There's an old saying that goes like this, "Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I'll remember; involve me and I'll learn." Logistics has always been the foundation upon which successful companies support themselves. Now in our interconnected and globalized world, skills in logistics and supply
Supply Chains of Rome – Olive Oil
CASE STUDY CONCEPT: Supply Chain Managers Need Good Mental Models for Effective Decision Making. Imagine it is the year 300 AD and you have just been promoted to run the family business. Your family is one of the wealthiest families in Roman Africa – the Septimii. The family comes from the city
What You Learn from Case Studies and Simulations
DANCING WITH THE STARS - the Spicy Cube "Electric Slide" Version by Frank Scheer, Ph.D., University of Maryland Global Campus Coordinating a supply chain to achieve efficiency balanced with cost is very much like learning a line dance. Missteps stand out prominently, as does not keeping up with
Collaborative Supply Chains
CASE STUDY CONCEPT: Collaborative Supply Chains and Shared Services help companies grow while controlling costs. This case is based on a real candy company called Just Born Candy that has it’s main factory in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and a competitor candy company that we’ll call Crunch Candy
Alexander the Great – Campaign in Afghanistan
CASE STUDY CONCEPT: Military Logistics 101 -- "An Army Marches on Its Stomach." In this case study we look at how Alexander supplied his campaign in Afghanistan. The case study is based on research done by professor Donald Engles and presented in his book Alexander the Great and the Logistics of
Supply Chains of Rome – Mental Models
CASE STUDY CONCEPT: Supply Chain Managers Need Good Mental Models for Effective Decision Making. This supply chain model and the simulations are, in effect, your mental model of the business. Your mental model enables you to run scenarios in your head (we have computers now to help with this),
Supply Chains of Rome – The Olive Oil Trade
CASE STUDY CONCEPT: Supply Chain Managers Need Good Mental Models for Effective Decision Making. You've worked in the business for years and learned the olive oil trade. Your uncle just retired, and now it's your time to show what you can do. The family expects you to make money and grow the
A Multiplayer Online Game of Supply Chain Management
Let’s investigate a high-level conceptual design for applying game mechanics to coordinate the actions of a network of separate companies that all do business together. These companies are manufacturers, logistics providers, distributors, and retailers, and they are all members of a common supply