Author: Sime Curkovic

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

AI will have a great impact on SCM. However, one thing often not mentioned is the attitude of hiring managers, as many do not have a full understanding of the AI skill sets of graduating students. Our SCM students told us many times that their hiring managers valued only the traditional Excel capabilities (lookup functions, pivot tables, etc. – that is NOT AI), & they greatly overlooked the opportunities from...

"Every year, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) releases their Most Innovative Companies ranking. https://www.visualcapitalist.com/most-innovative-companies-2023/ The U.S. and China are the only two countries that have increased their share from 2013, pushing out firms from European countries like Germany, the UK, and Italy. We can also see significant declines in Japanese and South Korean representation." Full report:https://lnkd.in/gCB5w9U6__A look at Patents: Which Countries are Granted the Most New Patents?https://lnkd.in/g-GEzbah“In 2021, out of 1,608,375 patents across multiple...

I have so many world class international students that are very hungry for American professional work experiences (i.e., internships) & they are often told by employers: we do not hire international students. Why? The paperwork? There is none for an international student if they are here legally (i.e., they are given a SS# w/ their student visa). https://www.financialexpress.com/business/investing-abroad-us-visa-process-for-international-students-simplified-study-abroad-opportunities-to-get-more-accessible-now-3119701/ I get it, it is complicated. Some do not have STEM degrees, so...

So high schoolers are saying college is NOT worth it…“The % of students who say college “isn’t worth it” has grown from 8% in 2019 to 17% in 2021 & 20% in 2023.” https://lnkd.in/gcjRb-Um. But actual college graduates say it is VERY worth it: “…95% of graduates of two-year, four-year, and graduate programs are excited about their postgraduate plans, and nine of 10 said that college was worthwhile, they were happy with...

"Students who are able to build strong relationships with professors are far more likely to find engaging work after graduation, according to Gallup-Purdue polls." https://lnkd.in/gSuzhcjP -those who believe a professor cared about them as a person, made them excited about learning, & encouraged them to pursue their dreams had more than double the odds of being engaged at work & experiencing a higher degree of well being overall, these studies find. …only...

Another incremental step or innovation leap? Notice the reference to Supply Chain Management…”for certain applications, such as artificial intelligence, LOGISTICS planning, chemical simulation and encryption, quantum computing promises to be a game-changer.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2023/06/15/intel-announces-its-newest-silicon-based-quantum-chip/?utm_medium=browser_notifications&utm_source=pushly&utm_campaign=3133310&sh=197ccd313a6f Note: the Forbes article falls short of explaining how quantum computing could change SCM, it goes way beyond logistics optimization – for example: Risk management and scenario planning, Real-time data analysis, Advanced machine learning algorithms, Demand Forecasting,...

"The number of US job postings for supply chain managers on LinkedIn more than doubled between 2019 & 2022, according to data shared w/ the Financial Times." https://lnkd.in/gyWH5gxt. The U.S. supply chain accounts for 37% of all domestic jobs, according to the Harvard Business Review. https://lnkd.in/gbV_aMT7. Indeed has material on supply chain careers...70 Job Titles in Supply Chain (w/ Avg Salary): https://lnkd.in/gUAk4SPG. 11 Benefits of SCM Careers: https://lnkd.in/gXG9EkEF. What Does a Supply Chain Manager Do? https://lnkd.in/gFxhqH2m....

Great read & post: “85% of Gen Z job seekers say their top priority is finding stability…w/ good benefits & a high starting salary ranking as their 2nd & 3rd.” So, why do they actually leave?... https://jobsearcher.com/blog/hire-2023-college-grads?utm_source=kg&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=top_jobs&utm_content=4240671861&blog_post_id=6837 After thousands of students, I would say this is the #1 reason my students change jobs: IT'S THEIR BOSS. Money becomes a factor when they can make > 20% elsewhere (#2 on this...

Common theme in the WEF report:  https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sime-curkovic-61617a115_common-theme-big-data-is-not-going-away-activity-7077325429065347073-DVOa?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop 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). Notice #5: A Shift From Big Data To Small And Wide Data... 8 Trends Predicted To Define...