The Kelley School of Business will add supply chain management as a concentration in the Evening MBA Program, which holds classes on the IUPUI campus and in Carmel. The school currently offers an undergraduate degree concentration.
“More and more companies today have to worry about a network of customers, suppliers and distributors that spans the globe—that makes supply chain management a critical part of doing business,” said Mohan Tatikonda, associate professor of operations and technology management at the Kelley School of Business at Indianapolis.
Logistics and supply chain management not only drive the world economy, but also offer a sustainable competitive advantage to manufacturers and distributors who rely on them. For Indiana, with its location in the heart of the Midwest, this industry has been an important economic force that provides jobs, which in turn support the local economy. It is for this reason that in June of 2007, the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), an alliance of chief executive officers of major regional employers and university presidents, launched Conexus Indiana. Conexus Indiana works to develop a highly skilled manufacturing workforce, create industry collaborations to explore new business opportunities and market Indiana’s manufacturing and logistics strengths.
“In Central Indiana alone, logistics employment is projected to grow 20% over the next five years—we believe that Kelley graduates will be leading this trend, and help solidify Indiana’s position as a global supply chain hub,” Tatikonda said. “Because of our geography and infrastructure, Central Indiana’s logistics sector is growing and creating a demand for talent that we can help meet.”
