MDSE 4510 - ADVANCED BUYING, PLANNING, & ALLOCATION
Fall 2015

Lecture: Monday/Wednesdayfrom 9:00am to 10:20am/ Chilton Hall Room 274

Instructor:Dr. Tammy Kinley – until 10/15/2015Mrs. Laura Storm – after 10/15/2015

Office: 342D Chilton Hall355F Chilton Hall

Phone: 940-565-4842940-565-2504

E-Mail:

Office Hours: MTRF 11:00-12:00Monday 10:30am-12:30pm and

T 2:00-3:00 Wednesday 1:00-3:00pm

Course Description:This course is an in-depth study into the areas of buying, assortment planning, and allocation.

Course Objectives:

  1. Become familiar with the overall planning process, i.e. pre-planning, in-season, and post-planning activities.
  2. Be able to create a “Bottom-Up”assortment plan to meet the financial plans provided from a “Top-Down” approach.
  3. Learn how to work through complicated buying and planning issues by completing both quantitative and qualitative case studies.
  4. Understand the steps involved in planning the sales, stocks, reductions, and purchases in a merchandise plan / OTB.
  5. Become familiar with various allocation strategies employed by the retail industry.

PREREQUISITE: Students must present a copy of their transcripts by the second class indicating completion of MDSE 3510 with a grade of C or better. Please highlight the relevant classes on the transcript. I will not look at transcripts that are not highlighted and you may be dropped from the class if your transcript is not provided in a timely manner.

Required Text:

  • Clodfelter, Richard. Retail Buying: From Basics to Fashion (4th edition). New York, NY: Fairchild Books, Inc. ISBN: 9781609012779
  • This book has a corresponding CD that you will need in order to complete the Excel Assignments.
  • Course materials will be purchased online via . You will need to register and then login to purchase the assigned case studies.

ATTENDANCE:

Regular attendance is essentialto developing and maintaining satisfactory academic progress in the class. Attendance will be taken every class period and 5 points will be added to your total course points for students with 3 or less absences. If you don’t sign the attendance sheet or respond with “here” when I call roll, you are considered absent. If you walk in late and I have already called roll, I will not change my record from absent to present. You need to get to class on time for roll call at the beginning of class. All absences (illnesses, funerals, hospitalizations, overslept, etc.) are considered unexcused unless you provide me with a note from the Dean of Students.

COMMUNICATION:

Each student is responsible for checking Blackboard regularly. The Instructor will utilize this site as the primary mode of communication with the entire class via announcements and messages. If you need to contact me quickly, you may email the instructor directly or (as appropriate).

Course Requirements:

  • Exams – 3@ 100 points each (300 total points)
    There will be 3 examinations administered in this course. Exams will cover material from the lectures, textbook, and any additional information covered in class.
  • Final Exam (200 points): The final exam at the end of the semester will be comprehensive and will consist of the material covered throughout the course.
  • Excel Assignments– 5 @ 20 points each (100 total points)

Students will complete 5 excel-based assignmentsthroughout the course of the semester that will allow for the application of topics discussed from the lectures.The instructions are located on the CD that came with your text and are alphabetically labeled (you will complete: A, D, E, F, G). All excel assignments must be submitted via the Assignment tool in Blackboard. All assignments are due by midnight of the corresponding date in the syllabus.

  • Case Studies –2 @ 50 points each (100 total points)

Case studies will be assigned throughout the course of the semester. These case studies will require both qualitative and quantitative reasoning which is a skill set required of most business professionals in the retail industry. All case studies must be submitted via the Assignment tool in Blackboard. All assignments are due by midnight of the corresponding date in the syllabus.

  • Comprehensive Assortment Plan (100 total points)

Students will develop a comprehensive Assortment Plan for a specific product category. This plan will be developed using concepts and information presented in class such as pre-season analysis, bottom-up & top-down planning, item forecasting, and allocation strategies. Detailed requirements will be presented later in the semester.

  • Required Professional Development (30 points)

Students enrolled in MDSE 4510 are required to attend the MDR Career Expo and two Executive + Scholar Lectures during the Fall, 2015 semester.

Grade DETERMINATION(subject to change):

Deliverable / Points Possible
Exams / 300
Final Exam / 200
Excel Assignments / 100
Case Studies / 100
Comprehensive Assortment Plan / 100
Required Professional Development / 30
TOTAL / 830

GRADE SCALE:Final grades are not curved. Your grade is rounded to the nearest hundredth (two decimal places). The final semester grade will be determined as follows:

90 - 100% = A 60-69.99% = D

80 – 89.99% = B Below 60% = F

70 – 79.99% = C

Example: If for your total grade you earn 745 points (out of 830). That would equate to .8975903 (according to my calculator). Rounding to the nearest hundredth would equal .8986 or 89.86%. Your final grade would equate to a B letter grade. Please do not contact me asking for a higher grade. The total points you earn will equate to the letter grade you earn. I will be exact and will not make exceptions. Please check your grade throughout the semester to ensure you are on track to make the grade that you would like to achieve. Please do not expect extra credit other than the 5 attendance points that are possible for 3 absences or less.

**The instructor reserves the right to revise this syllabus and list of requirements when, in her judgment, such revision will benefit the advancement of the course goals and objectives.

Important Dates: September 30 - MDR Career Expo – Gateway Ballroom

October 8 – Executive + Scholar Lecture: Mike Ullman, JCPenney

November 16 – Executive + Scholar Lecture: Cathy David, Pier 1

MDSE 4510 – ADVANCED BUYING, PLANNING, & ALLOCATION

TENTATIVE COURSE CALENDAR – FALL 2015

Week / Date / Agenda / Class Deliverable
1 / August 24 /
  • Course Introduction
  • Syllabus Review
  • Check Pre-Requisites
  • Lecture for Chapter 1: Today’s Buying Environment

August 26 /
  • Lecture for Chapter 2: The Buying Function in Retailing
  • Check Pre-Requisites
/ Highlighted DAR or Transcript
2 / August 31 /
  • Lab: Formula & Excel Review and Excel Assignment A
/ Excel Assignment A
September 2 /
  • Lecture for Chapter 3: Buying for Different Types of Stores
  • Lab: Completing a Case Study

3 / September 7 /
  • No Class: Labor Day

September 9 /
  • Lecture for Chapter 4: Making Buying Decisions
  • Lab: Case Study #1

4 / September 14 /
  • Lecture for Chapter 5: Understanding Your Customers
/ Case Study #1
September 16 /
  • Class discussion: Case Study #1
  • Lecture for Chapter 6: Understanding Product Trends
  • Review for Exam 1

5 / September 21 /
  • Exam 1:
Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6
September 23 /
  • Lab: Discuss Comprehensive Assortment Plan requirements.

6 / September 28 /
  • Lecture for Chapter 7: Forecasting
  • Lab: Excel Assignment D
/ Excel Assignment D
September 30 /
  • Lecture for Chapter 8: Preparing Buying Plans
  • Lab: Excel Assignment
* MDR EXPO, 9:30 – Noon in Gateway Ballroom
Professional Dress Required
Senior time slot is 10:15 to Noon / Excel Assignment E
7 / October 5 /
  • Lecture for Chapter 9: Developing Assortment Plans
  • Lab: Excel Assignment F
/ Excel Assignment F
October 7 /
  • Lecture for Chapter 10: Controlling Inventories
  • Review for Exam 2
  • Lab: Excel Assignment G
/ Excel Assignment G
Thursday, October 8, 9:30 - Noon
Executive + Scholar Lecture
Mike Ullman, Executive Chairman of JCPenney
8 / October 12 /
  • Exam 2:
Chapters 7, 8, 9, and 10
October 14 /
  • Lab: Assortment Plan

9 / October 19 /
  • Lecture for Chapter 11: Selecting Vendors and Building Partnerships

October 21 /
  • Lab: Assortment Plan

10 / October 26 /
  • Lecture for Chapter 12: Market Visits and Negotiating with Vendors

October 28 /
  • Lab: Negotiation

11 / November 2 /
  • Lecture for Chapter 13: Locating Sources in Foreign Markets
/ Case Study #2
November 4 /
  • Lecture for Chapter 14: Making the Purchase
  • Class Discussion: Case Study #2

12 / November 9 /
  • Lecture for Chapter 15: Pricing the Merchandise

November 11 /
  • Lecture for Chapter 16: Promoting the Merchandise
  • Review for Exam 3

13 / November 16 /
  • Exam 3
  • Executive + Scholar Lecture:
Cathy David, VP of Merchandising, Pier 1
9:30 to Non
(Students should plan to go to the lecture after they turn in their exam.)
November 18 /
  • Lab: Assortment Plan
/ Assortment Plan
14 / November 23 /
  • Assortment Plan Presentations

November 25 /
  • Assortment Plan Presentations

15 / November 30 /
  • Make-up or Re-take Exam 1, 2, or 3

December 2 /
  • Review all Chapters for the Final Exam

16 / December 7 or 9 /
  • Final Exam is TBD

***ALL DUE DATES AND ASSIGNED READINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE***

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