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OPS 406 · Unit 1 of 6

Strategic Sourcing and Category Management

Procurement, Logistics and Global Trade

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Learning objectives

After completing this unit, you will be able to:

  • Frame operations decisions with owners, dates, and guardrails
  • Apply the frameworks in "Strategic Sourcing and Category Management" to a real management decision
  • Make progress on your One-page Atlas decision memo per unit applied project

Why this matters

Strategic Sourcing and Category Management connects analytics, network, service, program, quality, and procurement decisions at Atlas Outdoor Gear.

Lesson

Unit overview

Complete all 4 lessons in order. Each lesson uses Atlas Outdoor Gear worked examples, practice problems, and managerial judgment prompts consistent with the program gold standard.

Connection to applied work

This unit feeds directly into One-page Atlas decision memo per unit. As you read, capture notes, examples, and data you can reuse in that deliverable. Strong students finish each unit with a draft section of their project, not just highlights.

Practice

  1. Write a one-page summary of this unit in your own words without looking at the lesson.
  2. Find a real company example (public filing, news article, or personal experience) that illustrates the main concept.
  3. Draft one paragraph recommending an action a manager should take based on this unit.
  4. Add at least three terms from this unit to your course glossary.

Knowledge check

Answer these without notes before marking the unit complete:

  1. What is the central idea of "Strategic Sourcing and Category Management"?
  2. What mistake do beginners most often make when applying this material?
  3. How does this unit help you complete One-page Atlas decision memo per unit?
  4. What is one decision you face this month where this unit applies?

Key takeaways

  • Frame operations decisions with owners, dates, and guardrails
  • Business concepts only matter when they change a decision.
  • Your OPS 406 assessment (Strategic Sourcing and Category Management applied at Atlas Outdoor Gear with reconciled metrics and decision frames.) rewards applied understanding, not memorization.

Unit assessment

Complete each section below. Score 80%+ on the quiz to finish this unit's assessment.

50% applied project30% case work20% knowledge checks

Exercises

Apply what you learned in this unit with structured practice.

ExerciseApplied practice: Strategic Sourcing and Category Management45 min
Complete a focused practice exercise on **Strategic Sourcing and Category Management**. 1. Choose a real company, product, or situation you know. 2. Apply one core framework from this unit to analyze it. 3. Write your analysis in 300–500 words with a clear recommendation. 4. Cite at least one credible source.

Deliverable

300–500 word analysis document saved to your portfolio under OPS 406.

Rubric

  • • Framework applied correctly (not just named)
  • • Specific evidence from a real example
  • • Clear recommendation with tradeoffs acknowledged
  • • Professional writing with source citation
ExerciseDrill: Strategic Sourcing and Category Management30 min
Work through the practice problems in the unit lesson without looking at notes. Then check your work against the lesson and write a short reflection: - What you got right - One mistake you caught - One concept to review before the next unit

Deliverable

Problem solutions + 150-word reflection in your OPS 406 workbook.

Rubric

  • • Attempted all practice items before checking answers
  • • Honest reflection on errors
  • • Identifies a specific review action

Reflection

Reflect on how the unit concepts apply to your work.

ReflectionReflection: Strategic Sourcing and Category Management40 min
Write a structured reflection (400–600 words) on **Strategic Sourcing and Category Management**. Address: 1. What surprised you in this unit? 2. Where have you seen this dynamic in a team or organization? 3. What will you do differently in the next 30 days? Use specific examples. Avoid generic statements.

Deliverable

Reflection document in your portfolio.

Rubric

  • • Specific personal or observed example
  • • Connects unit concepts to behavior
  • • Identifies a concrete behavior change
  • • Honest and analytical tone

Knowledge quiz

Check your understanding before marking the unit complete.

1. Atlas OTIF is 89% while DC pick rate improved 8%. For Strategic Sourcing and Category Management, what should Mei Lin prioritize first?

2. Which evidence label fits a before/after OTIF chart with no control group for key concepts and vocabulary in strategic sourcing and category management?

3. Carlos proposes a change in Strategic Sourcing and Category Management that helps landed cost but risks two-point OTIF drop. Best next step?

4. A common failure mode when applying strategic sourcing and category management: applied business decisions at Atlas is:

5. Which workbook element is mandatory for OPS 406 applied work on Strategic Sourcing and Category Management?

6. Greg Santos sees a sewing defect drop from 2.1% to 1.4% after a crackdown. What statistical question comes first?

7. Atlas has four dashboards showing different fill rates. Root issue?

8. Best pairing for strategic sourcing and category management: applied business decisions recommendation quality?

Next unit: Supplier Economics and Negotiation →