Global Supply Chain Concentration Off to a Fast Start

02/25/2014 11:16 AM

By Sarah Marshall, ’15

Jacob Dust, Timothy Osborn and Joshua Wallrich will be the first graduates of the marketing major’s newest concentration, global supply chain management. The concentration, in its first year, focuses on supply chain efficiency. 

These students as well as the marketing department are excited about the new opportunities this concentration can provide for future employment. Because the supply chain covers a large area of logistics, there are numerous jobs available to students with this concentration. By focusing on the supply chain, graduates will help businesses achieve long-term sustainability. 

“Because supply chain management is critical to firms for both business and environmental sustainability, demand is high,” said marketing department chair Dr. Ed Bond. “Recently, I was looking at a list of a dozen positions noted by our Smith Career Center and about one-third of them were supply chain positions.” 

All of the students had similar reasoning for adding the supply chain concentration, including the high demand in the job market and the benefits of the diverse working environment. 

“For me, it’s the mix of engineering and business concepts that are applicable across an entire corporation,” said Dust. “Supply chain is all-encompassing. About 75 percent of a business’s cost can be placed under the supply chain umbrella. That’s exciting and I want to be a part of it.” 

The global supply chain concentration consists of a variety of classes, including MTG 388 Global Supply Chain Management, IME 385 Introduction to Logistics Engineering and IB 402 Global Trade Management. These courses ensure that future Bradley graduates will be well equipped to meet the growing demand for supply chain specialists.

 “You get to learn about the details of a business you would never think about as a means for competitive advantage and cost savings,” Osborn said. “They open up all the operations of how a business is managed as something to be examined and improved.” 

This new concentration is off to a swift start with the promise of even greater future enrollment in the program. Students understand the benefits of adding this concentration and the vast opportunities that await them. 

“The new concentration gives the Foster College of Business another dynamic, involving international trade, supply chain management, and the whole marketing department,” Wallrich said.