About Supply Chain Management
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Department Information
Supply Chain Management Program (B.S.B.A.)
What is supply chain management?
The supply chain refers to the network of facilities,
functions and activities that are used to produce or deliver a product or
service. Facilities included in the network are basic suppliers of raw
materials called vendors, manufacturers, warehouses, distribution centers and
retail outlets. Functions and activities include managerial and technical areas
that encompass logistics management, forecasting, purchasing, inventory
management, production management, quality assurance, scheduling, information
management and customer service.
Supply chain management involves the strategic integration
of diverse business facilities, functions and activities throughout the supply
chain for the purpose of providing goods and services to customers as efficiently
as possible. Achieving efficiency in the supply chain is accomplished by
developing knowledge of transportation, inventory control, warehousing,
material handling, purchasing, production control and the tools necessary to
analyze and coordinate these activities. The concept of total cost analysis
(taking all costs into account before making decisions) and cost trade-offs
(letting one or more costs rise to take advantage of greater savings in other
costs) is also central to supply chain management. These concepts, once honed,
apply to many facets of business and personal decision making.
Where is supply chain management used?
Supply chain management represents 10 percent of our
country’s gross domestic product. All companies that deal with physical goods
or services of necessity utilize supply chain management to get their products
to their customers. Transportation companies provide the backbone of the supply
chain. In addition, many third-party companies exist to service vendors,
manufacturers and retailers. Included are management consultants,
telecommunications specialists, distribution firms and various combinations of
these, which partner with transportation and warehousing companies. Service
organizations also have need for the supply chain function in ordering and
maintaining supplies and repair parts and ensuring superior customer service.
What kinds of career choices can I expect and what is the job outlook?
Economists and employers single out supply chain management
for its strong growth potential. In its “Best Jobs of the Future” issue, U.S.
News & World Report lists supply chain management as one of 20
hot job tracks for the 21st century. Membership in the discipline’s
professional organizations has increased by 250 percent in the last 10 years. A
major accounting firm reports that many companies are moving to get high
caliber individuals into the supply chain management positions as they
recognize the impact on competitiveness and financial performance. Growth in
the field is expected to continue well into the 21st century.
Graduates with a supply chain management background can find
employment in a wide range of occupational specialties including logistics,
warehousing management, transportation management, operations and production
management, purchasing, inventory control and customer service to name but a
few. Salaries for recent graduates in supply chain programs, according to
several surveys, rank near the top among the various business majors. Supply
chain management also plays a central role in the global economy. Many job
opportunities are available which involve developing and maintaining the
international supply chain.
What kinds of courses will I take?
Students in the supply chain management program take the
core curriculum required of all John L. Grove College of Business students.
These courses include accounting, finance, business computer systems,
marketing, economics, business law, supply chain and operations management,
organizational behavior and statistics to provide a broad business background.
In addition to these courses, there are both required courses and electives in
the major, in which students will develop cross-functional team skills that
emphasize cost analysis, e-business, logistics network modeling and information
management. The Supply Chain Management major consists of five required courses
in the areas of strategic procurement, quality management, supply chain
systems, global logistics, and data mining. In addition, one interdisciplinary
elective from Marketing, Management, or Logistics Management is required.
May students who are not majoring in supply chain management
take those courses?
Certainly. It is advantageous for all business majors to
take at least a basic course in the supply chain area to get an understanding
of what is involved in the movement and storage of goods and how this function
interacts with other areas of the firm.
Where can I get more information?
For specific program information
contact:
Department of
Finance and Supply Chain Management
228 Grove Hall
Shippensburg
University
1871 Old Main Drive
Shippensburg, PA
17257-2299
717-477-1434
Fax: 717-477-4067
E-mail: jrbard@ship.edu
John L. Grove
College of Business
717-477-1435
E-mail: business@ship.edu
Website: http://www.ship.edu/business
John L. Grove College of Business is accredited by the AACSB International