Minor E-Preneurship. 'E-commerce & E-fulfilment'

"The growth of E-commerce has a large impact on logistics"

E-commerce is one of the fastest growing areas in today’s economy. Most successful e-commerce companies are start-ups and many traditional companies are exploring how they can benefit from the increasing e-commerce market. E-commerce has a large impact on logistics and the supply chain itself. Supply chain operations need to be able to handle a large number of small orders, instead of vice versa. ICT maturity needs to be high to master the logistics in the e- commerce industry. For instance Amazon considers themselves to be an IT company who also happens to be a player in the retail market. Zalando considers ICT to be their competitive advantagem compared to other players.

The driving force of E-commerce behind new supply chain innovations

With a the heavy growth in e-commerce and the ICT maturity required for it, most new supply chain developments are originating from the e-commerce sector. Think about robotics, 3D printing, same day delivery, drones, pick up points and many more. Today’s supply chain students need to be aware of these new developments and also of the detailed processes in e-fulfilment and e-commerce to be able to prepare themselves for the labour market of the future.

"The location of the Netherlands, particularly Limburg, is advantageous for e-commerce markets as the middle of Europe is an excellent place to deliver whole Western Europe in one day."

The challenges mentioned above illustrate the need for expertise and we target and stimulate those who not only are interested in logistics and supply chain management, but also other studies like business economics, business administration, International business, ICT and many more. During the minor students will learn about E-commerce & E-fulfilment and acquire entrepreneurial competences to make an e-business successful. To ensure appropriate coverage, we have based the minor on the following fundamental subjects:

Unlike most minors, this minor has the unique combination and mix of learning and doing. Lectures will be given by experienced business people and you will also participate in the international work field. Groups of students will carry out a project that is guided by their teacher and directly related to a real company. In both lectures and business cases all the three subjects will be combined. In total 30 EC’s the student receives for successfully passing the examination of this Minor. The official language is English.

For further information on this minor you can contact Johan Wijnhoven or 08850 85500.