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Essentials of Supply Chain Management

This executive program from Penn State, #1 in supply chain education, delivers the critical competencies required to manage the diverse components of a supply chain—materials, products, processes, and information—on a regional or global scale. You will learn common terminology, inventory methodologies, distribution concepts, and service performance.

A joint venture with Smeal College of Business' Center for Supply Chain Research. Cosponsored by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.


Enhance Your Competencies with a Supply Chain Certificate!

Program Objectives

This program offers all the foundational understanding to managing effective supply chains. Learn common terminology, inventory methodologies, distribution concepts, and service performance.  Topics include:

  • Concepts of pooling, postponement, and other inventory deployment strategies
  • Customer service management
  • Industry case study on trading partner collaboration
  • Team-based simulation for applied learning

Who Should Attend

This program is for managers who are new to supply chain processes and searching for best practices in their area of responsibility. Those who work as functional counterparts in finance, information systems, manufacturing, or marketing will also benefit.

Program Benefits

Upon completion of Essentials of Supply Chain Management, you will have gained the knowledge to:

  • Integrate all functions along the chain through shared objectives
  • Develop common performance metrics
  • Improve customer satisfaction through shorter delivery times, maximizing capital turnover
  • Use information technology to enhance performance
  • Work effectively with alliances and partnerships in the extended supply chain
This program awards 3 CEUs. Penn State Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available based on a standard of one unit per ten hours of classroom instruction. Upon completion of this program, each participant will be awarded a certificate for three (3.0) Penn State CEUs earned.

Program Content

Global Supply Chain Management

  • Defining the Supply Chain
  • Scope of Logistics Activities
  • Systems Perspective of the Supply Chain
  • Market Demands and Corporate Expectations

Supply Chain Strategies

  • Link Between Business Strategy and Logistics
  • Motivational and Leadership Technologies
  • Value Chain Analysis
  • Competing on Speed, Flexibility, Responsiveness, Quality, and Value-Added Services
  • Competing Through Alliances

Supply Chain Partnerships

  • Strategic Alliances and Partnerships
  • Characteristics of Partnerships
  • Current Research and "Best Practices"
  • Shared Use of Technologies
  • Factors Leading to Partnership Satisfaction

Information Technology and the Supply Chain

  • The Role of Information Technology (IT) in the Supply Chain
  • Innovative Technologies and Their Uses
  • IT and Supply Chain Integration

Supply Chain Components and Tools

  • Inventory Management Throughout the Chain
  • Enterprise Resource Planning Systems
  • Manufacturing/Distribution Resource Planning

Creating and Measuring Logistics Value

  • Relationship Between Logistics and Customer Satisfaction
  • Methodologies for Measuring Effectiveness
  • Integrated Logistics Simulation

"One of the best logistics courses I've attended! The faculty/presenters were well prepared and professional. The material was grounded in theory and full of examples and practical application. The facilities and hospitality were five star from arrival to departure! The examples of similarities in the business and defense industry were enlightening for all attendees. If this course can be expanded, I would highly recommend it; the value added for professional development, relevance to current issues, and application to daily business challenges is tremendous. A First Class Operation!"
Lt.Col. J. Reggie Hall
Executive Officer to the Assistant,
Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations and Logistics

Value Created for You and Your Company

Essentials of Supply Chain Management also includes a valuable supply chain simulation exercise called LINKS. LINKS encompasses all major supply chain elements: suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and end-users. In a non-threatening but competitive environment, participant "firms" apply newly learned program concepts to manufacturing, distributing, and selling the "product" in three regional markets. Your firm is responsible for high-level generated demand decisions, information technology, and research studies to ensure that supply chain management is well-positioned within enterprise-wide management considerations. Your goal is to improve your firm's overall financial, operating, and market performance.

Faculty Leaders

This program is taught by world-class faculty leaders from Penn State, as well as supply chain professionals. Each instructor has an extensive background in research and consulting, and in educating executives. Each brings to the classroom best-practice tools and implementation processes for achieving world-class results.

Faculty Directors

Dr. Christopher D. Norek, Senior Partner, Chain Connectors, Inc.

Faculty Leaders from Smeal College of Business

Dr. Christopher Craighead, Rothkopf Professor and Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management; Director of Research for the Center for Supply Chain Research
Dr. Craighead received the 2011 Emerald Citation of Excellence Award for his paper, "The Severity of Supply Chain Disruptions:  Design Characteristics and Mitigation Capabilities." Learn more.

Dr. William (Skip) Grenoble, Executive Director and Senior Research Associate, Center for Supply Chain Research

Dr. David Huff ,  Clinical Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management

Dr. Robert Novack, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management

Dr. Felisa Preciado, Clinical Assistant Professor of Supply Chain Management

Dr. Doug Thomas, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management, Faculty Director, MBA program

Faculty Leaders from Business and Industry

Mr. Paul Avampato, Vice President, Customer Service and Logistics, Snacks and Confections, Kraft Foods, Inc.

Mr. Michael Gray, Supply Chain Evangelist; Formerly with Dell

Mr. Andrew Helveston, Customer Care & Logistics Director, MARS Chocolate North America

Fees

The program fee of $4,200 includes all instructional materials, private room accommodations, meals, break service, and access to recreational facilities. Association member pricing applies:
$4,100 for CSCMP members
$3,600 for CSCR corporate sponsors

Related Programs

There is no prerequisite for attending any of these programs. An Executive Programs representative will be happy to help you select the appropriate program for your current level of responsibility.

This program is cosponsored by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.

Program Dates
April 08 - 12
Executive Education Center, University Park Campus
October 07 - 11
The Penn Stater, University Park Campus
Value Creations Teams

We support team participation to maximize the impact of content and drive change within your organization faster and more efficiently. Organizations that send three or more participants will receive significant savings. Teams also have access to the full resources of Penn State during and after the program.

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