Thompson Rivers University

Like solving puzzles? TRU’s newest major might be for you

November 4, 2015

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Search Indeed Canada and you will find over 2,500 jobs for “Supply Chain Management” in all sectors of business. Responding to this demand, TRU is offering new advanced courses in Supply Chain Management that students can use as upper level electives, or apply towards a major or minor.

If you are analytical, like solving puzzles, enjoy variety in your work and interacting with people, Supply Chain Management could be the right fit for you. Supply Chain Management is about delivering the right product, in the right place, at the right time, and increasingly also about enabling “the right experience”. It is about solving the complex business problems related to the journey of products and services from the manufacturer or service provider to the end customer.

TRU BBA student Mohammad Ibrahim has researched the opportunities, both in Canada and the Middle East, and is optimistic about the prospects. “I think the Supply Chain Management major has a lot of potential basically because in any organization, either big or small, they need a department that plans, organizes and put into process the material available in order to make the business run smooth. … This major will be very beneficial for the future because firms are working very hard to make their company the most efficient in order to satisfy customer needs.” There are a variety of opportunities in the field of Supply Chain Management.

“Supply Chain Management issues cause the most pain in organizations,” says TRU instructor Nancy Southin (pictured above), “Running out of stock impacts sales. Running out of raw materials stops production. Delivering late to customers ruins your firm’s reputation. The challenges faced by supply chain managers are real and have serious impacts and implications for businesses of all sizes. With specialized study of supply chain management at TRU, students will not only learn how to keep these issues from happening but also how to make things happen and ensure business success.” To view testimonials from Nancy and others about their careers in Supply Chain Management, click HERE.

TRU’s new upper level courses in Supply Chain Management cover the entirety of the supply chain from determining customer needs, to fulfilling those needs through procurement, manufacturing, outsourcing or service delivery; from customer delivery to returns management and after-sales service. These courses are inter-related and build upon each other in order to prepare students for one of many possible professional designations in Supply Chain Management (e.g. SCMP). BBA students in other majors may also be able to add an upper level Supply Chain Management course as an elective. Current BBA students are welcome to contact their Academic Advisor to discuss how Supply Chain Management courses could work for their program.  A Post-baccalaureate Diploma in Supply Chain Management is also now available.