Operations & Supply Chain Management (OSCM): digital tools and artificial intelligence (in collaboration with EY)
Duration: 104 hours
Period: 14 maggio 2027 – 10 dicembre 2027
Venue: Classroom of the Department of Management and Engineering of Industrial Systems (Vicenza), University of Padua, Sfida, Fabbrica Digitale EY – Brescia, EY office in Padua
Lesson dates and times: 9–18 timetable; one Friday every two weeks (summer break interruption (last lesson before the break: 23/7/2027 and resumption on 17/9/2027))
Tuition fee: 4.200 euro (early bird registration with a 10% discount for confirmation of enrolment by mid-March 2027)
Scientific Director: Pamela Danese
Objectives:
- To provide a solid understanding of the models, operational approaches, and digital and artificial intelligence tools that support managers in handling the internal and external processes of the supply chain, understood as the network of supply, production and distribution.
- Focus on the company’s internal operations processes and external supply, distribution and materials management processes from a collaborative perspective.
- To provide practical knowledge that can be immediately applied in one’s own work activity, thanks to practical and interactive lessons, business games, examples and business applications
- To develop a body of knowledge and tools useful for analysing and addressing recurring managerial problems in supply chain management. The theoretical and operational aspects and the examples are applied to different contexts and types of companies, thus adopting a broad perspective.
Intended participants:
Operations managers, supply chain managers, consultants, heads of production planning and control, production managers, planners, plant/production managers, heads of the purchasing function, heads of the distribution function, and, more generally, people interested in exploring operations and supply chain management topics in greater depth.
Enrolment and payment methods: Write to pamela.danese@unipd.it attaching your Curriculum Vitae and the enrolment form (which will be provided by email by writing to pamela.danese@unipd.it). Instructions for payment of the enrolment fee will be communicated upon confirmation
of the course activation.
For information: Pamela Danese: pamela.danese@unipd.it
Lecturers:
- Pamela Danese, University of Padua
- Antonio Cavallin Toscani, University of Padua
- Marcos Dieste, University of Padua
- Alessandro Persona, University of Padua (and/or any other professors of the University of Padua who are experts in the field of industrial plants)
- Andrea Vinelli, University of Padua
- Alessandro Zironi, University of Udine
- Davide Merlin, Partner at EY (and any other EY experts)
- Public Speaking coach and consultant
- Possible company testimonials
Programme:
MODULE 1: Operations and supply chain management and the supporting digital and AI tools
The module aims to introduce the concepts of operations and supply chain management, the field of action (the supply network), and to map the critical processes from a logistics and production perspective. The module also aims to map some digital and artificial intelligence tools supporting operations and supply chain management processes, which will be covered in depth in the subsequent modules of the course.
MODULE 2: Demand forecasting and planning, and inventory optimisation
Through practical exercises, the module illustrates how the main techniques for calculating demand forecasts work. It provides some examples of tools supporting Sales Forecast & Demand Planning and, linked to this, how to manage inventories, illustrating the main Inventory Optimisation techniques.
MODULE 3: Operations Planning
The module explains the application of material requirements planning (MRP) for materials management and capacity requirements planning (CRP) for production capacity planning. It illustrates how to use tools supporting medium- and short-term planning, up to finite-capacity planning.
MODULE 4: Shop floor management
The module addresses multiple shop floor management topics: the productivity of machines and systems; the main losses and breakdowns, micro-stoppages, speed reductions, defects, start-up losses, scrap and rework; MES systems; the calculation of overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). It will provide application examples and illustrate the tools for increasing OEE; the techniques for reducing the effects of micro-stoppages; Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) for managing maintenance in order to maximise plant efficiency, and spare parts management policies. Lastly, it aims to illustrate some operational approaches and tools supporting data collection and analysis in production.
MODULE 5: Business game on a labour-intensive line
This module aims to let participants experience a simulation of a labour-intensive operational process in which they can test the improvements that can be achieved through the introduction of tools related to Operational Excellence and features of Artificial Intelligence and Robotic Process Automation..
MODULE 6: Collaborative materials management among supply chain actors
This module aims to explain the advantages of collaboration between suppliers and customers in materials management; through practical cases, it describes the application of techniques such as vendor managed inventory, continuous replenishment, CPFR, consignment stock, and the related supporting tools.
MODULE 7: Procurement and supplier management
This module illustrates procurement strategies, and the operational approaches and Vendor Relationship Management tools
MODULE 8: Digital warehousing
This module aims to address the following topics: the main types of warehouses, warehouses for unit loads, packages, special materials; manual and automated warehouses; the characteristics of e-commerce warehouses; picking activities; the main processes in warehouse management; process digitalisation through WMS (Warehouse Management System) systems; the main functionalities and innovations; KPIs for measuring the efficiency of a digitalised warehouse; visual commissioning.
MODULE 9: Transportation management
This module will illustrate: the classification of transport, primary and secondary transport; transport costs and outsourcing rates, TPS (Transportation Management System) systems for transport planning, execution and monitoring; the main techniques for designing a transport network and methods for identifying improvement opportunities; external costs for assessing transport sustainability; the new frontiers of transport.
MODULE 10: Risk in the supply chain
The module aims to provide a perspective on the supply chain monitoring dimensions that may be linked to transactional risks. From third-party risk management (customers and suppliers), to data analytics techniques for the prevention and detection of anomalies/illicit acts/malpractices, to the measurement of the maturity level of processes and IT tools protecting the company and the entire supply chain, with a particular focus on incident management.
MODULE 11: Digital tools for evaluating products and the purchasing experience
The module explores the use of advanced digital technologies to assess the purchasing experience and the key attributes of products. Innovative tools are introduced to collect and analyse qualitative and quantitative data on consumer behaviour, supporting the design of more sustainable, desirable products aligned with market preferences.
MODULE 12: Sustainability in the supply chain
The module illustrates the main standards for assessing sustainability performance in the supply chain, such as life cycle assessment (LCA) and other emissions reporting techniques. It also illustrates how these tools can be used to make supply chains more sustainable.
MODULE 13: Public speaking
This cross-cutting module provides practical guidelines for more effective communication.
Lifelong learning courses