Swinburne launches innovative postgraduate course in supply chain

Swinburne has launched a unique postgraduate course in supply chain that will address the latest industry-disrupting technologies such as blockchain, autonomous vehicles, and 3D printing.

The Graduate Certificate and the Master of Supply Chain Innovation commenced earlier this year with the aim of upskilling those already working in the supply chain industry and ensuring new entrants into the discipline have the most up-to-date skills.

The Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship (AGSE) will deliver these courses. As with all AGSE master degrees, units will be co-designed and co-delivered in collaboration with industry partners.

Director of the Master of Supply Chain Innovation, Dr John Hopkins, says the course will teach students traditional supply chain management skills through an innovation lens, taking into consideration new and emerging technologies that are changing the landscape of the industry.

“Students will graduate with contemporary skills aligned with the challenges that companies are facing today,” he says.

“Technologies like Blockchain, big data, the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence are disrupting the supply chain industry, so we’ve designed the course to take these into account.

Supply Chain Innovation students will also complete entrepreneurship and innovation units not seen in traditional supply chain management courses, allowing them to think more creatively and innovatively about supply chain projects.

 “When our graduates go into the workplace, they’ll be able offer additional skills and knowledge and think more innovatively about the problems they faces,” Dr Hopkins says.

Additional qualifications with Vative

Complementing this unique course is an Australian-first partnership between Swinburne and Vative, Australia’s largest dedicated business optimisation consultancy and training organisation.

This first-of-its-kind partnership will allow students who complete the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt core unit to graduate with a highly sought-after qualification in addition to the Graduate Certificate or Master degree.

The unit has been co-designed by Swinburne and Vative to equip graduates with a sound understanding of the Lean Six Sigma methodologies, an integral component of supply chain.

Vative Group CEO, Jetha Devapura, says this additional industry qualification will be a huge point of difference for graduates of this course.

“Vative is delighted to collaborate with Swinburne to empower its students to reach their greater potential,” he says.

“Not only is the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt a significant qualification desired by employees, it will also give students the tools to implement best practices in supply chain.”

The Lean method teaches students to analyse every step in the manufacturing process and identify which activities add value and which do not. The manufacturing process is then redesigned to remove activities that do not add value to the customer.

Dr Hopkins believes the teaching of the Lean method goes hand-in-hand with both the supply chain and innovation units within the degree.

“Lean thinking is an important driver of innovation and this new unit will teach our students to embrace a mindset of focusing on customer value.”

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