OTHM Level 6 Diploma in Logistics and Supply Chain Management

An Ofqual-regulated Level 6 qualification equipping middle and senior managers with strategic knowledge and skills in global logistics, procurement, supply chain planning, and entrepreneurship across international business environments.

Course Features

The OTHM Level 6 Diploma in Logistics and Supply Chain Management is a regulated, assignment-based qualification consisting of six mandatory units, delivered flexibly to suit working professionals and full-time students alike.

Qualification Number: 603/4593/7 | Ofqual Regulated (RQF Level 6)
6 Mandatory Units | 120 Credits | 1200 Hours Total Qualification Time (TQT)
480 Guided Learning Hours (GLH)
Delivered face-to-face, online, blended, or distance learning by approved centres
Grading: Pass / Fail | Assessment method: Coursework only
Equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree with Honours (UK RQF Level 6)

About This Course

The OTHM Level 6 Diploma in Logistics and Supply Chain Management is designed to provide learners with the knowledge and skills required by a middle or senior manager in an organisation involved in managing logistics and supply chain operations. The qualification is approved and regulated by Ofqual (Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) and sits at RQF Level 6, making it equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree with Honours, Graduate Diploma, or Professional Graduate Certificate in Education.

Ofqual-regulated qualification recognised globally and equivalent to a UK Bachelor's Degree (Honours)
Covers six core disciplines: entrepreneurship, global logistics, international logistics, project management, strategic procurement, and supply chain planning
Designed for one academic year full-time, with flexible part-time and distance learning options
Internally assessed by the centre and externally verified by OTHM for quality assurance
Provides direct eligibility for entry into relevant Master's degree programmes at UK universities
Develops analytical, evaluative, and personal transferable skills essential for senior management roles

What You'll Learn

Upon completing this qualification, learners will have developed a comprehensive set of strategic and operational competencies across all major areas of logistics and supply chain management. The learning outcomes are derived directly from the six mandatory units of the official OTHM specification.

Apply entrepreneurial principles and theories to business management, including opportunity analysis, funding sources, and innovation for economic growth
Analyse the forces of globalisation on supply chains, evaluate physical distribution channels, and apply the SCOR model to assess supply chain performance
Explain and evaluate international logistics strategies, tools, and planning approaches, including multi-domestic, global, and transnational strategies
Manage projects from initiation through evaluation using tools such as critical path method, PERT/CPA, work breakdown structures, and earned value analysis
Develop and evaluate procurement strategies including TQM-driven purchasing, portfolio-driven supply, lean and agile supply chains, and e-procurement approaches
Apply supply chain planning and control techniques, including capacity management, inventory management (EOQ/EPQ), master production scheduling, and materials requirements planning (MRP)

Who Should Attend

This qualification is aimed at current or aspiring middle and senior managers who are involved in, or seeking to advance into, roles within logistics, supply chain management, procurement, and operations management. It is equally suitable for professionals seeking academic progression to Master's level study.

Current logistics and supply chain managers seeking to formalise and advance their expertise at a senior level
Procurement and operations professionals aiming to develop strategic management capabilities
Aspiring middle or senior managers who hold a relevant Level 5 qualification and wish to progress their career
Graduates of Level 5 diplomas in business, logistics, or related disciplines seeking a pathway to Master's study
Mature learners (over 21) with relevant management experience who wish to qualify at degree-equivalent level
Professionals working in transport, warehousing, distribution, international trade, or supply chain consultancy

Entry Requirements

Entry onto the OTHM Level 6 Diploma in Logistics and Supply Chain Management is subject to the following official requirements as published by OTHM. All applicants should verify specific entry requirements with their chosen approved delivery centre.

Relevant NQF/QCF/RQF Level 5 diploma or equivalent recognised qualification (mature learners over 21 with relevant management experience may also be considered — check with the delivery centre prior to registration)
Learners must be 18 years of age or older at the beginning of the course
Learners from non-majority English-speaking countries must provide evidence of English language competency in line with OTHM's English Language Expectations

Curriculum

Role of the entrepreneur in business and the entrepreneurial process in business management
Theories of entrepreneurship: Innovation Theory (Schumpeter), Entrepreneurial Group Theory (Young), Entrepreneurial Disposition Theory (Rao), Cultural Value Theory (Kroken)
Entrepreneurship and the emergence of an entrepreneurial class; idea discovery, planning and resourcing
Opportunity analysis and environmental analysis of a venture: SWOT, PESTLE, Porter's 5 Forces
Sources of funding for a venture: long-term and short-term sources including share capital, bonds, venture funding, lease finance, trade credit, factoring, international financing (ADR, GDR, Euro Issue)
Entrepreneurial behaviour patterns, social responsibility, and entrepreneurship development programmes
Role of the entrepreneur in economic growth: capital formation, employment creation, balanced regional development, wealth creation and distribution
Role of innovation in business; utilisation of local resources and infrastructure

Forces of globalisation in logistics and supply chain management: outsourcing, growth, and connectivity
Impact of globalisation on firms' supply chains: procurement and sourcing methods, inventory management, distribution facilities, structural changes
Physical distribution channels: manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers
Customer types on a global basis: B2B, B2C, B2A, B2G, C2C, G2A
Global supply chain and marketing strategies: mass customisation, global product design, modular design
Sourcing and distribution; postponement and speculation in logistics and supply chain management
Global marketing strategies: multi-domestic strategy, global strategy, transnational strategy
The Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model: processes, activity descriptors, value chain design, performance measurement, outsourcing, and supply chain design
SCOR applications: fluctuating demand, technology change, Make-to-Stock, Make-to-Order, Engineer-to-Order, reverse logistics, Align Network

Role of logistics in relation to the firm's strategy in international logistics management
Role of different stakeholders in the logistics function: suppliers, governments, customers/consumers, society, and competitors
Key logistics activities: order processing, inventory control, warehousing, transportation, and logistical packaging
Logistics strategies: the seven-step transportation chain, the logistics channel, and demand forecasting
Logistics strategies in an international context: multi-domestic strategy, global strategy, and transnational strategy
Tools and techniques in logistics management: shipping status tools, order processing tools, lean inventory tools, warehouse management, specialised freight handling, bid and spend tools, supplier management, demand forecasting, compliance and auditing tools
Logistical challenges: on-time delivery, infrastructure, capacity, security, and changing customer needs
Planning and designing of the logistics function: eliminating bottlenecks, creating transparency and efficiency
Planning approaches: trend extrapolation, scenario construction, historical analogy, Delphi and collective opinion-based techniques

Functions of projects, project management objectives, and the role of the project manager
Principles of project management: management of change, integration of system elements, management of multiple projects, and project environment
Major project phases: initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, evaluate and close
Project breakdown structures: product breakdown structure (PBS), work breakdown structure (WBS), and organisation breakdown structure (OBS)
Project execution strategy: task responsibility matrix, statement of work (SOW), document distribution schedules, procurement, and baseline establishment
Network techniques: critical path method (CPM), PERT/CPA modelling, milestone charting
Quality management: quality control and analysis, Total Quality Management (TQM), and quality chain
Project financing: long-term and short-term sources including equity shares, bonds, lease finance, venture funding, asset securitisation, and international financing (ADR, GDR, Euro Issue)
Project monitoring and control: OBS/WBS scheduling, resource management, progress reporting, earned value (S-curves), cost breakdown structure, and estimating techniques
Project evaluation: PERT application, post-project evaluation, cost information sensitivity, and whole-life cost estimates

Role of purchasing in business: supply sourcing, bidding, supplier management, cost control, legal controls, and internal needs analysis
Purchasing relationships with other business functions and assessment of the supplier's market
Sourcing and outsourcing strategy; purchasing and product lifecycle; new product development and the 4Ps of innovation
Purchasing decision process: structured and unstructured decisions; operational and strategic supply-side decisions
Sources of purchasing information and e-procurement; leveraging ICT in procurement
Make-or-buy, sub-contracting, and outsourcing decisions; the supply chain continuum from strategic to operational level
Corporate strategies and strategic procurement: legal compliance, governance, savings, added value, and sustainable procurement
TQM-driven purchasing strategies: verification, quality audits, vendor evaluation, quality assurance, and failure analysis
Portfolio-driven supply strategies in strategic procurement
Traditional purchasing versus lean, agile, and virtual supply chain approaches: eliminating waste, responding to change, VR supply chain design
Procurement in different industries: mercantile purchasing, industrial purchasing, and institutionalised or government purchasing

Elements of supply chain planning and control: supply chain strategies, customer value, performance dimensions, order winners and order qualifiers
Stages of alignment with business strategy and core competencies in supply chains
Supply chain integration: purchasing, sourcing, operations, and distribution of business commodities
Capacity planning: capacity planning and control techniques, capacity decisions for competitive advantage, and the role of capacity planning in production and inventory management
Analytical tools for capacity management: Porter's 5 Forces, value chain analysis, fishbone analysis
Inventory types: raw materials, work in progress, finished goods, service inventory, and transportation inventory
Inventory management approaches: periodic review systems, restocking levels, Economic Order Quantity (EOQ), and Economic Production Quantity (EPQ)
EOQ and EPQ formulae and total cost (TC) calculations
Master Production Schedule (MPS) and Material Requirements Planning (MRP): make-to-stock, make-to-order, assemble-to-order, available-to-promise
Bill of Materials (BOM): modular BOM, configurable BOM, multi-level BOM, BOM structure navigation and configuration using characteristics

Assessments

All units within this qualification are assessed through coursework only and are criterion-referenced, based on the achievement of all specified learning outcomes. There are no examinations. All units are internally assessed by the approved centre and externally verified by OTHM to ensure consistent quality and standards.

Coursework assignments for each of the 6 mandatory units (approximately 4,500 words per assignment)
Learners must demonstrate that they have fulfilled all learning outcomes and met all assessment criteria for each unit to achieve a Pass
Internal assessment conducted by a qualified Assessor at the approved centre, with an audit trail of judgement required
External verification carried out by OTHM; centres must have clear feedback and reassessment mechanisms in place for learners who do not initially achieve a Pass

Progression

Successful completion of the OTHM Level 6 Diploma in Logistics and Supply Chain Management opens a range of academic and professional progression opportunities. As an Ofqual-regulated qualification, it enables direct entry into relevant Master's degree programmes at UK universities through OTHM's established university progression arrangements.

Progression to relevant OTHM Level 7 Diplomas, including the OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Direct entry into Master's degree (MSc/MBA) top-up programmes at UK universities through OTHM's university progression arrangements
Career advancement into senior or director-level roles in logistics, supply chain management, procurement, and operations
Progression into project management, supply chain consultancy, or international trade management roles

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