Program Development

The program was developed and designed with input from faculty members from several departments within the College of Business Administration. The development process also had the benefit of the advice and counsel of an advisory board comprised of supply chain management experts. Organizations that had and continue to have input in the development and enhancement of the major include: Becton Dickinson, Church & Dwight, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, the Medical Device Industry Supply Chain Council, and the Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Solutions Association. The program is truly the result of a partnership between academics and industry. The product of this partnership is a program designed to give students the knowledge and skills, as well as practical experience, necessary to enter the supply chain management profession and ultimately become leaders in the field.

What is Supply Chain Management?

Supply chain management (SCM) is a process used by companies to ensure that their supply chain is efficient from a cost perspective and effective from a customer service perspective.   A supply chain is the collection of steps that a company takes to transform raw material components into a final product that is delivered to customers.  Typically, supply chain management is comprised of five stages:

• Plan
• Make
• Source
• Deliver
• Return

Program Objectives

The objectives of the GSCM program are to help students:

• become  familiar with components of global supply chains (e.g., sourcing,  manufacturing and production, distribution, sales and customer service) and issues related to the management of global supply chains.
• understand the similarities and differences, as well as the strengths and weaknesses, of different business operating models.
• Gain insights into how organizations operate and adapt to cultural and regional norms, address border issues, and comply with local, regional, and international laws governing the conduct of business.
• understand the connections between disciplines related to GSCM (e.g., Operations, Marketing, Sales, Information Systems, International Business).
• obtain hands-on experience with global supply chains through a required co-op or internship experience.
• develop an in-depth knowledge of current and future career opportunities within GSCM.

The Global Supply Chain Management (GSCM) program is intended to provide students with an understanding of the impact this important field is having on the conduct of domestic and international business. This is an interdisciplinary program that merges coursework from Operations, Marketing, Information Systems, Management Science and International Business. Students learn to see and understand connections between the different supply chain-related disciplines. Students also learn about different operating models used in today’s businesses and gain an appreciation for how businesses operate among different cultures and regions of the world.