Learn 2024

The field of purchasing and supply management includes the functions of planning, organising, motivating and controlling the flow of purchased materials, products and services into and out of the organisation. The importance of purchasing is clear as every business entity needs a supply of materials. Purchasing is responsible for this supply. Simply put, purchasing forms an important link between business entities and provides the trigger for moving materials through the supply chain.

Some of the benefits of purchasing and supply management include providing a significant competitive advantage; providing an efficient service to internal customers; providing a reliable flow of materials into the business; identifying and selecting the best suppliers; and maintaining supplier relationships.

The aim of this module is to enable learners to understand the theoretical base and practical principles and concepts underlying purchasing management. It provides learners with a sound perspective and insight into the principles and strategies related to purchasing management in organisations and its supply chain partners. Particular emphasis is placed on the South African context.

Logistics and Physical Distribution is one of the four core modules of the programme for learners majoring in supply chain management. It is offered in first semester of the second year of the Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Commerce 4 (general), Bachelor of Business Science.

It is designed to prepare students to gain insight into how logistics impacts on the supply chain and all the processes at of a business and its supply chain partners.

The aim of this module is to enable learners to understand the theoretical base and practical principles and concepts underlying logistics and physical distribution. It provides learners with a sound perspective and insight into the principles and strategies related to logistics and physical distribution in organisations and its supply chain partners. Particular emphasis on the South African context.

This module aims to teach the principles and strategies of logistics and physical distribution. It includes an overview of supply chain management (outbound logistics), the role of logistics in the economy and organisation, materials flow, physical distribution/transportation, customer relationship management, integrated operations planning, warehousing, materials handling and packing, investment recovery, reverse logistics, and risk and sustainability.

The primary goal of the learning process in this module is to develop individuals into professional self-growers, and critical thinkers. The intended learning outcomes are designed from the student’s perspective to epitomise professionals’/practitioners’ propulsion to knowledge enrichment. The strategy indicates the anticipated level of understanding and performance that are expected to be achieved as a result of engaging and interacting in the teaching and learning experience.  In this module, the following content topics that are judged desirable for students to learn are eventually translated into outcome statements using aligned design teaching/learning activities and appropriately open assessment tasks.