休斯敦大学

Supply Chain Management (SCM) encompasses the planning and management of all the activities and resources that organizations use to produce goods and services that satisfy customer demands. There are five core processes common to all supply chains: planning how to satisfy customer demand, sourcing supply chains for raw materials and services, producing the product or service, delivering the product or service to the customer, and managing returned goods for recycle, repair or reuse. These core processes occur in both manufacturing enterprises and service organization, and apply as well to government agencies and non-profit institutions. Thus the challenges in making all these operations the most efficient and effective are the keys to the success of any organization. As a result the opportunities for initial employment in operations management field and career advancements are tremendous.

Supply Chain Management (SCM) students at the Bauer College learn how to analyze the supply chain core processes and develop recommendations that enable companies to reduce costs, improve productivity, and achieve greater customer satisfaction. Recent graduates of supply chain management have taken jobs as analysts and/or consultants in areas such as service operations, quality management, project management, purchasing, inventory management, manufacturing planning, transportation logistics management, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and many other areas: These jobs include:

• Supply Chain Management Professional: Responsibilities include managing supplier relationships, sourcing goods and services globally, effectively planning for production and demand, managing inventory and product movements, and ensuring material quality. Collectively, these tasks can have a significant impact on the Company’s profitability.
• Production Planner: Responsible for scheduling finished material and intermediate production to maintain inventory levels and satisfy customer demand. Also develops and implements solutions relating to the planning operations using enterprise resource planning systems and other software to improve efficiencies.
• Transportation Planner: Responsible for working effectively with carriers and customer service to coordinate various operations affecting outbound bulk and packaged shipments, including exports. Utilizing SAP and PC based systems, this professional will also develop and implement computerized solutions relating to the traffic operations.
• Buyer/Planner: Responsible for executing all aspects of daily planning and execution for assemble to order products. Sets up and tracks demand and supply of customer orders and forecasts. Works closely with Customer Service, Marketing, and Engineering to ensure on time delivery to quoted or committed deliveries.

Some characteristics that make successful Supply Chain Management students and highly respected Supply Chain Management professionals include the following:

• Excellent interpersonal skills and a desire to work with people at all levels in an organization
• Ability to think critically about a problem and develop creative solutions
• Strong analytical skills
• Self-motivation and intellectual curiosity