Supply Chain Student Club
The Supply Chain Management Club aims to provide members with a real-world perspective on industry operations and strategies. The club facilitates the CSCA and Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification exams, hosts industry speakers, and tours companies that excel in the supply chain industry.
The fall semester began with a presentation from a Senior VP of Fresh Supply Chain at WhiteWave Foods based in Boulder. This semester three students have gained Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification, and many students are expected to become Certified Supply Chain Analysts later this month. A small group of club members were able to experience an extensive tour of Medical Center of the Rockies by the Director of Material Management. They were able to see complexity of a supply chain involving nearly 100 inventory areas within the building, handling of sterilized items, and the transition to a Kanban system. The club is looking forward to building more relationships with local companies and even more events, including student-favorite New Belgium Brewing’s distribution center.
Please contact the club President, Hannah Walcher, at walcherh@rams.colostate.edu or the faculty advisor, Paul Vanderspek, at paul.vanderspek@business.colostate.edu if you are interested in participating in any events, hosting tours, or have questions.
Advanced Logistics class hosts J.B. Hunt
The winning team from John Macdonald’s MGT 377 Advanced Logistics class poses for a picture with Gary Lofgren, Director of Intermodal Operations for J.B. Hunt Transport in Chicago.
Dr. Macdonald and Mr. Lofgren developed a live case study for the class in which the students take on the role of a third-party logistics provider solving a pricing and logistics network problem for a client. Mr. Lofgren flew to Colorado State University in September to present the case, and returned to Fort Collins on Nov. 8 for the student presentations of their solutions.
As part of developing their solutions, students directly contacted several carriers to procure sample drayage rates and communicated with actual providers. Special thanks to Mr. Chris Swenson, vice president of Casco Systems for being willing to mentor the students in this process.
Congratulations to the winning team, and thanks to J.B. Hunt for their support and commitment to our students!
Student Case Competitions
Colorado State University students competed in the General Motors/Wayne State University Student Supply Chain Management Case Competition October 6-9, and once again distinguished themselves as one of the top teams at this event.
Sage Davis, Phoenix Dugger, Erika Youngdahl (pictured left) and Trina Velasquez were selected to represent CSU this year. Due to an untimely illness, Trina was not able to travel with the team, but was instrumental in helping the team craft their solution.
The students developed a sourcing strategy for a car component based on supplier performance data and responses to RFQs, taking into account the costs and risks of their decision. CSU’s team competed against Western Michigan, Wayne State and Northern Iowa universities in the first round. Northern Iowa won the pool and advanced to the finals. The Ohio State University was the overall winner this year.
As has become the norm for CSU students at these events, other faculty members and executives from GM and their suppliers spoke highly of the CSU students’ professionalism and knowledge. Congratulations to the team members for their outstanding efforts and for representing the College of Business in such a positive and professional manner.
CSU students were able to participate in this event thanks to the generous contributions from SCM Forum Partners and APICS Northern Colorado. The program truly appreciates their continued support, without which students would not be able to participate in experiences like this one.
CSU will be participating for the first time in a case competition in Tempe, AZ hosted by Arizona State University from November 9-12. This is a highly competitive competition, sponsored by Oracle, C.H. Robinson, CSCMP and Starbucks. Sage Davis, Jordan Hammond, Charlie Huminski, and Erica Youngdahl will represent CSU in the competition. The team will be coached by Zac Rogers, assistant professor and a recent graduate of ASU who would love to see the CSU team take down his alma matter!
Walcher receives prestigious AWESOME scholarship
Hannah Walcher, a senior College of Business Supply Chain Management student, received one of five AWESOME (achieving women’s excellence in supply chain operations, management, and education) scholarships awarded to women in SCM programs.
Hannah attended the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals’ Annual Global Conference in September 2016 and will attend the AWESOME Symposium in May 2017. A panel of supply chain leaders selected the winners based on their background, experience and academic performance.
At the CSCMP Conference, Hannah was able to learn about innovative supply chain strategies and solutions while networking with female leaders in supply chain management.
“Connecting with these powerful, approachable women boosted my confidence and made me more driven to become like them,” said Hannah after returning from the conference.
She is looking forward to attending the AWESOME Symposium in Chicago next year. For more information on Hannah’s experience and how she was selected to be an AWESOME scholar, see: http://awesomeleaders.org/future-leaders/awesome-scholarships/
Enrollment Update
The SCM Program Concentration enrollments continue to grow. Currently we have 106 students and have graduated 59 students since the concentration was introduced in the Fall 2014. We are looking at adding additional faculty and classes as this growth continues, and our forum partners will play a role in this process.
