Have you ever wondered where your clothes are made? Where your Levi's ever came from
or where your iOS device was put together? They likely came from far away, and this is
all due to efficient supply chains. First off, lets take an American Eagle shirt
you might have bought at your local mall. Where do you think it came from? China? It
was likely actually made here in this factory in Vietnam, shipped through Singapore in a
big container, and then trucked to your local mall.
Next, have you ever wondered why all of your zippers say YKK on them? That's because it
was likely manufactured by Yoshida Kogyo Kabushiki headquartered in Japan, but your zipper was
likely manufactured in this factory in the state of Georgia, USA where their largest
manufacturer is located. Are you still looking at your zipper?
Lastly, your latest iOS device might have been assembled in this new factory of one
of apple's suppliers located here just outside of Sao Palo Brazil.
So, what is supply chain? Supply chain is the process of getting a product from point A
to point B. With how advanced technology has become, there are more ways than every
to transport your product. Our goal s supply chain managers is to get your product into
your hands. Now, you might say, "How do we do that?" Well, it's easy. First we negotiate
with suppliers to purchase these raw materials. Second, we ship those materials as efficiently
as possible through trucks, ships, and trains. And finally, we do everything we can to make
sure your product gets to the store on time so you as a consumer can enjoy your product.
Why is this so important to you? Well, without it, you wouldn't enjoy that car that you are
able to drive or even that phone that you enjoy using. Think about it! Everything you
own is because of a company's supply chain, and without these supply chains, we would
have nothing. So, how does supply chain compare to other areas of business? Accounting - well,
it's the language of business with their income statements and balance sheets. Marketing,
on the other hand, is the promotion of business making sure our customers are aware of our
product with customer surveys, sales, and things like advertisements. So where does
that leave supply chain? In supply chain management, WE ARE THE BUSINESS. We source your product,
we make your product, and we deliver your product so you as a consumer can enjoy your
product. So what careers are available in supply chain
management? First, there are people who make deals and negotiate with suppliers to make
sure you get things like raw materials to your business on time. You can strike deals,
save your company lots of money. Something that will make you very valuable in the marketplace.
Also, you could work in quality control and assure that your companies product is
the best on the market. This involves deep analysis and constantly evolving quality methods
to make sure your product is consistently the best. You could be a process analyst,
and improve the processes in your factory. You will be responsible to make sure your
products get our the door as efficiently as possible like all these nice cars being pumped
out of this factory. In logistics, a complex and exciting field,
we focus on getting materials from one place to another. This field is growing quickly.
For example, about 10% of the population of the state of Georgia works in the field of
logistics. You could be a supply chain strategy analyst.
You can consult your company on how they can save money by modifying their supply chain
and come up with great ideas. Supply chain managers save their company an average of
$250,000 every year. So what companies recruit from BYU? Aramark, Boeing, Walmart, Bredero Shaw,
C.H. Robinson, Walt Disney, Intermountain Healthcare, PepsiCo, Schneider National, and
Union Pacific among many others.
So why should you choose supply chain management at BYU?
First, our program is ranked 14th by the Supply Chain Management Review (2013). Second, we
have world- faculty. Third, you'll get real-world experience. And finally, BYU undergraduates
earn an average starting salary of $52,000 per year. And that's why you need to choose
supply chain management from Brigham Young University.