Course Title: Geography of Distribution Systems

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Geography of Distribution Systems

Credit Points: 12

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
OMGT2149	City Campus	Undergraduate	620H Business IT and Logistics	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2010, Sem 1 2011, Sem 2 2012
OMGT2149	City Campus	Undergraduate	630H Management	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2007, Sem 1 2008, Sem 1 2009, Sem 2 2008

Course Coordinator: Dr Prem Chhetri

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 99251392

Course Coordinator Email:prem.chhetri@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: RMIT BLD 108.16.48

Course Coordinator Availability: Monday 11AM to 12 PM

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

The course Geography of Distribution Systems will introduce the students of undergraduate Logistics and Supply Chain Management program to the basic principles of transport geography and its relevance in understanding various distribution issues related to logistics and supply chain management.
The course will provide a basic understanding of the nature, characteristics, patterns and purpose of movements of freight, people and information between an origin and a destination. Students will be able to learn a wide range of transport and geographical concepts, procedures and methods to evaluate some contemporary logistics issues related to the movement of goods and services across a supply chain.
 

If you are undertaking this course in Melbourne from semester 2, 2012 onwards your teacher will advise you if you require access to a computer for the course. It is recommended that you have access to a mobile computing device to allow greater flexibility in terms of where you can work on campus outside class times.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course focuses on the following capability dimensions:
- Supply Chain Management Practice
- Distribution Practice
- Critical Analysis, Problem Setting and Solving
- Internpersonal and Communication Skills
- Teamwork and Leadership Skills

This course will assist you to develop your ability to :
• understand and implement concepts, techniques and applications that underpin supply chain management.
• demonstrate strategic and operational awareness of the management of distribution of goods and services in domestic and international markets.
• link strategic and operational system thinking with appropriate action to inform and facilitate day –to-day decisions in supply chain management (ability to integrate , collaborate & synchronise)
• apply business and logistic methods and principles to identify problems to improve value chain and supply chain management for sustainable practice.
 

The course will contribute to your ability to:
• Have the generic knowledge of the principles and practices involved in the field of transport geography and their relevance to the various aspects of Business Logistics.
• Have a thorough understanding of the relationship that exists between the spatial factors and various transport modal developments in generic and specific locations over space and time.
• Have an adequate knowledge of the underlying geographical factors that generally determine the functional relationships that exist between ports with their manufacturing hinterlands and the efficiency of transport systems that connect these two for a competitive supply chain development.
• Have the knowledge to understand fairly the prediction problems in flow generation and will have the capacity to appreciate the limitations of the applications of spatial gravity potential models.
 

Overview of Learning Activities

A variety of class room and field activities, both
individual and in groups will be used to help you
achieve the learning outcomes specified above:
They may include:
• Lectures introducing concepts, models and frame works.
• GIS computer laboratory and computer based learning to analyse global logistics and present effectively for debate the prevailing regional and global transport and management issues.
• By making use of RMIT Online course resources available at Blackboard pertaining to the dynamic regional and global transport geography issues relevant to the logistics industry and contribute critically on set topics through discussion forum.
 

Overview of Learning Resources

The prescribed text for this course is Rodrique, J-P, Comtois, C & Slack, B (2006) The Geography of Transport Systems, 1 st Edition, Routledge, NY.

Overview of Assessment

Assessments such as examinations,
individual seminar presentations, critical
deconstruction of specific research contribution and
group projects will test and assess your individual
comprehension of the regional and global
transport geography and logistics and supply chain issues.