Exploring an Education and Career in Supply Chain Management

Discover the ins and outs of supply chain management programs and what makes the field of supply chain management so dynamic, interesting and critical to industries.

First and foremost, what motivated you to pursue a major in supply chain management and operations?

I did my first master’s in chemical engineering and worked as a researcher for three years in India. Though I wanted to work on something which can contribute to the betterment of society, I realized that I also wanted to work in a fast-paced environment. So, I decided to go for a career change and that coincided with my spouse’s relocation to Seattle. I was attracted towards supply chain as it had all the things that I aspired for in my professional life.

What advice would you give to prospective students looking to major in supply chain management? What should they be looking for in a potential degree program?

Anyone looking for higher studies in any field should first ask a question — will this field of study get me closer to where I want to see myself a few years down the road. If you think you like the nitty gritty of running a business, making informed decisions based on the available data or making a working system more efficient, supply chain management might be the right program for you. The other things that one should look for in a potential degree program are course structure, faculty, practical training and knowledge, and peer group.

What is important to you when choosing a school or degree program?

The first thing that I look for when selecting a school or degree program is the ranking of the school and I prefer QS ranking over others. Secondly, having an excellent faculty and diverse peer group is important as they can accelerate the learning curve. I also pay attention to the infrastructure in terms of libraries, facilities, etc., as well as location of the university. Last, but not the least, I also consider the cost of the program and whether the university is offering any financial aid or scholarships.

What is one fascinating tidbit related to the supply chain industry that you have learned during your studies?

We learned many interesting concepts in this program but I would like to elaborate on one concept that I personally feel is quite relevant and easy to understand. The stocking strategies in the fashion industry, print industry, etc., were quite fascinating to learn about as they must decide quantities beforehand without having an option to replenish in between. The concepts of shortage and overage costs were insightful and helped us to understand the different trade-offs of variability, flexibility, cost and lead times.

How do you think we can encourage more students to pursue a career in supply chain or logistics?

Since this industry has emerged and become important in the recent years, many people are not aware that they can pursue a career in it. It would be a good idea to organize regular meetups to discuss the problems supply chain management can solve. The operations club of the institute should also try organizing regional- or state-level competitions for school children to get them interested towards supply chain early in their lives.

In terms of your professional career, where do you hope to be in five years?

In five years, I want to be working in a senior managerial position where I am leading others by example. I hope to be taking challenging assignments to push my limits, and I also wish to continue learning so that I am well aware of the latest developments in my areas of interest. Additionally, I would focus on working with my team in a collaborative environment so that we can share our experiences and learn from each other.

First and foremost, what motivated you to pursue a major in supply chain management and operations?

A couple of things, really. I currently work as a procurement financial analyst, supporting our supplier management organization. I have a background in finance, and I wanted to have more formal education in the procurement side of my team.

I’ve also been really interested in applying Lean Six Sigma concepts to industries outside of just manufacturing. There are many concepts that industries in the service economy and startups can take away from operations, and I thought a baseline in this field would enhance my ability to provide value on this topic.

What advice would you give to prospective students looking to major in supply chain management? What should they be looking for in a potential degree program?

My advice would be to look into the specific classes that the program is offering, and make sure those align to your interests. There is a wide expanse of topics that can be covered by this kind of degree, so I would encourage potential students to thoroughly research the focus of the department they are considering. There might be programs that have a heavier emphasis on traditional manufacturing, logistics, or supply chain in the technology industry. A master’s program is a big commitment wherever you end up, so making sure you have a good fit with the university, department and local companies is always a wise move.

What is important to you when choosing a school or degree program?

Networking and personal connections are important to me, so I sought out a program that was in-person and was cohort-style. It was also important for me to find a program that had direct, real-world application. I wanted a master’s degree so I could deepen my technical skills and expose me to topics not covered in my undergraduate education. The University of Washington’s partnerships with local innovators in the technology industry was another draw to the program.

What is one fascinating tidbit related to the supply chain industry that you have learned during your studies?

I worked on a project about the supply chain of the fresh seafood industry, and I was surprised to learn that according to the World Health Organization, fish provides a significant protein source to over 3 billion people in the world. The extreme perishability of these products and concentration of producers in the developing world leads to many challenges in managing an efficient and ethical supply chain.

How do you think we can encourage more students to pursue a career in supply chain or logistics?

Something I find interesting about this field is the diversity of career options. Majoring in supply chain and operations can open students up to a variety of career paths; this flexibility I think is a great benefit of these types of programs. Skills such as understanding how to develop a process flow and analyze it for issues and potential improvements can be applied to essentially any industry. We live in a society where globalization is the norm and being able to provide analysis on location, sourcing, or the decision to in-source or out-source can be extremely valuable for one’s career.

In terms of your professional career, where do you hope to be in five years?

I hope to take on increasingly challenging roles, with a focus on strategic initiatives related to process improvement and simplification, competitive analysis and affordability. I’m especially interested in the role that the supply chain plays in new product development in a global marketplace.

First and foremost, what motivated you to pursue a major in supply chain management and operations?

The importance of supply chain in bringing new products out to the market is what motivated me to pursue a graduate degree in this field. I started my career as an engineer in Ericsson’s hardware product development group. During my time there, I realized the critical role that supply chain plays in developing and delivering new products to the customer. The decisions made in supply chain can have a direct impact on the cost, quality and schedule of the final product. Technology leaders have to understand the importance of supply chain decisions in their organization and how they affect other functions such as engineering, manufacturing, operations and even marketing.

What advice would you give to prospective students looking to major in supply chain management? What should they be looking for in a potential degree program?

My advice to prospective students looking to major in supply chain management would be to examine the industry they are interested in working in and identify the type of skills employers are looking for. This will allow them to find a degree program that suits their needs and focuses on building skills that are right for them. I would also encourage students to look for degree programs that work closely with industry leaders to provide meaningful project and internship opportunities. 

What is important to you when choosing a school or degree program?

For me, when choosing a school or degree program, it is important that the program is part of a reputable business school with a curriculum that covers general business courses (competitive strategy, marketing, financial accounting, etc.) in addition to supply chain-specific courses. It is also important that the program curriculum focuses on building quantitative analysis skills, which enable students to make data-driven business decisions.

What is one fascinating tidbit related to the supply chain industry that you have learned during your studies?

One fascinating tidbit I learned about the supply chain industry during my studies is the potential for blockchain technology to bring major improvements to global supply chains. Some of the major issues that complex supply chains face are related to transparency, accountability and traceability. These issues could all be addressed with blockchain technology, which makes use of distributed systems and allows real-time tracking of every component in a supply chain. This is a fascinating technology that would have a major impact on the way we manage supply chains and it will be interesting to see how it pans out.

How do you think we can encourage more students to pursue a career in supply chain or logistics?

We can encourage more students to pursue a career in supply chain by illustrating the importance of supply chain decisions in a business and exposing them to the problems that companies are currently trying to solve in their supply chains. Companies like Amazon are using innovative methods to tackle supply chain challenges. Presenting such examples to students would surely spark more interest in the field.

In terms of your professional career, where do you hope to be in five years?

In five years, I hope to be in a leadership role where I can leverage my engineering background along with my supply chain management knowledge, and work on solving challenging business problems. I hope to work on innovative programs and products that bring value to the end customer, and build supply chains that not only maximize value for everyone involved but also strive to practice sustainability.