What is Supply Chain and Why I Chose it

“What is Supply Chain?” is one of the most common questions in our world today, considering the current state surrounding the topic. The answer to this question should seem simple, but it is more complex than we think. The reason this is such a broad question is that there are many facets of supply chain enveloping this topic. In this article, I will explore what supply chain consists of and why I chose to pursue a degree in it.

What is Supply Chain?

Dictionary.com defines supply chain as “the entire system of processes and resources required to produce and sell a product from start to finish, typically starting with raw materials and ending with the customer in possession of the product”. In even simpler terms, it is getting a product from a starting point to its final destination, and it includes everything in between. What happens without this process? Unfortunately, we have seen the answer to that question in the year 2020 and the repercussions that followed.

The cover photo above outlines the process of supply chain as a whole. It illustrates the transportation side of supply chain. How do you get a good from the supplier to a manufacturer, a manufacturer to a distributor, and so forth? Through one of these five modes of transportation-

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I have seen first-hand in my internship the importance of trucking in the transportation industry. Many of you have probably seen the infamous semi-trucks on the highways labeled “Sysco” but have maybe not thought much beyond the food and produce photo displays on the trucks. These trucks play a vital role in the supply chain in our company and can transport dry, cool, and frozen goods across the country.

Sysco is the #1 leader in food distribution. I believe a successful and efficient supply chain is how we achieved this top ranking. We have an understanding that food does not just magically show up to a customer- it takes a methodical process and planning for a customer to receive their desired product. One of these processes is procurement, which is the functional area that my internship is focused on. Procurement starts with the relationship you have with your suppliers first. Then the strategic sourcing process, where data and information are gathered. Finally, its focus is on the ordering cycle which is when product orders get placed, received, and paid. These three processes make up just one area of supply chain: procurement. There are even more areas such as warehousing, operations, and demand planning. Supply chain covers a lot of ground, and I think that is why it is so difficult to wrap up into one sentence, definition, or even article.

Why I chose Supply Chain

When I began the enrollment process as a freshman at the University of Arkansas, these were the only two things I knew about supply chain: 1. it was ranked the number one supply chain program at Arkansas and 2. it was beginning to become more talked about due to the pandemic’s effect on the process of it. It was one topic that immediately sparked my interest because no one could fully articulate to me what exactly it was. So, I wanted to figure that out for myself. Most people have something come to mind when they hear “marketing”, “accounting”, “economics”, or other common business majors, but the conversation tends to go silent when “supply chain management” is mentioned as a desired pursuit of a degree. The more I learn about this field of business in school and work, the more I find it interesting. It is an industry that businesses cannot live without and one that must be managed well. I am excited to continue to learn more about the topic through my summer internship with Sysco and as I enter my senior year in the Supply Chain Department at Arkansas.

The following link further explains what supply chain is and dives deeper into the process of it: