Prepare for
forces present serious challenges for firms programme is aimed at responding to
all over the world. modern business organisations’ demands
the future:
for employees with comprehensive skills in
Get Value
In this environment, firms are keen to
the design and management of sustainable
employ managers and marketers who are
value-creating, consumer-driven businesses.
Chain Thinking
able to improve their products and services
The programme will provide students with a
and develop new value-added propositions
range of conceptual, analytical and research
for specific customers and targeted
“…. All organisations (large and
skills in value chain management and the
consumer segments.
small, public and private) can
various activities that add value to a
company’s product or service in order to win
benefit from the application of In 1995, Michael Porter introduced the
competitive advantage. These skills will
value chain thinking – using
concept of the Value Chain in which
prepare graduates to operate in
scarce resources more
organisations have the potential to gain
coordinated, multi-enterprise organisations
competitive advantage by adding value to
efficiently and effectively by to meet different and unique
each of their different functions including:
focusing on the target market,
customer/consumer expectations.
marketing, operations management,
whatever, whoever or procurement, R&D, logistics…
The new MSc programme will be delivered
wherever that may be.”
by a multidisciplinary group of academics
The Centre for Value Chain Research at
with extensive leading-edge research
Organisations today have become extremely
Kent Business School is a cutting-edge
experience in value-creating business design
complex and the international business
applied research centre, which works with
and management and will be enhanced by
environment is making business processes,
commercial businesses and government
high level input from industry partners
as we know them, to be unpredictable and
departments to help them shift their mindset
through project work, guest lectures and
uncertain. Whilst globalisations and
from supply chain thinking to value chain
work placement opportunities. The
technology open up new opportunities, the
thinking, exploring with them what they
programme will also benefit from being
balance of power has shifted in favour of the
should be doing differently.
closely associated with the Centre for Value
consumer and the threat of new competitive
Chain Research at Kent Business School,
HOW DOES VALUE CHAIN DIFFER
which places particular emphasis on the
FROM THE SUPPLY CHAIN?
importance of informational
(market/consumer intelligence) and relational
Value Chain Management is distinct
(customer/consumer relationship
from Supply Chain Management in that:
management) strategic approaches to
sustainable value creation strategies.
• More focus is put on developing
collaborative relationships.
The MSc in Value Chain Management is
aimed at students with a business
• There is less information about
background in marketing, retail, supply chain
transactions and more information about
and operations and who are interested in
the attitudes and behaviours of consumers
developing comprehensive insights and
or customers.
management skills in the design and
management of customer-driven businesses.
• The financial aspects are focused on
value-added and not on cost.
For more information e-mail
KBSAdmissions@kent.ac.uk
Organisations around the world are starting
to shift from supply chain thinking to value
chain thinking and they will need managers
who have the knowledge, skills and ability
to “do it differently”.
From September 2009, Kent Business
School will be offering an MSc in Value
Chain Management. This new Masters
40 GRAD MAG
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54