Developing a Supply Chain End-to-End Mindset

Issued by Smeal College of Business

This badge recognizes the completion of the custom Penn State Executive Programs 'Developing a Supply Chain End-to-End Mindset' program created for IBM. The goal of this series is to help the IBM Supply Chain organization maintain a global leadership position and remain at the forefront of financial health and tech advantage. Applying skills learned, participants focus on: creating sustainable competitive advantage, managing risk in the SC, and increasing SC alignment.

Type Learning
Level Intermediate
Time Weeks
Cost Paid

Additional Details

Skills

Earning Criteria

'Supply Chain Alignment and Orchestration' - In this Sprint, leaders use frameworks to evaluate alignment and collaboration, categorize functional areas as 'Traditional, Progressive or Leading', and consider ways to develop new synergies when managing client returns, moving from a demand- to market-driven network, and using analytics to drive efficiencies across the SC. To support application, leaders work in groups to determine how they will take action on one improvement opportunity.
'Managing Supplier Risk' - In this sprint, leaders explore SC risk management and mitigation, and take a proactive approach to protecting the firm and brand. Tools and techniques are used to identify and prioritize risks, analyze risks found, and develop plans to either prevent a future risk, or minimize the consequences if a risk event occurs. Leaders build a risk management matrix, discuss strategies to manage risk, and use a toolkit to develop risk mitigation plans.
'Strategic Leadership Within Your Supply Chain Organization' - This sprint makes the case for SC leaders to build a strong partnership with other business leaders and to tightly align the supply chain strategy to the organization’s corporate strategy. This program allows leaders to begin to understand how to configure and integrate activities to align with the approach the company is pursuing to build competitive advantage through cost management, differentiation, and focus.
The final week of the IBM series culminates by inviting teams of participants to select an innovative idea generated during the program and consider how IBM might best leverage the concept to benefit the enterprise. Teams collaborate to review options, consider alternatives, and review potential financial benefits to IBM of executing the innovation, with a presentation to leaders acting as the final culminating activity of the program.