Industry Podcast Invites USD Professor Joel Sutherland to Speak on Post-Pandemic Need for Supply Chain Education

Inbound Logistics invited leading professors to their industry podcast to give insight on the post-pandemic world of supply chain education, including USD School of Business Professor of Practice and Managing Director of the Supply Chain Management Institute, Joel Sutherland. 

Professor Sutherland speaks about the increased demand for supply chain education after the pandemic revealed the massive importance of supply chain in successful business operations. He also discusses why companies should pay attention to students graduating from supply chain programs and how programs are adapting their curriculum to meet industry needs. 

Inbound Logistics is a magazine publication and information leader in supply chain and logistics management.

Excerpt from Inbound Logistics:

IL: How can a solid commitment to supply chain education help companies retain and recruit talent?

Sutherland: Beyond our dedicated supply chain management careers fair, we conduct an industry survey every three years that asks a simple question: What are the skills that are required in supply chain talent? The interesting thing is that there is almost always a meaningful change in the attributes companies are looking for.

Soft skills remain consistent, but where there has been a continual technological revolution, we work with our industry partners to understand the changing needs and skill gaps and adjust the curriculum accordingly.

Grawe: First, a commitment to education allows companies to have influence on the curriculum, as most universities are open to hearing what skills are needed.

Second, companies can continue to offer their employees education opportunities. When they make such a commitment, employees recognize that the company has a desire to continue expanding their knowledge and expertise, and that will help retain talent.

Dr. Li: I want to emphasize the importance of the career path from the company perspective. It's crucial for companies to proactively continue education efforts to retain their top talent. Some companies subsidize their employees through degree programs, but equally there are flexible certifications that can be tailored to the specific needs of a particular organization or industry.

IL: What encouragement would you offer companies considering renewing their commitment to education?

Grawe: Start small. Listen to your employees, figure out the ways in which they want to develop, and make sure you're supporting them in getting plugged in with the right industry groups. Not all companies can hire a slew of supply chain majors and graduates right out of the gate. Some might have employees from diverse backgrounds, and a company might want to offer a half-day Supply Chain 101 course so everyone has the same foundational understanding.

There doesn't have to be a grand plan to support education—companies can take small steps in that direction.

Dr. Li: It has been a tough year for many industries and companies, but my advice for company leadership is to realize that this is the time to make better, even more prudent, business decisions for supply chain operations. I've seen a pharmaceutical company, for example, that has been proactive during the past year in coping with potential generic drug shortages and able to avoid disruption.

It's worth thinking about the long term as well as the short term. The pandemic and its associated challenges will not exist forever, and any small investment in the education of employees will have significant value in the long run.

Sutherland: The companies recruiting from our university find there is an increased value in supply chain talent. They are applying more resources because they feel this pool of talent can solve their ongoing problems.

IL: What role does supply chain management education today play in future supply chain innovation and enterprise transformation?

Sutherland: Supply chain innovation is different from product innovation in that it's about processes. It's almost always incremental, with small steps resulting in big changes over time...

See article as it appears in Inbound Logistics.