Maureen Strahan

“The Grainger Center has a fabulous program that truly prepares students to thrive in supply chains in any industry. The excellent course material and dedicated professors along with student participation in company environments are the perfect combination to prepare students for the real world.”

MAUREEN STRAHAN
Vice President, Global Supply Operations
Hewlett-Packard

 

 

What Is Supply Chain Management?

Emerging markets and competitors, short product life cycles, global supply networks, demanding customers. The right product must be at the right place at the right time. Impossible? Talented leaders in supply chain management make it happen every day.

What do they do?
Everything from early-stage product design to the final "moment of truth" with the customer. Working with people and managing projects across functions within their organizations and beyond, to suppliers, channel partners, and customers.

Why are they important?
Supply chain management has become a primary source of competitive advantage across industries--from high tech to health care. The world's most successful and highly respected companies--including Apple, Procter & Gamble, Toyota, GlaxoSmithKline, Nike, Best Buy, Coca-Cola, and IBM--are recognized for their world-class supply chains.

People who can successfully manage complex supply chains are in high demand by leading companies worldwide.

Supply chain management integrates business functions concerned with the movement of goods, services and information along the value chain with the goal of creating value for the ultimate customer. The field of supply chain management is a cross-functional discipline involving many components of business, including product development, marketing, demand/supply planning, procurement/sourcing, production, inventory management, transportation/logistics, customer service, and the management of relationships between business organizations and their channels of distribution.

In today's complex business environment there is a need to coordinate these supply chain functions, not only within the firm, but also with business partners and customers. Firms are recognizing the need for a "total cost" or "systems" approach to supply chain management. As a result, decision-making cuts across many functional areas and is an increasingly critical strategic component of successful businesses, large and small.

 

100% Placement

Supply chain management talent is in high demand, as the Grainger Center's placement record of 100% placement for summer internships and full-time employment reflects. Grainger Center graduates achieve quickly and notably. Average starting salaries are consistently the highest among peer schools, ranging from $80,000 to $110,000.

Close Community

Grainger Center students have the best of two worlds--the resources of a large, world-class university and hands-on, personalized attention made possible by the in-depth resources offered by the Grainger Center. The Grainger Center provides each student with personalized career and academic advising.  Students are connected--directly and personally--with an extensive network of industry executives, alumni, corporate partners, and faculty. Students receive personalized guidance from this network throughout their time in the Wisconsin MBA.

Industry Partnerships

The Grainger Center has deep ties to industry. Its extensive network of corporate partners provides real-world perspective that enhances the curriculum and applied learning program and provides invaluable career guidance to students. The Grainger Center's Executive Advisory Board is comprised of senior executives at leading firms renowned for supply chain management excellence.

Integrated Learning Environment

The Grainger Center's curriculum is cross-functional, applied, and collaborative, allowing students to learn about supply chain management in an integrated business framework from renowned faculty with expertise in supply chain management and other business disciplines.