Abstract
Supply Chain Management (SCM) exists today as a practical and possible management approach because of the exponential growth in information technology (IT) capabilities and the proliferation of their use. From a curricular perspective, U.S. academic programs in supply chain typically focus on traditional business content (economics, accounting, finance, operations management, etc.), with additional content in supply chain structure, governance, strategy, logistics and distribution, inventory management, and information systems, among others. Frequently, these courses incorporate pre-built simulation exercises to illustrate key supply chain strategic managerial concepts. However, when students have the opportunity to build their own simulation models of a unique supply chain, they gain additional insights about that supply chain’s network structure, interrelationships, process behaviors, and everyday operating difficulties by learning how to gather sample process data, describe process behavior with probability distributions, and interpret supply chain performance by evaluating simulation output data. In this paper, the value of teaching SCM students to build their own supply chain simulation models will be explored. The evolution of SCM as a science will be described, the difference between building and using simulation models will be examined, the pros and cons of simulation modeling inclusion within a graduate-level SCM academic program will be discussed, and the effectiveness of this curricular content based on student survey data will be evaluated.
Recommended Citation
Lovelace, Cynthia R.
(2019)
"The Inclusion of Simulation Modeling Within a Supply Chain Management Curriculum: Some Considerations,"
Journal of Business, Industry, and Economics: Vol. 24, Article 8.
Available at:
https://roar.una.edu/jobie/vol24/iss1/8