TU-E2040 - Management of External Resources D, 09.09.2020-02.12.2020

Assignments and links to videos and readings

• Assignments and links to videos and readings
  

  Assignments and links to videos and readings

  1.  Empirical assignment is ONLY for those who carry out 5 credit course. If you intend to take the 5 credit course, enroll to an empirical assignment group. Please have a look at empirical assignment instructions.
  

  2. Weekly assignments are obligatory for all students. Each assignment will be graded on scale 0-5. You must get minimum 1 point of each weekly assignment to pass the course. If you fail a weekly assignment, you are allowed to retake it once , however, the maximum points of a retaken weekly assignment is 1/5. The weekly assignment serves also as an open exam, which means that no exams will be arranged at the assessment periods.
  

  There will be 10 weekly assignments, and the deadline for submissions is each Friday at 16:00. Submitting the weekly assignment late will deduce 1 point. The submission closes one week after the deadline, and after that it is not possible to submit at all. You are allowed to submit all weekly assignments as early as you wish. However, they will be graded weekly after the deadline by the end of the next week.

  3. In the four case-workshops the learned things are applied to practice. There are 2-4 case tasks in each workshop related to the themes of the two previous weeks. Students in groups of 3-4 discuss the tasks in advance and prepare to present their solution in the workshop. Three consecutive worskhops, 45-60 minutes each, are arranged on 30.9., 14.10., 28.10. and 11.11. between 14-17. There will be 2-4 groups present in each workshop presenting their solutions and discussing with other groups. The practical arrangements of the workshops depend on the corona situation and will be announced later. Maximum points that can be earned from each workshop is 2,5 (2 points based on the solution and presentation, and 0,5 points based on active discussion).
  

  Grading

  For those who do the 3 credit course, the final grade is based on the weekly assignments (max 50 points) and the workshops (max 10 points) as follows:
  

  50-60 points = 5

  44-49 points = 4

  38-43 points = 3

  32-37 points = 2

  26-31 points = 1
  

  NOTE! You must get at least 1 point from each 10 weekly assignment to pass the course

  For those who do the 5 credit course the grade of the course is based on the sum of points from the weekly assignments (max 50), workshops (max 10) and empirical assignment (max 40) as follows:

  85-100 points = 5

  75-84 points = 4

  65-74 points = 3

  55-64 points = 2

  45-54 points = 1

  0-44 points = 0

  Also in the 5 credit course you must get at least 1 point from each weekly assignment to pass the course. In addition you must get at least 20 points from the empirical assignment.

  Workload estimation

  According to the general rules of Aalto, 3 credits equals 80 hours workload, and 5 credits equals 135 hours workload. At this course the estimated workload of the students is as follows:

  Weekly assignments: 65 hours. BE PREPARED TO USE 6-7 HOURS EACH WEEK FOR DOING THE WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT! We recommend that you ensure in advance that you can put this much effort to the weekly assignments and it fits to your weekly schedule.

  Case-workshops: 12 hours (preparation 2 hours + workshop 1 hour)

  Orientation to the course: 3 hours 

  Empirical assignment: 55 hours
  

  • Weekly assignment instructions Page
  • Empirical assignment groups Group choice

    Empirical assignment is ONLY for those who carry out 5 credit course. The intention is to have 4 students in all groups. See first if there is place in some groups, and start a new group ONLY if all started groups are already full.
    

  • Empirical assignment instructions File PDF document
  • Weekly assignment 1: The significance of external resources DL:11.9. 16:00

    1.  Dyer and Singh argue in their seminal article "The relational view: cooperative strategy and sources of interorganizational competitive advantage" that firms may achieve sustained competitive advantage through interorganizational relationships. Discuss how they justify their argument and explain the four potential sources of competitive advantage that they present in their article.
    

    Link to the video: ERM-thinking
    

    Link to the readings: Dyer, J.H. and Singh, H., 1998. The relational view: Cooperative strategy and sources of interorganizational competitive advantage. Academy of management review, 23(4), pp.660-679.
    

    
    

  • Significance of external resources Quiz

    In case you do not find the Quiz in the end of the video, you can do it here.

  • Weekly assignment 2: Categorization DL: 18.9. 16:00

    2.       a) What is the role of purchasing category management in large manufacturing companies?
    

    b) Discuss the main principles of categorization at Outotec
    

    
    

    Link to the video: Categorization
    

    Case: Purchasing categorization at Outotec
    

    
    

    Link to the readings: Heikkilä, J., Kaipia, R. and Ojala, M., 2018. Purchasing category management: providing integration between purchasing and other business functions. International Journal of Procurement Management, 11(5), pp.533-550.

  • Weekly assignment 3: Category strategies and tactical sourcing levers DL: 25.9. 16:00

    3.       Explain the basic idea of the Kraljic matrix. What are tactical sourcing levers and how are they related to different quadrants of the Kraljic matrix?

    Link to the video: Introduction to Kraljic matrix
    

    
    

    Link to the readings: Hesping, F.H. and Schiele, H., 2016. Matching tactical sourcing levers with the Kraljič matrix: Empirical evidence on purchasing portfolios. International journal of production economics, 177, pp.101-117.

    
    

  • Groups of the first case-workshop 30.9. Group choice

    The first case-workshop takes place 30.9. The deadline for forming the groups is 28.9. at 24:00. Please start a new group only if all started groups are already full. The tasks of the case-workshop are published in MyCourses, and the groups prepare their solutions before the workshop

  • Case-workshop #1: Categorization and Kraljic matrix DL: 30.9. 14:00 File PDF document

    In the attached file you will find three tasks in which you reflect the learning of two previous weeks to a real life situation. Prepare to present your solution in a group of 3-4 students in the first case workshop on September 30. Send your presentation slides before the start of the workshop by e-mail to kari.tanskanen@aalto.fi.
    

  • Weekly assignment 4: Total cost of ownership (TCO) DL: 2.10. 23:59

    4.       Explain in your own words the key principles and steps of total cost modeling that Ask and Laster describe in their article "Cost Modeling: A Foundation Puchasing Skill".
    

    Link to the video: TCO
    

    Link to the article: Ask, J.A. and Laseter, T.M., 1998. Cost modeling: A foundation purchasing skill. Strategy and Business, pp.10-20.

  • Weekly assignment 5: Supply market intelligence (SMI) DL: 9.10. 23:59

    5.       What kind of uncertainties face the SMI tasks and how do they affect the SMI acquisition mechanism?

    Link to the video: SMI
    

    Link to the readings: Lorenz, Aminoff, Kaipia, Pihlajamaa, Ehtamo and Tanskanen (2020), Acquisition of supply market intelligence - an information processing perspective, forthcoming in Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management.
    

  • Groups of the second case-workshop 14.10 Group choice

    The second case-workshop takes place 14.10. The deadline for forming the groups is 12.10. at 24:00.

    As default the groups are the same as in the first workshop. Please remove your name if you will not attend the second workshop. Those who did not attend the first workshop but would like to join the second workshop, please see first if there is space in the existing groups. If not, start a new group.

    
    

  • Case-workshop #2 TCO and SMI Folder

    In the attached folder you will find two tasks in which you reflect the learning of two previous weeks to a real life situation. Prepare to present your solution in a group of 3-4 students in the first case workshop on October 14. Send your presentation slides before the start of the workshop by e-mail to kari.tanskanen@aalto.fi.
    

  • Weekly assignment 6: Sourcing process and negotiations

    6.       a) Compare integrative and distributive negotiation strategies.

    b) How do the psychological (cognition, personality etc.) and social-environmental factors (e.g. reputation) affect contract negotiations?

    
    

    Link to the video: Systematic sourcing process
    

    
    

    Link to the readings: Brett, J. and Thompson, L., 2016. Negotiation. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 136, pp.68-79.

  • Weekly assignment 7: Collaboration and competition

    7.      Why do firms (for example Toyota and Honda) build deep partnerships with their suppliers? What are the basic principles of forming and managing such deep supplier relationships?

    Link to the video: Balanced sourcing 
    

    Link to the readings: Liker, J.K. and Choi, T.Y., 2004. Building deep supplier relationships. Harvard business review, 82(12), pp.104-113.

     

  • Groups of the third case-workshop 28.10 Group choice

    The third case-workshop takes place 28.10. The deadline for forming the groups is 26.10. at 24:00.

    As default the groups are the same as in the second workshop. Please remove your name if you will not attend the third workshop. Those who did not attend the second workshop but would like to join the third workshop, please see first if there is space in the existing groups. If not, start a new group.

    
    

  • Case-workshop #3 Sourcing process and balanced sourcing Folder
  • Weekly assignment 8: Leveraging external resources in innovation

    8.       Explain the open innovation paradigm and compare it with the closed innovation paradigm.

    Link to the video: Early supplier involvement
    

    Link to the readings: Chesbrough, 2006 (Full reference: Chesbrough, Henry, Open Innovation : A New Paradigm for Understanding Industrial Innovation, Chapter 1 in book Henry Chesbrough, Wim Vanhaverbeke, and Joel West (editors), Open Innovation : Researching a New Paradigm, Oxford University Press, 2006.)
    

    
    

  • Weekly assignment 9: Decisions on governance mode

    9.       What are core competencies of a firm and what issues should a firm take into consideration when defining its core competencies?

    Link to the video: Make-or-buy
    

    Link to the readings: Quinn, J.B. and Hilmer, F.G., 1994. Strategic outsourcing. MIT Sloan Management Review, 35(4), p.43.

    
    

    
    

  • Groups of the fourth case-workshop 11.11. Group choice

    The third case-workshop takes place 11.11. The deadline for forming the groups is 9.11. at 24:00.

    As default the groups are the same as in the third workshop. Please remove your name if you will not attend the fourth workshop. Those who did not attend the third workshop but would like to join the fourth workshop, please see first if there is space in the existing groups. If not, start a new group.

    
    

  • Restricted Not available unless: You are a(n) Student

    Case-workshop #4: Innovations and make-or-buy Folder
  • Weekly assignment 10: Service and public purchasing

    10. How to manage effectively the contracting process of public purchasing?

    Links to videos: 1) Service purchasing, 2) Public purchasing
    

    Case podcasts: Procurement of meal sercvices at the city of Vantaa

      1. Introduction

      2. Selection criteria for service providers

      3. Sustainability in service purchasing
    

    Link to readings: Brown, T.L., Potoski, M. and Van Slyke, D.M., 2006. Managing public service contracts: Aligning values, institutions, and markets. Public administration review, 66(3), pp.323-331.