FTMBA2026 Strategic Sourcing

Participation Prerequisites

No prior knowledge or specific courses are required for participation in this course.

Course Content

Sourcing is key to achieving competitive advantage: A firm's supplier ecosystem is a source of innovation, efficiency, and the ability to scale – but it also connects the firm with significant sources of risk and constitutes a large part of firms’ overall environmental and social impact. This course will provide you with strategy essentials and practical tools that help you successfully manage these interdependencies. You will learn how to solve current, pressing supply issues and will have opportunities to interact with procurement executives. What you learn in this course is highly useful beyond the immediate field of procurement. In your role as entrepreneurs, consultants, financial analysts, and senior executives, you will need to understand and manage the significant impact of supply strategy on the firm's "triple bottom line": Financial, economic, and social performance.

The course covers the following topics from a strategic sourcing perspective:

• Strategic Impact of the Supply Base
• Leveraging Competition in Supply Markets
• Changing Demand and Addressing Technical Levers
• Collaborating with Suppliers to Create Value
• Managing Risks in the Supply Chain
• Measuring and Managing Social and Environmental Impact of the Supply Base
• Defining the Boundaries of the Firm: Making In- and Outsourcing Decisions

Intended Learning Outcomes and Competencies

In this course, participants will:

• Gain an appreciation of the strategic importance of the supply base
• Understand the impact of the supplier network for achieving environmental and social goals of the firm
• Acquire in-depth knowledge of concepts and frameworks needed for devising successful sourcing strategies
• Practice hands-on tools that support supply decision making
• Learn to apply these concepts and tools to specific contexts and situations
• Engage with management practitioners to learn about latest developments in real-life supply chains

Instruction Type

Presence

Form of Examination

• In-Class Participation (10%)
• Individual Assignments (15%)
• In-Class Team Case Work (20%)
• Final Written Exam (55%)

Literature

All course materials will be made available on Moodle. Materials will include case studies, topic readings, and videos. There is no textbook required for this course.