If the challenge of acquiring, transporting and delivering a good from one part of the world to another – before the competition – appeals to your competitive nature, then you may already possess one of the vital skills needed to be a highly successful global supply chain management major in the Wayne State University Mike Ilitch School of Business. As the economy becomes increasingly global, demand for supply chain professionals continues to grow.
Supply chain professionals are the critical link in the value chain for goods. They are experts at purchasing components and finished goods, deciding on manufacturing and warehouse locations, and determining inventory and transportation strategies for worldwide product flows. Students majoring in global supply chain management at the Ilitch School develop the highly valued skills that suppliers, manufacturers and retail buyers of goods worldwide demand.
Our global supply chain management major focuses on global business and prepares students for success. The program has eight full-time SCM faculty positions, including two faculty members that we have recently hired, and a number of auto industry adjunct faculty who bring many years of experience to the classroom.
Required major courses provide insight into many subjects, while the required schoolwide core covers other general business functions critical to SCM, such as ISM and finance. Topics covered in the major include:
- SCM strategy and planning
- Buyer-seller relationships, innovation and purchasing
- Manufacturing operations
- SCM-related software and tools
- Quality management
- Global SCM across manufacturing, purchasing and logistics
- Managing raw materials and finished products
- Logistics and transportation management
- Merging transportation policies with production and marketing plans
- Global supply chain analysis and planning
Additional strongly recommended electives cover ERP systems, manufacturing technologies for buyers, internships, study abroad programs and other topics.