Supply Chain Digitization - Course Overview & Introduction

Week 1 | Session 1: Course Overview & Introduction

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About the Course

Note

Course Focus: Digitalization in Supply Chain Management combined with Analytics applications in SCM.

• Target Audience: Industry professionals, academicians, and students aspiring to work in SCM or logistics.
• Relevant Industries:

Sector
FMCG
E-commerce
Automobile
Transportation & Logistics
Pharmaceuticals
Public Distribution
Consulting

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Why This Course? - The Context

Modern supply chains are increasingly digital, driven by three structural forces:

1. Easy availability of operations and purchase data
2. Digitalization of payments
3. Rise of the platform economy (e-commerce, aggregators, etc.)

Greater data visibility streamlines operations - but supply chains simultaneously face growing complexity due to variabilities spanning industries, markets, and geographies. This course provides a structured understanding of digitization and analytics to manage that complexity.

Tip

Application of Concepts: Digitization is not merely a technology upgrade. It is about using data and platforms to make supply chains faster, smarter, and more resilient - a strategic business imperative, not an IT initiative.

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Course Structure - 4 Modules at a Glance

Module	Weeks	Theme	Key Topics
Module 1	Wk 1-3	SCM Fundamentals	Wk 1: SC fundamentals + types of SC | Wk 2: SC segmentation (product, demand, customer, geography, channel) | Wk 3: SC design, operation strategy, supply portfolios
Module 2	Wk 4-5	Digital Business in SC	Wk 4: Platform economy + channel structures (centralised vs. decentralised) | Wk 5: Dual channels, brick & mortar, multi-channel, omni-channel
Module 3	Wk 6-9	SC Analytics	Wk 6: Data analytics - Big Data, descriptive/diagnostic/predictive/prescriptive | Wk 7: AI/ML for demand forecasting (Python hands-on) | Wk 8: Network optimisation - facility location, cost minimisation | Wk 9: Intelligent decision support tools (AI/ML case studies + Python)
Module 4	Wk 10-12	Digital Infrastructure	Wk 10: Product tracking & traceability systems | Wk 11: Information systems - ERP, WMS, TMS | Wk 12 (part 1): Digital Twins + Control Towers | Wk 12 (part 2): Industry 4.0, Blockchain, digital payments

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Module 1 - Introduction to SCM (Weeks 1-3)

SCM Fundamentals

Purpose: Build a common foundation for all participants regardless of professional or academic background, ensuring alignment on terminology, concepts, and frameworks used throughout the course.

Week 1 - Fundamentals of SCM

• What is SCM and why does it matter?
• Not all supply chains are the same - understanding how and why they differ
• Role of different SC drivers
• Strategies that drive supply chain design

Note

Key Distinction: Responsive Supply Chain vs. Efficient Supply Chain - two fundamentally different design philosophies driven by demand characteristics and product type.

Week 2 - Supply Chain Segmentation

• Why segment? Different parts of a supply chain have different challenges - segmentation helps manage them effectively.
• Types of segmentation covered: Product | Demand | Customer | Geography | Channel-wise
• Additional segmentation approaches are also covered.

Week 3 - SC Design & Operation Strategy

• Supply chain design decisions and operation strategy frameworks
• Supply portfolios - types and how they inform procurement strategy

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Module 2 - Digital Business in SC (Weeks 4-5)

Digital Business

Core Question: What is the role of digital business models in SCM?

Week 4 - Platform Economy + Channel Structures

Tip

Application of Concepts: The platform economy is already present across taxi aggregation, e-commerce, railway ticketing, and virtually all business transactions today. A key gap this module fills is understanding how the platform economy specifically connects with SCM design - an area that is not yet well understood in practice.

• Channel Structures: Centralised vs. Decentralised - a foundational concept that feeds directly into Week 5.

Week 5 - Advanced Channel Types

• Dual channels | Brick & mortar channels | Multi-channel | Omni-channel

Note

Why it matters: The supply chain must be designed around how the customer is reached. Channel type drives SC design - making this a critical linkage between digital business strategy and operational execution.

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Module 3 - Analytics in SCM (Weeks 6-9)

SC Analytics

Week 6 - Data Analytics Foundations

• Big Data: Characteristics from an SCM perspective
• 4 Types of Analytics:

1. Descriptive - What happened?
2. Diagnostic - Why did it happen?
3. Predictive - What will happen?
4. Prescriptive - What should we do about it?

Week 7 - AI/ML for Demand Forecasting

• Why AI/ML is needed over traditional forecasting methods
• Key AI/ML models used for demand forecasting in industry today
• Case studies from the SCM domain
• Hands-on: Python coding

Tip

Application of Concepts: Real-world SCM case studies in this session demonstrate how companies move beyond simple statistical models to ML-driven forecasting - improving accuracy at scale and handling demand volatility more effectively.

Week 8 - SC Network Optimisation

Prescriptive Analytics

Decisions covered in this week include:

• Where to locate facilities - plants, warehouses, and distribution centres
• Which warehouse serves which plant; which DC serves which warehouse
• Product movement flows across the network

Goal: Minimise total network cost while improving service levels.

Week 9 - Intelligent Decision Support Tools

• AI/ML-based tools for SCM decision-making
• Case studies demonstrating real-world applications
• Hands-on: Python coding

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Module 4 - Digital Infrastructure in SC (Weeks 10-12)

Digital Infrastructure

Module 4 brings together all three prior modules and adds the infrastructure layer that enables digitization at scale.

Duration: 3 weeks | ~7.5 hours of lectures

Week 10 - Product Tracking & Traceability

• Role of tracking and traceability systems in the modern supply chain
• Creates an audit trail of material, financial, and information flows within the SC
• Increasingly critical for compliance, quality control, and customer transparency

Week 11 - Information Systems in SC

Note

Key Systems Covered:

• ERP - Enterprise Resource Planning
• WMS - Warehouse Management System
• TMS - Transport Management System

Information systems are not limited to a single organisation - they can integrate businesses across organisations, making them a foundational layer for supply chain collaboration.

Week 12 - Advanced Digital Infrastructure

1. Digital Twins - Virtual replica of the supply chain that enables simulation of scenarios, real-time monitoring, and control in a virtual environment.
2. Control Towers - End-to-end SC visibility tool, critical when a supply chain spans multiple continents globally.
3. Industry 4.0 + Blockchain - IoT advancements, financial transaction digitization, and seamless integration from end-customer to supplier.
4. Digital Payments - How financial transactions have been integrated into supply chain processes.

Tip

Application of Concepts: Without digital infrastructure, the analytics techniques and platform economy concepts from Modules 2 and 3 cannot be operationalised. Module 4 is the enabling layer - it is what turns strategic insight into live, automated supply chain decisions.

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Course Linkage - PM GatiShakti National Master Plan

Policy Context

Note

Exam Tip: If asked about the national policy context - PM GatiShakti = multimodal logistics + last-mile connectivity + 16 ministries + 2021. Connect it to why SCM digitization matters at a national scale.

Attribute	Detail
Announced	2021, Government of India
Aim	Facilitate development of multimodal logistics and connectivity infrastructure across economic zones in India
Scope	Integrates ~16 Ministries to break departmental silos
Focus Areas	Holistic infrastructure development | Multimodal connectivity | Last-mile connectivity in logistics & supply chain
Relevance to Course	SCM digitization is a key enabler for achieving the goals of PM GatiShakti - contributing to national infrastructure development and economic growth

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Overall Course Goal

Tip

Core Outcome: Equip participants to leverage technology to improve operational efficiency and the quality of decision-making across the supply chain - enabling career readiness in SCM, logistics, operations, and consulting.

This course integrates four pillars into a single roadmap for SCM digitization:

Pillar	Module
SCM Fundamentals	Module 1
Digital Business Models	Module 2
Analytics	Module 3
Digital Infrastructure	Module 4