Detailed analysis of supply chain management majors in the United States

How to balance supply and demand has always been a problem. As cross-border operations become more complex, manufacturing, retail and technology companies, as well as the consulting firms that serve them, are competing for supply chain management talent. But these talents are hard to come by.

Growing demand has prompted many universities to recently offer undergraduate, MBA, and even all-degree courses in procurement, inventory management, and international supply chain strategy.

News about horsemeat in European frozen beef products and see-through yoga pants are good examples of this demand. Rick Blasgen, president and director-general of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, an industry group, said supply chain management's role among companies across industries has grown from Good medicine turns into core competitiveness.

The supply chain includes production, transportation, distribution and other logistics processes, and also involves considerations of operability and economics in each process.

In the past few years, many companies have experienced growing pains while adding overseas suppliers and shipping products to international markets. The success of fast fashion brands Zara and Forever 21 relies on using shorter transportation cycles to ensure warehousing, while paying more attention to data analysis to improve efficiency. This case has led many companies to view the supply chain as the key to success or failure.

The Bryant University School of Business in Smithfield, Rhode Island, launched an undergraduate minor in supply chain management about four years ago, and last fall added an undergraduate and MBA major. Courses include international procurement, social responsibility in the supply chain, and practical consulting projects.

Teresa McCarthy, director of Bryant University’s international supply chain management program, said employers don’t need a patchwork of courses, but actual, content-rich supply. Chain course?.

This business school has nearly 150 undergraduate and MBA students pursuing further studies in this field, and employers are also paying close attention. Several companies, including General Dynamics Corp. and Target Corp., have invited Bryant University students for interviews and internships.

Bryant University has also joined the University Alliances project run by software company SAP AG, allowing students to practice the logistics technologies needed in the future of work. SAP has added more than 250 schools to the program in the past 18 months, and now has more than 1,300 partner institutions.

Rutgers Business School in New Jersey has launched an MBA course in supply chain management more than ten years ago, and added an undergraduate major in 2010 to meet the needs of employers and undergraduates. students’ needs. So far, the college has 450 registered students in this major, with courses ranging from transport, contract management and even packaging methods. Lei Lei, dean of the Department of Supply Chain Management and Marketing at Rutgers Business School, said that the main companies recruiting at Rutgers Business School include Dell Inc., Johnson & Johnson and Panasonic Corp. .

Deloitte LLP launched a pilot program for supply chain students in 2010 to feed its rapidly growing supply chain and manufacturing consulting business. The program recruits 15 to 20 MBA students each year from several schools, including Pennsylvania State University and Arizona State University.

Arts and crafts retailer Michaels Stores Inc. hopes that employees responsible for the supply chain will be able to perform their jobs quickly after taking office.

The company said their responsibilities include inventory management, such as deciding how many cleaning strips and picture frames to purchase for each store; and supply chain analysis, which emphasizes management, analysis and execution efficiency.

Michaels stocks approximately 40,000 different products, sold in 1,100 stores in the United States and Canada. Tom DeCaro, executive vice president for supply chain, said building convenience from factory to shelf is important because it's hard to predict which items customers will want and sometimes need to be stocked quickly to cater for, say, the recent knitting boom. Channels are essential.

Since graduates in the supply chain field are in high demand, their income levels are also considerable.

The supply of supply chain talent continues to increase

As cross-border operations become more complex, manufacturing, retail and technology companies, as well as the consulting firms that serve them, are competing for supply chain resources. Management talents. The table below is a list of new supply chain management courses offered by some universities.

School Location Course Start Year

University of Houston (C.T. Bauer College of Busines) Houston Supply Chain Management MBA2011

Rutgers Business School Newark and New Brunswick, New Jersey, Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain Management 2011

Bryant University Business School, Smithfield, Rhode Island International Supply Chain Bachelor's degree in Management and MBA 2012

Governors State University, College of Business and Public Administration, University Park, Illinois Supply Chain MBA in Management Online Program 2013

Portland State University College of Business Portland, OR Master of Science in International Supply Chain Management 2013

Texas Christian University Neely College of Business Waugh, Texas Master of Science in Supply Chain Management, Fort Lauderdale, 2013

University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, Tsinghua University, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Beijing Kenan-Flagler Business School International Supply Chain Leadership Program, MBA degree; Master of Engineering Management, Tsinghua University, 2013

University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business, Los Angeles, Master of Science in International Supply Chain Management Online Program, 2013

Arizona State University, Carey W.P. Carey School of Business, Tempe, Arizona, Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain Management; Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain Management and Operations, 2014

At Arizona State University, 2012 Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain The average starting salary is $56,410, while the average salary for business graduates is $50,098. As for MBA level, students working in operations or supply chain roles have a starting salary of $97,481, while the average MBA salary is $92,556.

Zach Freeman, 22, graduated from Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business in May with a master’s degree in supply chain management and entrepreneurship Double major in management. He said he was being competed by companies across the country.

However, Freeman applied his knowledge of operations and logistics to a more personal realm. His moving company in Dallas-Fort Worth will open in late June, but he said: "It's easy to find jobs, but it's so painful to turn them down." ?

Many organizations are also targeting mid-career practitioners who want to enhance their supply chain management skills.

The Neely School of Business has offered undergraduate and MBA courses in supply chain management for about 10 years. This fall, it will add a master of science course in supply chain management for practitioners with five to 15 years of work experience.

Last fall, the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and Tsinghua University launched a dual-degree program , the first batch of 23 Chinese middle and senior managers were recruited.

At the same time, the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business announced at the beginning of this year that they would begin enrolling the first batch of online Master of Science in International Supply Chain Management students in the fall. , Portland State University (Portland State University) Business School will also offer similar courses.

These courses for experienced managers are very popular. Chris Allen, director of the new course at Portland State University, said it's aimed at those with more experience. ?

Business schools say that despite many new courses, employers are still not satisfied.

David Closs, chairman of the supply chain management department at Michigan State University’s Broad College of Business, said: “I don’t think there will be a shortage of talent in the short term. Too likely to be saturated. ?

The Broad School of Business began teaching supply chain-related courses nearly 60 years ago. It now offers undergraduate and MBA majors in supply chain management, as well as master’s courses for people with work experience. Cross said they are also considering an online master's degree.