Educators must also work to increase the appeal to students who mistakenly believe that supply chain graduates have poor career prospects. To combat this misperception, SCM programs are partnering with industry to offer attractive employment opportunities. Company guest speakers, professional association engagement, and facility tours are highly effective career interest builders.
In addition to these types of networking opportunities, here at Auburn University we have biannual SCM career fairs and a professional development course to help expose students to employment options. Our career-oriented curriculum and culture are highly valued by students, who, in turn, generate exceptional word of mouth promotion for the program.
Requirement #2 – focus Content
Expansion of the supply chain discipline has created a curriculum challenge. Supply chain management programs have a finite number of courses—usually between six and eight—to cover critical content. As new topics emerge, faculty members face the proverbial problem of trying to fit ten pounds of potatoes in a five-pound sack. Strategic decisions must be made about SCM focus and the depth of coverage for a given topic.
Traditionally, SCM-oriented programs had a functional flavor. Common areas of focus included logistics, transportation, production, or procurement. In-depth coverage of principles, processes, and operations was the norm. Students developed a deep knowledge of a particular functional area that was beneficial for entry level management roles but less so for integrated SCM understanding and career advancement.
A true supply chain education requires a cross-functional perspective that transcends individual operations. Cook notes: “The supply chain environment is changing so much and so fast that operations content can become outdated very quickly. You have to teach supply chain strategies and tactics instead of operational methods.”
Esper concurs, highlighting the importance of teaching the strategic context of SCM, including its financial value to the firm. “The supply chain-finance link is becoming much more prevalent in SCM programs. Students learn the impact of supply chain performance on profitability, return on investment, and return on assets. They are now much more capable of interfacing with finance people,” he indicates.
Quantitative skills must also be emphasized. “It’s important that students are exposed to the analytical elements so critical to supply chain management,” says Roger Woody, executive lecturer at the University of Kansas. “Manyemployers desire students who have hands-on experience solving problems.”
Along these lines, Cook emphasizes the importance of teaching process improvement skills. “Students have to be able use appropriate tools to analyze an entire process and make it leaner,” he states.
The educators agree that SCM programs must also prioritize information technology. At minimum, students should understand the expanding role of technology in SCM, even better if they can gain actual experience with various supply chain planning and execution tools.
