Courses Taught

BA 302 – Supply Chains (3)
An overview of supply chain management for non-business majors focusing on the strategic importance of source, make and deliver processes. B A 302 Supply Chains (3) The purpose of BA 302 is to provide non-business students with an introduction to the issues and decisions routinely faced by supply chain managers and the impact of effective supply chains on today’s business environment. Using the Supply Chain Operations Reference model as a framework, this course considers how successful firms plan, integrate and execute sourcing, manufacturing, customer fulfillment, reverse logistics and sustainment processes across a complex marketplace to provide value to the customer. The course will look at the interplay and coordination of product, financial and information flows through a supply chain resulting in value creation for the customer and competitive advantage for the firm. Students will consider the roles of drivers such as cost, quality, time, flexibility, innovation and information sharing in designing supply chain strategies in support of overarching business strategies. Through detailed exploration of models, case studies and real world events, coupled with the application of operation management tools and techniques, the course provides the opportunity to identify and dissect issues, and develop solutions to supply chain challenges not only faced by today’s business managers, but also impact the customer. The course will examine supply chain organization, implementation and management planning, the evaluation and control of manufacturing processes, and the execution of supplier and customer management activities. Students will use basic information technologies and programs to leverage tools like business process mapping, value indexing, and total cost analysis to aid in the identification and mitigation of supply chain issues in a global business environment. Students will also be exposed to current supply chain issues such as sustainability and the impact of boundary-spanning information technologies as relevant keys to competitive advantage. The course provides the basic supply chain knowledge and skills necessary for the non-business major to be an effective member of a cross functional team in a professional business environment while providing a level of understanding to benefit the student in navigating the complex customer fulfillment issues present as a consumer of goods and services in today’s globally connected marketplace. A student may not receive credit towards graduation for both B A 302 and and SCM 301.

SCM 301 – Sup Chn Mgt (3)
Management of logistics/supply chain processes. Not available to baccalaureate business students in Smeal. Not available to baccalaureate business students in Smeal.

PSU 006 – Bus 1st-Yr Smr (1)
Facilitate student's adjustment to the high expectations, demanding workload, increased academic liberties, and other aspects of the transition to college life. PSU 006 First Year Seminar in Business Administration (1-3 credits) This course is designed to assist students in examining several areas of the college transition: awareness of self and others; career exploration; majors offered in the Smeal College; and current issues in business. The skills learned in this course will be presented as life-long skills, applicable in the university setting and the corporate environment. The nature of the course requires cooperation, participation, and interaction. This course facilitates learning through experience, lectures and class discussion.The course contains assignments dealing with: 1). Leadership 2). Ethics 3). Celebrating Diversity 4). Diversity in the Workplace 5). Community Service 6). Major and Career Exploration 7). Time Management and Goal Setting 8). Business Case Study

SCM 846 – Emerging Topics SCM (3)
SCM 846 provides an enhanced understanding of emerging concepts in supply chain management. For this course, supply chain management is defined as "the integration of key business processes from the end user through original suppliers that provide products, services, and information that add value for customers. Beginning with this lifecycle understanding, the course will identify emerging developments that have the potential to alter competitive balance, planning assumptions, cost structures, and conventional timelines. Given trends in globalization, information technology, demographics, and supply chain practice, new innovations have the potential to facilitate both improvement in the performance of existing systems and the disruption of current sources of competitive advantage. Thus, the course focuses on "weak signals" that have yet to enter the mainstream of supply chain management theory or practice. As a result, the selection of topics will evolve with the state of practice.

SCM 594 – Research Topics (3)
Supervised student activities on research projects identified on an individual or small-group basis.

SCM 860 – Supply Chain Transformation (3)
Strategic supply chain transformation and innovation with emphasis on (re)configuration of key capabilities to achieve competitive advantages. SCM 860 Supply Chain Transformation and Innovation (4) This course focuses on strategic supply chain transformation, innovation, and organizational change. The course examines current issues and best practices with respect to supply chain strategy; value creation through design and redesign of supply chain capabilities; transformational outsourcing; supply chain role in new product design, development, and market introduction; technology adoption; and change management. Supply chain transformation initiatives offer firms great potential for improving profitability and competitive positioning, both within the market and within the supply chain. Because sustainable competitive advantage is not found in one set of supply chain capabilities, strategic transformations must constantly assemble and reassemble the key capabilities that give the firm and its supply chain successive temporary advantages. This assembling or redesigning of capabilities chains should be an on-going process as the most significant value producing capabilities in any given industry change over time. The ability to consistently assemble the set of capabilities that produce competitive advantages is what some refer to as the ultimate core capability.After completing this course, students should have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to:1. Articulate the meaning of competitive strategy in the context of transformation of supply chain capabilities chains. 2. Understand value creation through transformation of supply chain capabilities over time. 3. Identify the supply chain structure that is appropriate for various business situations 4. Examine the development of essential elements of rapid response supply chain capabilities 5. Understand the conditions under which functional activities, such as, manufacturing, product design, and new concept development, are amenable to outsourcing 6. Assess operational and strategic challenges of vertical integration and outsourcing and in particular, highlight the nature of the strategic tension created by supplier decisions to integrate vertically into capabilities previously performed by critical customers 7. Articulate the role of supply chain transformation in support of new product development 8. Identify ways to organize and lead change in organizationsThe evaluation of students is based on individual and team case study submissions, short paper and problem assignments, on-line discussion postings, and peer reviews.This prescribed course in the on-line Master of Professional Studies in Supply Chain Management (MPS/SCM) os the capstone course taken in the second year of study that integrates previous topics.

SCM 597 – Special Topics (2)
Formal courses given on a topical or special interest subject which may be offered infrequently; several different topics may be tuaght in one year or semester.

SCM 405 – Mfg Svc Strat (3)
Investigates manufacturing and services strategies in supply chain networks. SCM 405 Manufacturing and Services Strategies (3)This course examines manufacturing and services strategies, with special emphasis given to quality management concepts, methods, and issues. After completing this course, students will have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to:  Explain the role of manufacturing or services operations from the boundary-spanning perspective of supply chain management and how supply chain management can be used as a strategic competitive advantage  Articulate how the various components of a manufacturing strategy are integrated, particularly with respect to the use of information technologies for supply chains  Effectively apply operational and quality tools useful in implementing manufacturing strategies. Individual and team assignments form the basis for evaluation. Evaluation methods include a combination of class participation, exams, "hands-on" exercises, case studies, and written assignments. This is one of three prescribed foundation courses in the Supply Chain and Information Systems major for which B A 302 "Supply Chains" is a prerequisite. The course is also an important prerequisite for the capstone course in the major, SC&IS 450 "Supply Chain Leadership."

SCM 497A – Logistics Case Study Analysis (2)
This course will introduce students to the case analysis method with an emphasis on logistics. Students will learn to a) identify the type of case and the most important questions to be addressed, b) identify required information, relevant data sources an

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