#whitmanscm

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.