BPA 239 - Procurement and Materials Management

3 credit hours - Three hours lecture weekly; one term.
Survey the organization and operations of the procurement and warehousing functions in today’s modern businesses. Study procurement processes of sourcing, vendor evaluation and selection, negotiation, contract management, and purchasing ethics. Explore warehouse operations involving shipping, receiving, materials handling, inventory control, and warehouse safety.

Course Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Examine the purchasing process including policies, procedures, and their use for competitive advantage.

Identify various procedures for procuring goods and services.
Analyze how various procedures may be used as a competitive advantage.

2. Identify the process for sourcing materials, including supplier evaluation, selection, and quality management.

Describe the means to source materials globally.
Identify the process for evaluating suppliers for product and service sourcing.
Explain the process for selecting quality products.

3. Explain the sourcing process including cost management, negotiating, contract management, laws and ethics, and metrics and analysis.

Explain how cost management impacts the materials sourcing process.
Identify the negotiation process in product sourcing.
Explain how contract management supports a legal operation in product and service sourcing.
Explain the methods for metrics analysis in procurement.

4. Examine the functions of warehouse operations including order entry and processing, receiving, and inspection and quality control.

Identify the major functions of warehouse operations.
Identify the processes of order entry, receiving, stocking, and storage.
Describe the importance of inspection and quality control in warehouse operations.

5. Identify the outbound warehouse functions including order selection and replenishment, checking and packing, and staging and shipping.

Identify the processes associated with outbound warehouse shipments including order selection, staging and shipping.
Describe proper packing and product selection techniques for outbound shipments.
Analyze order metrics to support proper inventory replenishment.

6. Explain how inventory control is part of the warehousing process.

Identify processes of inventory control as it relates to warehouse operations.
Describe the importance of effective inventory control measures.

7. Identify safety and security requrements as it relates to warehouse operations.

Explain the importance of safety and security requirements in a warehouse environment.
Identify warehouse safety procedures and OSHA considerations for warehouse safety.
Describe safe materials storage practices including pallet safety, racking, and mezzanine safety.
Identify hazardous materials processes used to secure a safe environment.