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Competitive Event Provides Insight into Supply Chain Decision Making

A team of undergraduate students in the NC State Poole College of Management got an inside look at the automotive industry when participating in the General Motors/Wayne State University School of Business Supply Chain Case Competition earlier this fall.

It was the first time Poole College was represented at the undergraduate supply chain competition, which was held in September 2012 in Detroit, Michigan. Poole team members were Ryan Schenk, Adam Taylor, Kristen Gower and Renata Barbosa. Barbosa and Taylor commented on the experience in a recent email interview.

The case competition featured the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu Eco, and presented the 16 student teams with the challenge of procuring advanced technology components while considering global issues, such as logistics costs and sustainability, in decided on a go/no recommendation for production of the vehicle. While the Poole team did not win, the team members report that they did find value in the experience.

The case was based on problems and decisions GM went through in the past, Barbosa said.

“We received sales forecast, manufacturing production schedules and sourcing and logistics costs,” she said. “Besides deciding when the production should start, we also had to find solutions for sourcing of seats, the validation of another key component, factory changeover and justify whether the prospective profits from the pull-ahead would be sufficient for the risks associated with the plan. The case was really complex and involved many variables.”

Poole College’s team “did a great job on coming to a right and visible solution to the case,” she said, adding that the “people who wrote the case actually arrived to the same solution as we did, but they decided to accept any answer that was logical and had a good delivery.

“We focused too much on finding the right answer and ended up lacking on the presentation. As Professor Favre always says in class, ‘When you are young and don`t have as much experience you need to have data and facts backing up everything you say so people can believe you.’” Given that most of the other teams had participated in the competition in prior years, “NC State did great,” Barbosa said.

”I really enjoyed the case because it gave me an opportunity to use what I was learning in my concentration classes. For example, I learned how to calculate total cost of ownership about two weeks before the case, and ended up incorporating it into our final presentation,” Taylor said.

The competitive event was part of a weekend in Detroit that included presentations by speakers and professional panel discussions focusing on the supply chain profession and career paths, as well as current supply chain, logistics and manufacturing trends.

Networking, Interviews, Plant Tours

“We also had several networking opportunities with corporate representatives from General Motors, Delphi, Ryder, Lear, and Bridgestone,” Barbosa said.
The student team members had submitted their resumes which were provided to the company representatives.

“I got to be interviewed by General Motors on the spot right after breakfast one day,” she said. “When I got back to Raleigh I ‘LinkedIn’ with several recruiting and supply chain professionals and students who had participated in the event.”

During the weekend, the students networked with the professionals during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. “They were there all the time with us at every event. It was truly a big opportunity to network.”

That networking also led to a few new friendships with students from the other participating schools, including Barbosa’s new friends at Miami University, Dan Ruffley, a Ritcher Scholar, and Christine Buehler.

The students also visited GM’s Lake Orion assembly facility. “There, we got to see the production of the Chevrolet Sonic and Buick Verano. The factory is the only one to produce subcompact cars in the United States,” Barbosa said.

“I noticed the plant was smaller than a traditional plant, probably in an effort to save money. During the visit, I was really impressed with the level of automation and robotics used on the factory, particularly with the welding robots that were placed in clusters,” she said.

“Another interesting fact is that the plant operated with many workers earning half the typical union wage. This was a result of negotiations between GM and the union to reduce production costs. Without the agreement, GM could not produce a profitable subcompact in the U.S and would have to move the factory overseas where there is availability for cheap labor. Several suppliers worked on the plant as well. They would come and place parts on carts so workers had the right parts to go with each car. Such measures reduced inventory and improved productivity,” Barbosa said.

“This was an incredible experience and opportunity. I encourage any student to go and represent NC State in the future, if they have a chance. You will get to network and to make friends with other supply chain students across the country while learning about the profession and the business/supply chain world that is out there. You will also get experience working on a team and learn a little bit more about yourself. But most importantly, competitions like these bring exposure to our supply chain program and should be encouraged,” she said.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to participate on a national-level with leading supply chain universities and interacting with world class companies,” said Donavon Favre, supply chain lecturer and faculty advisor for Poole College’s Supply Chain Club. “We would like to make this an annual event to showcase our students’ talents.”

About the Team Members

  • Renata Barbosa, B.S., business administration; concentration, supply chain/operations; minor in international studies; graduating in fall 2013. Barbosa is an international student from Brazil and has been a supply management part-time employee at John Deere in Cary since summer 2012.
  • Kristen Gower, B.S., business administration; concentration, supply chain/operations; graduating in spring 2013. Gower completed a summer internship for Newell Rubbermaid in Charlotte, N.C., during summer 2011, and participated in Poole College’s undergraduate Supply Chain Practicum class in fall 2011, working on a project for Bank of America. She also complete an internship with Accenture in summer 2012.
  • Ryan Shenk, B.S., business administration; concentration, supply chain/operations; graduating in fall 2013. Shenk completed a co-op and a summer internship with the Hershey Company in Pennsylvania and now is a field sales intern for the company in Raleigh, N.C.
  • Adam Taylor, B.S., accounting; concentrations, information systems; B.S., business administration, concentrations in supply chain/operations; minor, Chinese; graduating in spring 2013. Taylor completed three summer internships with Marathon Oil Global procurement.

Photos

Poole College’s supply chain team carried the NC State banner to Detroit for the annual General Motors/Wayne State University School of Business Supply Chain Case Competition. It was the college’s first participation in the competition. Donavon Favre, left, in photo at left, is a supply chain lecturer in the college. With Favre are team members Kristen Gower, Renata Barbosa, Ryan Shenk and Adam Taylor.