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MGF5961 Supply Chain Management - 2026 S1

Assessment 1: Reflection Report – Shein Supply Chain

Weighting: 20%

Due Date: see the information on Moodle Site

Word Count: 1,200 words (±10%)

Topics Covered: Weeks 1–4

Purpose and Learning Outcomes

This task encourages you to apply supply chain concepts (mainly from Weeks 1 to 4) to a real-world scenario and critically engage with emerging technologies (GenAI) as an analytical aid. This assessment primarily addresses Learning Outcomes 1-5.

Task Description

1. Background Reading

Read the following introductory article in your reading list (You’ll need to go beyond that paper, so please plan your time carefully.):

         Chen, Li, Hau Lee, and Shiqing Yao. "Ultra-fresh strategies with ultra-agile supply chains." Management and Business Review 4.3-4 (2024): 41-47.

2. Reflection and Research       

Write your own reflections and research by following the two steps, without using any GenAI tools at this stage.

Step 1: Supply Chain Configuration and Strategic Choices Reflect, in your own words and using concepts and terminology introduced in this unit, on how Shein’s supply chain is structured and managed. Your reflection should examine the key partners and core activities across the end-to-end supply chain, analyse the strategic and operational decisions underpinning Shein’s business model, and explain how these supply chain strategies are aligned with the characteristics of fashion products and customer demand. In particular, discuss how this alignment enables customer value creation.

Step 2: The impact of tariff hikes and policy uncertainty on Shein’s supply chain strategy Explore reliable online sources (such as reputable news outlets, academic studies, and industry reports) to reflect on how ultra-fast (or “ultra-fresh”) supply chains, such as those adopted by Shein and Temu, operate and adapt in response to ongoing tariff pressures. Where appropriate, link your analysis to relevant theories and frameworks introduced in Weeks 1–4. As part of your research, you are expected to independently familiarise yourself with key tariff-related concepts and assess their implications for fast-fashion supply chain design and management.

3. Integrate and Reflect on the Use of GenAI Tools

After completing your own reflections and research, use a GenAI tool (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, DeepSeek) to review and comment on your writing, and to suggest additional theoretical perspectives where appropriate. For any new theories or insights introduced based on the GenAI tool’s feedback, you must independently verify their accuracy and support them with reliable online resources. References generated by GenAI tools are not permitted.  Finally, conclude your reflection with a dedicated section that critically evaluates the strengths and limitations of using GenAI tools in this report. You may include an appendix presenting sample prompts and the corresponding GenAI-generated responses to support your reflection on AI use; however, the main text should remain self-contained.

Important Note

In addition to the article and GenAI-generated content, you are expected to support your analysis with relevant academic literature. There is no restriction on citation style, but students must use one style consistently throughout the report.  Each non-academic reference must include a corresponding URL.

The appendix is excluded from the word count; however, it should be kept as concise as possible. You should not assume that graders will read the appendix in details.

As a guideline, students may allocate their word count approximately as

– 45–50% to Step 1
– 40–45% to Step 2
– 10–15% to the GenAI reflection section