Academic Affairs and Advising | Supply Chain Management and Global Sourcing Specialization

Several factors have made crafting a supply chain and sourcing strategy the central focus for firms. These include the rapid changes in consumer demand for products and services, the globalization of the economy, and the availability of advanced planning and communication tools for coordinating the activities of supply chain participants. Outsourcing and offshoring of services such as information technology, finance and accounting, human resources, medical transcription, and even research and development are expected to continue to grow exponentially in the next decade.

The function of supply chain management is to optimally design and manage the flows of funds, material and information to implement a firm’s business strategy. Supply chain decisions have a direct impact on the revenue side because they affect both market penetration as well as customer service. On the cost side, logistics account for 20-25% of a typical firm's total cost. Global sourcing affects both sides of the equation. It lowers costs through access to inexpensive resources and increases revenue by increasing responsiveness through the creation of supply options. In addition, global sourcing brings to the forefront the issues of supply chain management not only in manufacturing, but also in services.

The purpose of a specialization in supply chain management and global sourcing is primarily to give students the ability to develop supply chain and sourcing strategies. Second, the student becomes acquainted with the global trends in this area as well as the innovative strategies and solutions crafted by leading players. Finally, students obtain skills and tools for designing and managing supply chain operations, for coordinating activities of buyers and sellers, evaluating the scope for outsourcing, crafting performance metrics for service systems, IT system design and implementation, supplier relationship management, etc.

This specialization is of direct interest to students who wish to pursue careers in management consulting, managing information systems, product management, and supply chain management.  It is also relevant to those interested in human resources management, sales and marketing, investment banking, and other financial services.

Academic Advisors: Professor Natalia Levina, 212-998-0850 and Professor Wenqiang Xiao, 212-998-0945

Course List

Part I of the Specialization: 

REQUIRED:
OPMG-GB.2306 Supply Chain Management (3 Credits)
OR OPMG-GB.2308 Retail Operations and Supply Chain Management (3 Credits)
OR TECH-GB.3155 Digital Innovation and Crowdsourcing (1.5 Credits)
OR TECH-GB.3355 Digital Innovation and Crowdsourcing (3 Credits)
(Students are strongly encouraged to take two of the above requirements to specialize in this area)

Part II of the Specialization:

Complete the remaining 6 credits from the lists below:

* Not eligible to count towards this specialization if this course was taken as part of your core requirements (Full-Time two-year MBA students only).

For course descriptions, please see the Records & Registration website