Supply Chain Management

What’s Supply Chain Management?
Besides the newest major at the School, Supply Chain Management (SCM) is the multi-disciplinary approach to improve the ways companies direct the movement of raw materials to make a product and the distribution of those products to customers. Supply Chain Management is a problem-solving career.

Supply Chain Managers, at all levels of the organization, have a significant impact on a company’s bottom line. According the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, a $3.60 box of cereal has a net retail profit of five cents. The logistical costs associated with creating the product, from field to table, is thirty-seven cents.

What are the benefits of majoring in SCM?
Companies throughout the nation are seeking talented supply chain managers. A number of Kansas City, Topeka and Wichita area companies have entry-level positions in supply chain management. Until the KU School of Business added this new major, these companies were recruiting from schools in Arizona and Michigan. In a world of corporate cost cutting, these companies would rather hire local talent.

Who really hires SCM graduates?
It’s easy to think that supply chain management is limited to transportation companies like FedEx and UPS. While those companies have definitely made their mark on the industry, SCM is vital to every company that sells or makes a product. Who really hires SCM graduates? Just search for Supply Chain Management on your favorite job-search web site and find out.

What skills are best for a SCM career?
A wide variety of skills are needed for a successful SCM career. Managers are tasked with creating efficiencies where ever possible. One day a manager could be negotiating a deal for components or raw materials in China or solving distribution bottlenecks at the local warehouse.