Bachelor of Science in Procurement and Supply Chain Management
The Bachelors of Science degree of Procurement & Supply Chain Management (BPSCM) program prepares students to oversee the creation and implementation of procurement systems and supply chains, as well as scrutiny of their efficiency.
Procurement is the entire process planning, select suppliers and negotiating contracts for supply of requirements i.e. goods and services. A supply chain on the other hand is a network of retailers, distributors, transporters, storage facilities, and suppliers that participate in the production, delivery, and sale of a product to the consumer. This means Supply chain management is the coordination of all activities-information, finances and materials as they retransmitted all the way from supplier to consumer.
This program therefore is primarily concerned with equipping students with knowledge and skills relating to procurement of goods, works and services required by entities as they perform their noble duty of fulfilling customers’ wants. Most course units cover both national and international issues, as well as those dealing with government and corporate transactions
Introduction
Procurement and Supplies Management is an important function in every organization whether in Product or Service Industry. Currently there is increased pressure on managers to have skills in Procurement as well as Management of Supply Chains, hence this course is designed to meet the needs of people working both in public and private sectors as well as those who want to enhance their skills in the functional areas of Procurement and Supplies. Furthermore, since the implementation of the program five years ago, new trends in procurement have emerged that requires review of the current program to be at per with new developments in the procurement profession. For example, the government is in the process of implementing electronic procurement in public organizations, therefore, students need to be equipped with skills in e-procurement. Globally there is a move towards green procurement and e- logistics and these have to be incorporated in the curriculum so that students come out when they are equipped with the required knowledge and skills that are technologically driven and relevant. New content has been added to the course units to cater for innovations taking place in procurement field. Some courses like business ethics have been replaced with procurement ethics which is more specific to and relevant to the needs of procurement professionals.
Procurement Justification/Rationale
Procurement and Supplies Management is an important function in every organization whether in Product or Service Industry. Since the enactment of the PPDA Act in 2003, all government entities are required to follow PPDA Act when carrying out procurement activities. In the private sector, there is increased need to cut costs and improve the bottom line, as competition ‘cuts through the roof’. Procurement has been found to create a competitive age since organization spends between 60-70% of their budgets on procurement of various goods and services. There is also increased pressure on managers and other technocrats in organizations to have skills in procurement as well as Management of Supply Chains, if they are to comprehend the dynamics of creating value and ultimately meet customers’ needs, on a timely basis. In addition to the above, competition has shifted from being between organizing to between supply chains. Partnerships between members of supply chains helps organizations to ward off completion from rival supply chain, hence becoming more competitive. Knowledge in supply chain management is crucial in sustaining effective procurement systems. Hence this program is designed to meet the needs of people working both in public and private sectors as well as those who want to enhance their skills in the functional areas of procurement and supply chain management.
Various organizations and personalities were contacted while reviewing this program. They included:
- Tertiary institutions offering BPSCM program, like Makerere University, Uganda Christian University, Kyambogo University and University of Nairobi. These provided input on crucial course units to include in the program.
- The labor market: The corporate world also provided input on the skills and competences that they expected from graduates of this program. Several local governments were contacted like Kasese District, Mbarara District. This enabled us to include course units with sills that are required in the job market. It is noted that local government absorbs a considerable number of procurement graduates.
Professional Bodies: like Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) and Institute of Procurement Professionals of Uganda (IPPU), they provided input on the course content for this program