Graduates of the SBWL "Supply Networks and Services" have comprehensive knowledge on theories, methods and models supporting companies´and NPO´s decision processes in the area of Supply Chain Management, especially in the area of structuring and designing networks. Specialization courses on Sustainable Supply Chain Management and Disaster Relief Supply Chain Management are provided as well as the possibility to improve one´s project management capabilities in a dedicated seminar. The contents are streamlined towards a research and method centered education of students, leading to scientifically founded basic knowledge important for further studies as well as entering the business world in challenging positions. Numerous case studies, company visits and practical examples guarantee the practical relevance of the education.

Structure of the SBWL in bachelor studies

• Minimum duration of SBWL: 2 semesters

• A positive grade of course I is required for participation in course 4 and course 5.

• Absolving courses of the SBWL as a co-registered student (Mitbeleger) is not possible.

Enrollment process of the SBWL

The SBWL starts each semester with up to 40 students.

The formal requirements for admission to an SBWL at WU must be met.

Admission to the SBWL requires the successful completion of the AG " Access to Specialization: Supply Networks and Services" (see WU Course Catalog).

Step 1

Please register for the ET LV Nr. 0866 "Access to Specialization: Supply Networks and Services".

Registration is possible from August 29, 2024 until September 01, 2024 using LPIS.

Students that passed the exam “Beschaffung, Logistik, Produktion” (BLP) with “Very good” („sehr gut“) and "Good" („Gut“) are passing the AG automatically and can proceed to Step 3. The grade of BLP is checked by the institute automatically. Otherwise, proceed with next step.

Step 2

Admission to the SBWL is based on a written letter of application and the previous academic performance.

1. (weight 1/3) Written letter of application: Please upload a letter of motivation of maximum one page and a CV in the AG under "Assignments" (saved in a PDF file in the format "Last_name_first_name_matriculation_number.pdf") by Monday September 02, 2024 23.55 hrs at the latest.

2. (weight 2/3) Previous academic performance - student ranking based on grade point average (for further information about the ranking, please see: https://www.wu.ac.at/en/students/tools-services/rankings): The student performance is checked by the institute automatically.

 

We will inform the accepted students until Wednesday, September 04, 2024. If you have not heard from us by then, this means that you are on the waiting list.

Step 3

Make sure by selecting the SBWL at LPIS that you are enrolled to the basic course.

Accepted students have to enroll independently to Courses l, ll and lll. Please check the WU Course Catalog for the enrollment period.

Courses

1^st Semester:

• Course I, Introduction to Supply Chain Management (English) Course I introduces students to the basic principles and concepts of Supply Chain Management. The first three lectures elaborate on this through the focus on performance measurement and identifying drivers and metrics, while the latter five lectures discuss different core themes. Various cases enable the students to gain deep context knowledge and prepare them for applying their new skills in the business environment.

• Course II - Analysis and optimization of distribution networks (English)
  Course II provides basic principles and methods to analyze and optimize distribution networks. Typical problems of distribution networks are investigated, like the Shortest Path Problem, the Traveling Salesman Problem, and the Vehicle Routing Problem. The course covers the formulation of such problems as well as the variety of solution approaches in greater detail.

• Course III Supply Chain Modeling and Design (in English): Course III provides an overview about current challenges and aspects related to Supply Chain Modeling. The course emphasizes on the design of global supply chains considering specific settings of uncertainty for decision-making. In order to cope with uncertainties efficiently, methods for decision support are discussed in this course. Optimization models and simulation models play an important role in this course.

2 ^nd Semester:

• Course IV: Humanitarian Logistics (English)
  Course IV „Humanitarian Logistics“ investigates the special requirements of logistics in disasters like earthquakes. Additionally, appropriate methods for decision support are presented and discussed. Cooperation and coordination form a core concern for decision makers in disaster management. Therefore, the EU decision process for implementing humanitarian missions will be described and the role of the logistics cluster will be analyzed.

• Course IV: Sustainable logistics (English)
  The course focuses on environmental and sustainable concerns arising in logistics. In this context, quantitative methods and decisions ranging from strategic to operational planning are presented and discussed. We introduce different concepts and discuss how to extend basic, already well-known, problems by considering and implementing sustainable issues. Topics arising include city logistics and physical internet, intermodal and multimodal transport, transport of dangerous goods and restrictions of transportation. Furthermore, benefits of integrated production and distribution planning systems including closed-loop supply chains and generalizations of the vehicle routing problem are investigated in more detail. In order to obtain a holistic overview, the underlying topics are discussed in class and applied to practical examples.  

• Course V: Seminar on Humanitarian Logistics (English)
  In course V students get the chance to apply the theoretical and practical insights from the parallel course in humanitarian logistics in the context of their own research and scientific work. Students study recent research topics in humanitarian operations. Additionally, case study analysis and presentations improve students’ skills to analyze difficult situations in the dynamic context of humanitarian supply chain management. While the first half of the semester is dedicated to the above, the second half is focused on supporting students’ in developing research questions and writing individual seminar papers. A bachelor thesis can be written based on the topic of the seminar paper if the seminar has been passed with a grade of at least “Gut (2)”.

• Course V: Seminar on Sustainable Logistics (English)
  In course V students get the chance to apply the theoretical and practical insights from the parallel course in sustainable logistics in the context of their own research and scientific work. Students study recent research topics in sustainable logistics operations and improve their skills to analyze difficult situations in the dynamic context of sustainable supply chain management. While the first half of the semester is dedicated to the above, the second half is focused on supporting students’ in developing research questions and writing individual seminar papers. A bachelor thesis can be written based on the topic of the seminar paper if the seminar has been passed with a grade of at least “Gut (2)”.  

Registration of bachelor thesis

You need to set up a meeting with your advisor within one month after course V is completed. At this meeting it is required to sign the registration agreement, otherwise there is no guarantee for supervision in the SBWL SNS. Please bring two printed and filled in copies of the registration agreement, that you can find it

here

Informationen about the SBWL

If you have any questions, please contact sbwl-sns@wu.ac.at

For further information, please register for the following mailing list: https://mailman.wu.ac.at/mailman/listinfo/supply.networks