My SCM Hub

Whitman Wednesday -- Young Alumni

Katie Chae is a young SCM graduate. 

What experience in your first job made you feel like you were in the right career? 

Answer: I'm not exactly sure I'm in the right career, but I am sure that my education helped me feel as though this could be the right career! What I mean by that is supply chain helped me understand and connect all aspects of a business as well as give me an advantage for activities such as pricing, sourcing, communicating- all which are used everyday at my job.

What experiences during your time at Whitman got you most interested in SCM?

I thoroughly enjoyed CORE. I found it interesting to sit through marketing, SCM, and finance all at the same time because it reveals how much these aspects tie together to fluidly run a business. 

Tuesday Classnotes

This week in my SCM431 (Transportation and Distribution Center Management) class, we learned about cycle counting and the difference between blind and visible cycle counting. (which is more accurate, when to use each, etc.

Whitman Wednesday: young alumni

Jonathan Munoz graduated 2015 and now lives in Las Vegas with his fiance and their dogs.  We caught up with him for the weekly SCM update.

What attracted you to SCM?

It was a natural attraction for me. It was the idea of using common sense ideas of efficiency to better the world around you, but with the authority and power of statistical analysis as the foundation for the my ideas of efficiency.

What stands out from your time at Whitman?

The most impact-full moments at Whitman were:

               1. Having the constant support and encouragement from all the SCM professors, obviously you from the start with CORE

               2. Being required to read the book "The Goal", by Eli Goldratt - Which reenforced my dream of simple ideas supported by quantitative analysis

               3. Joining the APICS chapter to get the peer support to drive me to CPIM certification

               4. Getting into Prof. LaPoint's Lean Six-Sigma (LSS) class - Which gave me field experience inthe application of LSS principles at GE Sensing and it got me qualified black belt Certification in LSS.W

What big-picture SCM topics are you most interested in? 

            1. Intertwining Accounting principals with efficiency principles of inventory management, purchasing, and negotiations

            2. Collaborative Lean Manufacturing techniques between the vertical supply chain suppliers, manufactures, distributors, etc.

            3. Omni-channel - The eventual solution for all transportation and order processing in the most organized and efficient manner

If you could volunteer your SCM skills to a big-world problem, what would you tackle?

I’d like to develop a national redistribution of excess products for the basic human necessities in the first world (soap, toilet paper, etc.) to the homeless and impoverished.

If you could give advice to your former student self or current students, what would you share?

Get ahead by earning certifications. Realize it doesn't matter where you come from, but how you apply yourself at the next level.

I'd just like to add that it's the little things that get you into the higher end pay scales. Students should focus on getting into an honor society, any of them, even if it's a pay for membership one. They should also get all the certifications they can while in school (Excel, Word, CPIM, etc.) Digital networking and phone calls to potential jobs is important, but nothing beats a handshake and smile. Students should realize that everything is a negotiation in life...everything....so take a class and get some knowledge base. I recommend Prof. Penfield's class. Eat at Picasso's Pastries!

Tuesday Classnotes Annie took SCM 401 last semester and is now studying abroad.  She wrote this:

We visited a Hyundai factory in Beijing in January and it was really cool to see the classroom terms we learned come to life! I was so surprised that a stop in the production line (even if it is a couple of SECONDS) will cost thousands of dollars! 

From Franklin Supply Chain Club: This week we will have our 1st  Guest Speaker for the semester – ‘Mr. Don Ives’ from TOASTMASTERS CLUB -  who will be giving his advice on “Effective and influential presentations for case competitions and class presentations” . Don is the area director for toastmasters and a veteran member in the club for more than a decade. I would like you all to join me in welcoming Don for this valuable opportunity to our club. You would not want to miss this!!

Room : WSOM 202 , 2nd Floor, Whitman School of Management

Whitman Wednesday: students and alumni

Three current SCM seniors were awarded the title of Whitman Scholar for their academic and community success.  Brendan Cruise graduated in December 2015 with a degree in SCM and a variety of experiences with industry.  He competed in case competitions, was president of the Franklin Supply Chain Club, active in Beta Gamma SIgma (honor society), and other student organizations.  Congratulations, Brendan.

Tuesday ClassNotes

This week in SCM 402 we have been learning about Master Production Scheduling and how to calculate the Amount to Promise (ATP) to other vendors when your projected available balance is greater than any order receipts or forecasted demand. This is essential in daily business operations being that it helps manufacturers sell any excess product they may have produced in order to not have the firm's money caught up in inventory. 

Case Teams:

Contact the Franklin SCM Club or Prof. Niederhoff for more information about undergraduate and graduate case competitions this spring!  We have invitations to bring teams to APICS, a quiz bowl competition, Minnesota, Rutgers, and more if we can populate strong teams!  

Speaker:

Salzberg Thursday

Today, a history lesson.

Established in 1949, the Harry E. Salzberg Program enriches the student learning experience by fostering a close community of students, faculty, staff and practitioners of Supply Chain who collaborate to advance the state of knowledge, engage the mind, and stimulate the best effort of all.

Whitman Profile: On Wednesdays we’ll profile a current student, alumni, or board member in SCM to showcase the people that make SCM possible.

Danielle Shields (’15) is a very recent graduate, having completed her final semester in December 2015.  She is one of three SCM seniors to be elected Whitman Scholars for the 2016 graduation.  Danielle earned a dual major in SCM and Advertising.

What drew you to SCM?

I plan everything in my life and am extremely organized.  These two characteristics were the driving forces that lead me to choose SCM.  Once I chose the major and figured out that I wanted to start a career in the field, I was able to combine the logical side of my brain to solve complex problems as well as the creative side of my brain to solve them in unique ways.

What experiences during your time at Whitman got you most interested in SCM?

Earning the opportunity to the attend the 3rd Annual National Supply Chain Competition was by far one of the coolest things I did during my undergraduate experience and really fueled my passion for the field.  Interacting with other students from around the country, getting the practice of solving a problem under pressure, and then presenting in front of an intense panel of top level executives was such a valuable experience and one I will never forget.

Keeping in contact with my teachers throughout my four years was one of the best decisions I made. I maintained great relationships with some of my professors and they were the ones that helped me when I needed it most. Some of my most fond memories and greatest opportunities came from the relationships I had with my professors and the paths they were able to lead me down as a result.  I can’t thank each of them enough for all that they did for me.

 If you could volunteer with a task force to fix something in this world using your knowledge of SCM, what would you do?

Tuesday Class Notes:

This week in SCM 431, our class will be going to the Rite Aid Distribution Center for a tour. I'm sure it will be really interesting and a great experience where we will be able to see the complexity of the supply chain. 

This week in Whitman SCM: Career Fair at is Schine Student Center Feb 2 with interviews all day Wednesday.

Professor Julie Niederhoff teaches Introduction to SCM for the undergraduate CORE, Logistics and Supply Chain Management for undergraduate majors, and Logistics and SCM for graduate students both at Whitman and online. She studies human behavior within SCM, such as worker speed and motivation, price setting under concerns for fairness or trust, and reactions to risky situations.  What drew you to SCM: My parents were factory workers and farmers. I saw SCM in action everyday but didn’t know it was a science.  I love details and efficiency and math. As a senior math major in undergraduate, I was hired as a research assistant in an operations research department.  I was shocked to discover a perfect blend of my love for mathematics and real world applications.

What problems do you enjoy most:  I like working on problems that help people live better lives.  Something that will save money or improve output is nice, but finding things that improve systems while also improving work environments, job quality, or making customers’ lives better is really interesting and exciting.  I’d love to spend time working on something like clean water projects, humanitarian logisitcs, or education systems.

Salzberg Thursday

Looking back at past Salzberg Award winners, we start with 2015.  Ms. Wendy Herrick represented Unilever, who were was honored for their integrated sustainability efforts and global impact through innovative supply chain solutions and standards.  As a global corporation that distributes food, beverages, cleaning agents, and personal care products around the world, Unilever has become a leader in supply chain sustainability thanks to its philosophy that a healthy environment leads to a healthy business. Unilever has applied these values to its operations in 190 countries, setting a supply chain industry benchmark for initiatives such as zero-waste programs and sustainable sourcing, officials said.  

Whitman Profile: On Wednesdays we’ll profile a current student, alumni, or board member in SCM to showcase the people that make SCM possible. Mignon Farnet (’16) is a Whitman senior majoring in SCM and Accounting who was recently named a Whitman Scholar. Each year eleven seniors who excel academically and demonstrate leadership outside the classroom are selected as Whitman Scholars.  Three of this year’s eleven students are SCM majors.  (The other two will be highlighted in coming weeks). Mignon shares this about her choice to major in SCM:

I was drawn to Supply Chain because of my interest in logistics. Understanding the planning that goes into the production of a good sparked an interest from the first SCM class I took as a sophomore. I am looking to start my career in commercial auditing; having a background in supply chain would complement this interest. 

Mignon is also completing an honors thesis which focuses on her mutual studies of accounting and SCM by studying the way international operations are audited and the ramifications of these decisions.