February 6, 2024 – Sime Curkovic Ph.D.

How to approach a new technology investment, based on what I have seen in software & professional services: For example:

Also: “Walmart deployed AI-powered negotiations software w/ a text-based interface (i.e., a chatbot) to connect w/ suppliers.” https://lnkd.in/gF5qT_im. “Walmart, like most organizations with large procurement operations, can’t possibly conduct focused negotiations with all of its 100,000-plus suppliers. As a result, around 20% of its suppliers have signed agreements with cookie-cutter terms that are often not negotiated. It’s not the optimal way to engage with these “tail-end suppliers.” But the cost of...

Should we teach Tableau or Power BI or both? In our CIS 3640 class we focus on three major areas: (1) Advanced excel functions, Power Query, Power Pivot , & Data Models, (2) Excel Macros, & (3) Visualization.

Should we teach Tableau or Power BI or both? In our CIS 3640 class we focus on three major areas: (1) Advanced excel functions, Power Query, Power Pivot , & Data Models, (2) Excel Macros, & (3) Visualization. https://lnkd.in/eqiqSMRb &https://lnkd.in/gXYSQKc7. We do our best to go in-depth in all these 3 areas. Based on the feedback received from students, they are interested in learning about all 3 areas & found them helpful...

In case you want to see what we cover in our AI course, a screenshot is shown in the comments section. We are expanding this list in spring. Our analytics faculty are on top of this AI wave. They have already built an AI course in our business college (CIS 5550) to cover all kinds of AI for business applications.

“American college students are behind in using AI in their studies compared to their foreign counterparts.”American college students lag behind in AI use, expert calls for perspective shift in educationAmerican college students are behind in using AI in their studies compared to their foreign counterparts.wwmt.com Maybe not…This is the whole reason that we created our new AI course — to create AI awareness and skills, and it is designed for...

The U.S. scores very high on avg pay/hour ($42.78), but also has one of the longer avg work weeks (34.83 hrs). WLB? My students are getting their full-time job offers. Most get 2 weeks paid vacation, some get 3 weeks, & very few get 4 (some do though!).

The U.S. scores very high on avg pay/hour ($42.78), but also has one of the longer avg work weeks (34.83 hrs). https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/hours-worked-vs-salaries-in-oecd-countries/ WLB? My students are getting their full-time job offers. Most get 2 weeks paid vacation, some get 3 weeks, & very few get 4 (some do though!). Some students ask me how many paid vacation days are employers “legally” req’d to give them? They are dismayed by the...

Do Certificate Programs Pay Off? Top SCM certifications. Free certificate programs for anyone who has access to LinkedIn Learning…

From Forbes: Do Certificate Programs Pay Off? https://lnkd.in/gAwfjk7y. Top SCM certifications: https://lnkd.in/gA38N97C. Free certificate programs for anyone who has access to LinkedIn Learning (thank you Mr. Dan Stanton):https://lnkd.in/g65jdTGP. The WMU Supply Chain Graduate Certificate program is now up and accepting students. Information can be found here: https://lnkd.in/gcu8E2UN.When viewing this link…Note, that this program has a live “Apply Now” link. The 15-credit hour Supply Chain Graduate Certificate can be earned on its own as...

Prepping for a job interview? Here’s how to answer ‘What is my biggest weakness?’ Demonstrating self-awareness during an interview is huge.

Prepping for a job interview? Here’s how to answer ‘What is my biggest weakness?’ Demonstrating self-awareness during an interview is huge. I tell my students to always answer the “what is your weakness” question in the context of having a strategy to fix it (explain what you have done about it, actual RESULTS). For example: https://lnkd.in/gQnHZd9Y. Here’s what a lot of college grads don’t know about their first job offer: https://lnkd.in/gG2DeF2h. “Just...

Women In Supply Chain:

ISM’s Women’s Supply Management Community: https://lnkd.in/gH_Mr77d. Female Supply Chain students & professionals (the opportunities are endless).: https://lnkd.in/gzFGPTDP. Gender issues in buyer-seller relationships: does gender matter in purchasing? https://lnkd.in/gqSR9dAp.World's Top Companies for Women 2023To create the list, we surveyed approximately 70,000 women working for multinational corporations across 37 countries…www.forbes.com Top 10 Women In Supply Chain: https://lnkd.in/gpj4ArBf.2022 WOMEN IN SUPPLY CHAIN RESEARCH: https://lnkd.in/g7AwRES8.Study: Women Business Owners Are More Trustworthy Than Men. https://lnkd.in/gAkNrfvp. Women are an Advantage in Supply...

Still feels like a seller’s market for my students. The 10 fastest-growing jobs in the U.S. right now — many pay over $100,000 a year:

Still feels like a seller’s market for my students. The 10 fastest-growing jobs in the U.S. right now — many pay over $100,000 a year: https://lnkd.in/g7TNMeja. From Gartner 2022 (2 yrs ago data):Starting salaries for students in supply chain roles also increased. In terms of compensation, U.S. SCM undergraduates finding their first jobs in supply chain roles are earning about $1,600 more per year than in 2020. While the average starting...

Top 10 SCM Trends…Common theme: BIG DATA is not going away, BUT one must understand why/when certain data formats create more value.

Top 10 SCM Trends…Common theme: BIG DATA is not going away, BUT one must understand why/when certain data formats create more value. Many of our supply chain students get a minor in Business Analytics & we actually teach a variant of Wide/Small data called Association Analysis (our Business Data Mining class). My thoughts: https://lnkd.in/g5UizdeN. Common theme: BIG DATA is not going away, BUT one must understand why/when certain data formats create...

This is one reason that we created our new AI course — to create AI awareness and skills, and it is designed for non-technical majors.

14%?!…“Only 14% of procurement leaders express confidence in their talent’s ability to meet the future needs of the function, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc. The finding comes as business acumen and technology/data competencies have rapidly grown in importance over more traditional procurement skills.”Gartner Says Only 14% of Procurement Leaders Have Adequate Future TalentOnly 14% of procurement leaders express confidence in their talent's ability to meet the future needs...