Course Knowledge Gained and Application in Real World
I took the course Supply Chain/Logistics and Transportation Management and Marketing and Business at Sullivan University. I must say that I am extremely content with the course I took, because of the future career prospects it presents to me. Additionally, I would like to state that taking this course at Sullivan University was the best academic decision I made considering the faculty is very supportive of their students, the faculty members are highly committed to teaching the course, and the school provides the students with learning facilities such as a well-stocked library and electronic resources to help them with their academic work. Through this course, I have gained vast knowledge that I would like to discuss.
I believe that some of the most important knowledge I gained from taking this course is how to navigate the supply chain process, without endangering the costs of production, quality of goods delivered and ordered, and satisfying the customers with whom organizations work. For instance, through the course unit on warehousing, I learned how to select the best physical storage systems, depending on the goods that require storing. Warehousing was one of the most enjoyable course units for me because I have always had a deep interest in warehousing, seeing as some of my relatives are warehouse managers, and I would visit them at work to learn how they run these storage facilities practically. I gained other important warehousing knowledge through this course by selecting the appropriate warehousing for different types of goods. For instance, choosing the appropriate storage systems for the slow and fast-moving products is critical because it helps minimize eventualities such as breakage or poor time management when accessing the goods. Through such knowledge, I can comfortably manage a warehouse if employed in one of the companies that deal with warehousing.
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Upon completing my degree, I will use the warehousing principles knowledge gained in the classroom to run a warehouse. I plan to seek employment through warehousing organizations because warehousing is my main interest in this course. Perhaps I should consider my relatives’ business because my relatives are likely to be handier in helping me learn the business instead of working in a warehouse where relationships among workers and with the management are impersonal and too formal. I want to seek employment before I start my business in the future because I believe I require much practical knowledge and apply the course concepts taught in class in the real world. For instance, one of the course concepts I will need to apply in warehousing will be storage systems for different goods. Examples of these systems include block-stacking, narrow aisle, push back, shuttle storage, mobile storage, and high-bay storage, among other storage systems. I believe that through practice, I will master the storage systems and enhance a business because proper storage helps prevent goods breakage and easy access, hence enhancing the customer-supplier relationship. Customers prefer prompt service; therefore, warehousing storage systems must be designed in a manner that allows quick and fast access to customer goods.
Through this course, I also learned how to manage relationships with customers, in the unit, customer-supplier relationship management. For instance, I learned how to acquire customers, maintain them, and provide them with quality supply chain management services. I learned that customer management requires strong interpersonal skills to acquire customers. The unit also included concepts on supplier improvement and development as well as how to manage supplier contracts. I strongly believe that this knowledge is critical in the supply chain management because it would help a professional develop a sustainable business model with the customers and enhance their services. As such, the course concepts of marketing are applicable, especially in customer acquisition.
I plan to apply customer and supplier management knowledge in my future career in supply chain management and logistics somehow. For example, I plan to apply the marketing techniques taught in the classroom to acquire customers. For instance, I should portray the business strengths in aspects such as reliable transport, quick delivery, and proper storage of goods for the customers. I believe that this knowledge is critical for my future career because I plan to establish my warehousing facilities eventually. Therefore, obtaining long-term customers is crucial for my future business. I also plan to use the knowledge taught on interpersonal skills to maintain customers and develop customer loyalty by exercising customer etiquette and delivering prompt and reliable service to customers. I sternly believe that one of the most important course concepts I will have to apply in the real world is how to develop a sustainable business model that incurs fewer costs and attracts high margins. I realize that one of the success points for such a business is proper storage and customer maintenance.
Another set of knowledge I gained from taking this course is transport management during the supply chain process. Important knowledge gained includes the economic significance of transportation in the supply chain process, transportation demand, supply, and how it affects the supply chain management's business processes. I also gained knowledge of the different types of carriers during supply, and how different commodities determine the type of transport carrier to use in the supply process. I also gained knowledge of containerization concepts and how to manage containers in a port, the processes followed, and appropriate container selection for different types of goods in international shipping and storage. I also had a deep interest in this unit because my relatives who own the warehousing business own a fleet of trucks for their logistics functions, and I could strongly relate to the knowledge gained because I have seen it in practice in a real business scenario.
I believe that I will need to apply the knowledge of transportation management in my future career. One of the most important course units that I will need to practice in my future business will be selecting the best transportation systems for the different goods in the warehouse and maintaining an active and reliable transportation network. Based on my observation in my relative's warehousing business, I realized that the organization tends to ensure that all goods transported by road are stacked firmly in the trucks to avoid the effects of inertia such as breakage. Therefore, I should invest in reliable trucks or fleets, which can do long mileage depending on customer location. I will also apply the knowledge gained on containerization and managing international shipping activities. My vision is to establish a shipping and warehousing company in the future. Therefore, the processes of containerization and proper storage will be handy in the real world.
Case Study Training
The course included case study training, which allowed learners to apply the course knowledge gained in simulated situations in the supply chain management discourse. I was particularly interested in the case studies because I found them enjoyable as they are somewhat stories, and I could relate these experiences with the experience I gained from observation of activities in my relatives' warehouse. The following are the lessons learned from the case studies training and how these lessons added to my overall learning experience:
Customer management is critical, and the first step is to develop proper interpersonal skills. Interpersonal skills are crucial in communication and customer management to help a business sustain its customer base. From the case studies, customer management was a critical aspect of the supply chain process, and I learned that disgruntled customers could end a business.
I learned that transportation is an integral part of the supply chain process and that choosing feasible transportation means is critical to a supply chain business's success. For instance, in some scenarios, transporting goods via the railroad is more feasible and economical than road or sea transport. This lesson increased my overall knowledge in the realm of supply chain transportation.
I learned that the procurement process requires thoroughness and the skill to procure the most affordable goods in overall costs. Professionals working in the procurement sector should also be upstanding citizens, because of the available loopholes for embezzlement of funds designated for procuring goods. I believe that this lesson added to my learning experience because it included the morality aspect of conducting the supply chain business.
Case Studies versus Theoretical Training
Case studies often involved stories or scenarios that are industry or course-specific. Therefore, they tend to be a more effective approach to learning compared to theoretical training. Theoretical training occurs in the classroom where students are taught the course concepts in theory form, without a chance to apply the knowledge in a real-world scenario, or in a case study, where they apply the lessons learned from the story. There is a higher value in applying the knowledge learned from a course in a case study compared to theoretical training for different reasons. Firstly, case studies often include stories, which are always intriguing to the learners. Stories have a way of piquing a reader’s interest because they are catchy. Since the learner enjoys the stories, it becomes easier for them to remember and apply the course concepts in the case study. For instance, a case study on the value of transportation in the supply chain process is likely to be memorable for the students because they value and enjoy the stories. Therefore, applying the knowledge on logistics and supply chain management learned in the story becomes easier and more practical for the student, almost as if they are real-world scenarios.
Secondly, applying the knowledge learned in the course in a case study is better than theoretical training because case studies tend to be holistic and comprehensive. Case studies provide the student with scenarios upon which they can apply different course concepts learned in the classroom, offering a holistic learning experience. Conversely, theoretical training provides the students with knowledge in different and separate bits because of the different topics covered. Therefore, the student cannot combine the course concepts and the knowledge gained in a real-world application scenario. However, with the case studies, applying the knowledge is holistic because the student applies various principles taught in the classroom in a given situation. For instance, a case study could present the student with a scenario that requires them to apply the principles of physical storage design, supplier, and customer management in the supply chain, the different aspects of containerization, and proper warehousing structures. Theoretical training limits the student’s ability to apply the knowledge holistically because the student learns the concepts separately.
Thirdly, case studies provide learners with an opportunity to solve course knowledge problems that arise in real-world scenarios. Simultaneously, theoretical training limits the student's ability to solve problems in a non-simulated experience. In most cases, case studies enable the student to consider the different ways to apply course knowledge and how to solve real-world problems related to their course. For instance, case studies in the supply chain management and logistics course include opportunities for the learners to develop solutions to a given problem. Theoretical training only allows the students an opportunity to theoretically describe a solution, without applying it in a scenario. Therefore, solving problems in case studies allows the students access to simulated real-world experiences and prepares them for their future careers more adequately compared to theoretical training. For example, a case study that requires the learner to design better physical storage systems would expose the student to better learning on course concepts in physical storage designs. Theoretical training only allows the student theoretical knowledge without application, limiting their professional capabilities when out in the real world. Therefore, case studies are more effective in learning compared to theoretical training. However, tutors should also consider starting with the theoretical training, which is important because it imparts the students' course knowledge. Case studies should follow theoretical pieces of training to help them apply the course knowledge, qualifying them for their future career prospects. Therefore, I strongly believe that the case study studied throughout this course, combined with direct observation in my relative’s warehouse, helped me understand the theoretical training in supply chain management and marketing taught in the course.
I feel ready to go out into the workforce and be competitive in the marketing and supply chain logistics and transportation field for several reasons. Firstly, I have prior experience through direct observation in my relative’s warehousing business. Since I started this course, I ensured that I visited the warehouse every month, for two days, to observe how my relatives ran the business and drew lessons from my observations. I also received a chance to apply the knowledge gained through theoretical training in my observations. For instance, during one of my visits to the warehouse, I noticed that a customer once stormed into the offices to demand a refund for the money paid for the company’s services.
The customer was disgruntled and heavily dissatisfied with the warehousing services provided. Some of the goods delivered to him were damp, leading to losses since he had to sell fewer quantities because of spoiled goods. Upon investigation, the management discovered that part of the warehouse had a leaking roof, which went unnoticed. Therefore, a section of the customer's goods was dampened by the rain, leading to losses because they spoiled. My uncle, who manages the warehouse's daily affairs, managed to appease the customer by offering a partial refund for the money paid for the services, acquired and replaced the spoiled goods for the customer, and repaired the leaking roof. The customer still warehouses with the business to date, meaning that he developed additional trust for the business and continued to do business with the warehouse after the customer service he received during his complaint. From this experience, I learned how to manage customers and the several aspects of running a physical warehouse to ensure that customer goods remain in good condition by ensuring that the physical space in which they are stored has minimal chances of spoiling goods. Based on this experience, I feel that I have gained substantial knowledge of warehousing through observation, and I am confident that given a chance to run a warehouse, I would perform well.
Secondly, I feel ready for a career in supply chain management and logistics based on the problem-solving skills learned from the case studies taught in the classroom. As mentioned before, case studies present learners with opportunities to solve problems based on the knowledge learned from theoretical training. The case studies covered throughout the course presented me with opportunities to apply problem-solving skills to different simulated scenarios in the supply chain processes. For instance, I can develop appropriate and functional physical storage designs that ensure that goods stored are safe and remain in good condition. I can also determine the best transportation means to use to deliver different goods. I can also manage customers by developing robust inter-personal skills and learn customer behavior to ensure that the business retains the customers and acquires more in the future. I also believe that I can easily perform a procurement role should I find myself working in a procurement department. The different units covered in this course enable me to explore different career opportunities within the realm of supply chain and logistics management, as well as business marketing.
Thirdly, I feel ready for a career in the supply chain management workforce because I have a deep interest in the profession. As mentioned earlier, I have been visiting my relative’s warehouse since I started this course to learn through observation. I realized that I developed a strong affinity for this profession based on how I saw business conducted and how easy the supply chain processes are when there is proper management and theoretical knowledge application. My interest in this career path inspired me to constantly seek additional and practical knowledge through observation at the warehouse. Therefore, I strongly believe that the exposure I have had thus far prepares me to be a competitive professional in my future career prospects. I also think that I am ready because I am willing to learn through professional experience and I will invest time and energy in learning while in the field, to prepare myself for my future business in warehousing and supply chain management and logistics. I have my future career goals insight, which is to establish my company, and with the experience I will gain through employment, I am certain my career will flourish.
