Business and Supply Chain Management BSc (Hons)

You’ll explore topics ranging from financial principles and reporting standards through to budgeting, costing and analytical problem-solving.

You'll gain an understanding of accounting’s indispensable role in informing strategy and operations for organisations, and finish this module with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to guide organisations towards financial control.

By exploring key concepts, principles and decision frameworks, you'll understand the vital role of operations management across all aspects of business — including process design, capacity planning, supply chain optimisation, lean methodology, quality control, and project execution.

When you finish this module you'll have the expertise to optimise workflows, resources, technologies and partnerships, and be ready to drive operational excellence, performance improvement, and sustainability within business.

Material introduced in the lectures will be supported by additional resources delivered via Moodle. A weekly seminar offers opportunities for problem-based learning, designed to reinforce the principal themes introduced in lectures and expand upon the use of economic theory to evaluate a range of relevant and contemporary issues. The assessment for the module consists of a portfolio of eight online quizzes and a 1500-word written coursework assignment.

Seminar exercises engage students in formative problem-solving activities addressing all learning outcomes. Spreadsheet skills are developed in timetabled computer laboratories through the use of supported and self-paced materials. Resources are available online on the University of Portsmouth Virtual Learning Environment Moodle. Optional weekly drop-in support sessions are available.

A weekly lecture will be supported be a weekly group seminar which are designed to enable students to explore concepts raised in the lectures and have opportunity to apply them both individually and in small groups, through a variety of real world scenarios and case studies.

The module equips students with knowledge and skills of tools used in the design and management of logistics systems and integrated supply chain. The module covers various aspects of logistics management in business practices that include the facility location and allocation, inventory management, warehouse management and transportation. This course will also develop an understanding and knowledge on how business processes in logistics management are executed with support of ERP systems.

You’ll analyse how organisational purpose connects with strategy, governance and outcomes, and explore ways to consider stakeholder needs alongside profit.

Evaluating concepts like corporate social responsibility and circular economics, you’ll recommend how leaders can account for community and environmental issues.

By using real modern cases, you'll assess business models and strengthen critical faculties to balance complex imperatives. By the end of this module you’ll be ready to champion organisational development in an ethical, responsible and sustainable manner.

Risks include natural and man-made events, fraud, corruption, counterfeiting and societal risks (e.g. conflict minerals, child labour). Students locate and critically analyse information about supply chains and recent risk events to investigate and evaluate the principles and practices of supply chain risk management. Students synthesise the case studies in groupwork and individual work, and use graphics, text and presentation slides to document and communicate them.

It will develop (a) the students' ability to understand complex concepts as well as (b) their ability to approach workplace problems in an objective and analytical way. Delivery will be via lectures, seminars and workshops incorporating:- Simulated negotiation exercises Analysis Group and individual problem solving Case studies Discussion Organized activities Independent study All the identified skills in the Learning Outcomes will be developed through activities and will be utilised in tackling the module assessments.

You'll analyse case studies to build practical skills for decision making, planning and control in global networks. Working in a diverse team, you'll review key principles from sourcing to delivery while developing skills like communication, autonomy and adaptability. You'll apply a range of techniques to critically evaluate purchasing issues and present effective solutions. You'll finish this module ready interpret the information, tools and frameworks that support ethical, resilient supply chains.

The module will seek to outline a range of business modelling techniques that allow for improved operational designs under conditions that usually require the allocation of scarce resources using case studies.

Explore emerging technologies from artificial intelligence to cryptocurrencies — and analyse models and strategies for online sales, marketing and operations.

You'll discover the intricate development processes, innovative models, and cutting-edge applications reshaping modern business landscapes.

By engaging in critical discussions on business-to-business and business-to-consumer e-commerce, you'll prepare to navigate the social, legal, and ethical dimensions shaping digital transactions.

You'll finish this module with an entrepreneurial spirit as you embark on hands-on projects by crafting dynamic websites that are tailored to real-world clients.

It also seeks to provide a detailed understanding of the main theories/models underlying the management of working capital. Furthermore, students taking this course will enhance their awareness and appreciation of more complex management accounting issues, and their ability to understand and explain the core themes underpinning financial analysis.

You'll explore the major factors, issues and forces that shape trade and operations across borders. Using current affairs coverage, you'll participate in discussions to demonstrate your appreciation for the socioeconomic, cultural and institutional contexts that impact the international marketplace. By the end of this module you'll have a crucial perspective on how global businesses navigate complex realities while sustaining success, so that you're ready to enter today's international firms.

You'll explore configuration considerations, relationship dynamics and ethical imperatives to discover how aligned flows of information, goods and finances enable organisational success. By evaluating real chains that span multiple geographies, you'll assess decision trade-offs to boost productivity, agility and sustainability. You'll finish this module ready to lead enterprises to new heights and lead on value creation.

The Module makes use of case examples to review applicable theory and frameworks to illustrate the combined roles of Continuous Improvement (CI), Organisational Learning (OL), Change Management, and the importance of a Creative Environment (CE) as a springboard for innovation.

This module will develop your knowledge and understanding in the application of ideas, methodologies, processes, and techniques for improving and sustaining organisational performance. The module emphasises the operationalising of business and functional strategy and focuses on how to facilitate and sustain successful change.

The module evaluates the cultural, behavioural and human elements, and considers the role ¿people¿ have in leading and being part of successful and sustainable improvement.

It requires critical engagement with appropriate literature, sound choice of research methods and carrying the planned approach into practice to produce a piece of independent research.

Students will be supported through a mix of large group sessions, workshops and individual appointments to support them to develop a research idea and to realise it as a piece of written work. Individual appointments will be arranged between supervisor and student.

Examples of past projects are: developing options for a bank for use of their banking halls for community financial education; creating a strategy for a facilities management firm to improve their marketing; helping a social enterprise to find ways to grow their user base with new service offerings. You'll develop skills in teamwork, project management, design thinking and consultancy, and learn to practically apply business concepts from across your degree studies. After an introduction to the organisation, your client will provide ongoing direction and guidance, and you'll be giving them regular progress updates. For most of the time, you'll be part of an independent, diverse team, managing priorities to achieve the project aims. You'll be supported throughout the module by your seminar tutor. Much of your learning will be off-campus, meeting key stakeholders and conducting tasks such as customer surveys and interviews. We encourage an experimental and entrepreneurial approach, and you'll learn key skills in the seminars and online lectures. The coursework is a mix of 60% group work and 40% individual assessment.

You’ll critically evaluate traditional and contemporary leadership models, analysing debates around topics like management versus leadership.

By blending theory and practice, you'll use leadership activities to strengthen your awareness of your own abilities and identify your development areas.

You’ll compare approaches and learn how to apply ideas contextually with real-world cases. And with assessments that build your personal leadership plans, you’ll leave well-equipped to motivate, empower others and handle modern challenges.

Build on your prior knowledge by exploring how macro and micro cultural forces shape workplace behaviour, competence needs and communication approaches.

You'll use both creativity and critical thinking to actively apply perspectives from sociology and psychology to real-world case studies. From this, you'll learn to identify nuances across diverse settings and to make effective workplace recommendations.

By the end of this module you’ll have essential skills in cross-cultural analysis that are crucial for thriving in our increasingly interconnected world of business.

In this module, students will be encouraged to think like strategy practitioners in today's real life international environment. Consequently, they will develop the skills and competencies needed to be a good strategist, including the ability to diagnose strategic issues, analyse the industry a company is competing in as well as a firm's capabilities, and synthesizing ideas into creative strategy insights, strategic issue selling, and reflecting upon their practice as strategists. That reflection will involve critically examining the wider strategy-as-practice literature in terms of the insights it provides for the development of strategy. Students will also develop an appreciation of the global and international context within which strategists operate and the ethical nature of strategic decision making.

It aims to stimulate critical engagement with competing theories in traditional and contemporary areas of leadership, whilst exploring practical applications of leadership theories. Moreover, it will facilitate the development of a personal leader/leadership profile and development plan. Not only will this module develop subject specific knowledge and understanding, it will also enhance important graduate skills including: communication, critical analysis, decision making, independent research, reflective learning, and self-awareness.

Use flexible project management tools that meet industry standards, and learn to differentiate between transformative initiatives and business-as-usual processes.

By evaluating real-world cases, you’ll analyse the contextual factors and stakeholder dynamics that position certain projects as strategic investments. With an outcome-oriented mindset, you’ll appreciate how disciplined planning, communication and risk mitigation leads teams to mobilise resources for impactful delivery.

This module equips you with a versatile project management toolkit and a strategic perspective that is highly valued across sectors.

It explores the responsibilities and boundaries of businesses in a range of contemporary environmental and social issues and in the context of differing ethical frameworks. In this module we will also investigate how areas ranging from business ethics, law, politics, economics, strategy and management affect our understanding and practice related to responsible and sustainable business. Topics addressed in this module include, but will not be restricted to: foundation in business ethics, stakeholder theory, definitions and conceptions and practical applications of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability.

By appraising issues at business and corporate levels, you'll develop expertise in applying strategic frameworks to identify options.

You'll examine theory, weigh evidence and propose strategies as you develop practical skills for issue resolution and driving strategic change.

By the end of this module you'll be ready to evaluate propositions critically, and to recommend implementations to real-world challenges.

After your second or third year, you can do an optional work placement year to get valuable longer-term work experience in the industry.

We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your aspirations, and you’ll get mentoring and support throughout your year of work.

When you graduate after successfully completing a placement year, your degree transcript and degree certificate will state that your degree is `in the sandwich mode'.