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No, not if you develop your soft skills and learn how to use the technology to do your job better, faster, and cheaper (with a focus on strategic issues). My first SCM job was very tactical and has been replaced by technology and automation. Over half of our SCM students also minor in Business Analytics (e.g., big data/analytics, database management, data mining, project management, SQL, Python, PMO, Tableau, Power BI)....

I actually had a couple of students inquire about getting their Ph.D.'s in SCM. Pasted below is my generic response to students to sell them on the opportunity. Let's begin with: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HTWvJ-tSLU&t=936s Salary Ranges for Associate Professor Supply Chain Management. The salaries of Associate Professor Supply Chain Management in the US range from $136,000 to $204,000 , with a median salary of $170,000 . The middle 67% of Associate Professor Supply Chain...

Have you heard of Robotic Process Automation (RPA)? That is basically software that makes use of ML and AI to do routine manual SCM activities like process a Purchase Order. The process is manual, tactical, and clerically driven. However, that RPA software is learning from itself on how to do things better, faster, and cheaper. For example, RPA could start saying things like: I think we are paying too much,...

I get this question often, should I pick up another major with my SCM major and/or pick up a minor, and if so which one? I assume you are doing a SCM major to get a SCM entry level managerial position. Basically, that means you want the degree to get a job in SCM, right? OK, so the answer to your question is will the other major or minor compliment...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f3hnh5gnT0&t=13s It has been brought to our attention that some students have been accepting internships/jobs, but continued to search for and accept other positions with other employers. This is reneging, a practice that is unethical and greatly frowned upon for students at Western Michigan University. What is reneging? As noted, reneging is going back on a promise made. In other words, it is promising one thing and then pulling the...

Problem-solving is the #1 sought after skill (used to be leadership). Here is an alarming statistic... Nearly a third of all supply chain processes are inadequate, according to research from Crimson & Co.  Covid kind of brought this front and center.  The paper in the below link lists the most important soft skills to employers.  https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/competencies/the-four-career-competencies-employers-value-most/ Notice, that problem solving has kept moving up and is now number one!  It has...

Hi Sime, First of all I want to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to work on research with you because that was a significant selling point when I interviewed for my current job in consulting. To answer your student's question - consulting is a great choice immediately after graduation. It's not for everyone, but if any of your students are curious about consulting, I recommend that they...

What is MRO?  It is a type of indirect cost.I would watch this first beginning at the 12:15 mark... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n879P75eSUs&t=1380s Please click below for a copy of our Indirect Procurement Research report with Microsoft. It was subsequently published in Supply Chain Management Review (which is like the Harvard Business Review of SCM)... Click here for a copy of our Indirect Procurement paper with MSFT published in SCMR A couple of...

The good news is that they will pay more for more strategic skills...Here is my lecture to reinforce all of this... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRl2O5YI2h8&t=21s A Purchase Order is a contract between a buyer and supplier. Over half of our students get their first full-time jobs in procurement/purchasing/sourcing in a buyer type of role.  One of those job responsibilities will be to negotiate payment terms upon which you pay a supplier.  When you...

Click here to see what comes up in a background check https://www.simecurkovic.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CriminalRecordBackgroundCheckAddendum.pdf A company can still hire you if you have a criminal record, it is their choice.  Similarly, they can still hire you if you fail a drug test (most will not however).  If they ask if you have a criminal record, then you have to be honest with them.  If you lie, then they will find out and...