolls in an EP course with “audit” status, the student must reach an understanding with the instructor as to what is required to earn the “audit.” If the student does not meet those expectations, the instructor must notify the EP Registration Team [EP-Registration@exchange.johnshopkins.edu] in order for the student to be retroactively dropped or withdrawn from the course (depending on when the "audit" was requested and in accordance with EP registration deadlines). All lecture content will remain accessible to auditing students, but access to all other course material is left to the discretion of the instructor.