UCF Supply Chain Management Programs: An Overview

In today's rapidly evolving digital economy, robust supply chain and logistics management is paramount for industries striving for competitiveness and agility. The University of Central Florida (UCF) offers various programs and resources designed to equip students and professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in this critical field. These include undergraduate minors, specialized workshops, and career development resources.

Supply Chain/Logistics Engineering Minor at UCF

The Supply Chain/Logistics Engineering minor at UCF is meticulously crafted to provide Engineering students with essential skills applicable in the dynamic landscape of supply chain management. This program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the key elements within supply chains and the engineering principles that drive optimization. The curriculum encompasses a range of courses designed to provide a deep understanding of supply chain optimization, simulation, production and distribution strategies, and logistics planning.

The minor requires students to complete specific coursework, including:

ESI 4312 Deterministic Operations Research (OR): This course is centered on deterministic models aimed at optimization within operations, providing students with tools for making informed decisions.
ESI 4523 Systems Simulation: This course covers the fundamental principles of discrete-event simulation, a critical skill for analyzing and improving complex systems.
EIN 4333 Production and Distribution: This course focuses on production processes and distribution strategies that are vital in supply chain networks, giving students a holistic view of how goods are produced and delivered.
ESI 4322 Supply Chain Engineering: This course offers an in-depth understanding of supply chain systems and engineering approaches for optimization, equipping students with the knowledge to design and manage efficient supply chains.
ESI 4346 Engineering Logistics: This course examines logistics planning, transportation, and warehousing, essential components for ensuring efficient supply chains, and providing students with practical knowledge in these areas.
EIN 4545 Industrial Engineering Applications in the Service Industries: This course offers practical applications of engineering principles in service settings or focuses on project management skills for engineering projects.

Key Topics and Capabilities in Procurement and Supply Management

UCF also provides workshops focused on procurement and supply management, designed to equip business leaders with frameworks and strategies for improving business results. These workshops address the significant expenses and administrative oversight typically associated with the procurement function in many companies.

These workshops aim to provide today’s business leaders with frameworks and strategies for improving business results. Given that for many companies, the majority of their expenses and administrative oversight are applied to the Procurement function, these workshops offer invaluable insights into optimizing this critical area.

Expert Insights

These workshops often feature insights from industry leaders such as Chris Sawchuk, a Principal and Global Procurement Advisory Practice Leader at The Hackett Group. With over 20 years of experience in supply management, Sawchuk has worked with numerous Fortune 500 and midsized companies to enhance all aspects of their supply management practices. The Hackett Group, a strategic consultancy known for its extensive enterprise benchmarking studies, provides services including business transformation, enterprise performance management, working capital management, and global business services.

College of Business Admission Requirements

For students interested in pursuing a business major at UCF, it's important to understand the admission requirements for the College of Business. Admission into UCF does not automatically guarantee admission into the College of Business, as it is a restricted access college.

Primary Business Core

To be considered for a College of Business major, students must complete the Primary Business Core at UCF or an AACSB accredited institution. Based upon the interests and skills identified in GEB 3006 (or GEB 3003 for earlier catalog years) and academic performance in the Primary Business Core classes, students will select and request admission to a specific business major.

Grade Requirements

Due to the highly specialized nature of the Accounting, Finance, Management, and Marketing majors, interested candidates must show mastery of the subject matter, as demonstrated by a 3.0 GPA in the five Primary Core classes. Additionally, a grade of at least a B “3.0” is required in the introductory course of the desired major, and a minimum grade of C “2.0” is required in each of the five Primary Core classes. Upon admission into the Accounting, Finance, Management, and Marketing majors, a minimum grade of C “2.0” is required in all coursework in the program. All students, upon successful completion of the Primary Business Core classes with a minimum GPA of 2.0 are eligible to enter the Economics, Integrated Business, and Real Estate majors.

Secondary Business Core and Career Professionalism Series

After selecting a specific business major and receiving college approval to enter the major, students will begin taking coursework in their selected major. All business majors require 27 credit hours of coursework in the major. In addition, all students will complete the Secondary Business Core and the remaining three courses in the Career Professional Series. The Secondary Business Core courses are designed to ensure that students have a solid understanding of the various functions of business and the environment in which the enterprise operates. In order to prepare students for their post college career, students will also complete the Career Professionalism Series that began with GEB 3006: Career Development and Financial Planning. Career decisions relating to choice of major and programs of study are often time consuming and haphazard. This course provides personal reflection and decision making skills to help you successfully navigate educational and on-going career challenges. Students will finalize the implementation of their career plan and learn what to do after they get their entry-level job to manage their career.

Department of Management

The primary objective of the Department of Management is to educate students in the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to perform the basic tasks of management. Admittance into the College of Business after completion of the admission requirements. Admission to UCF does not equate to admission to the College of Business Administration (CBA). After receiving admission to UCF, students must qualify to be admitted to CBA and therefore all students enter the University as a ‘pre’ business major. This applies regardless of the specific business major a student intends to pursue. Complete GEB 3006 Career Development and Financial Planning. Management is a broad business degree that can lead to many career opportunities. Develop and utilize a personal network of contacts.

Supply Chain Management Fundamentals

Understanding the fundamentals of supply chain management is crucial for professionals aiming to excel in this field. Key areas include customer demand forecasting, master production scheduling (MPS), material requirements planning (MRP), capacity planning, and production activity control (PAC).

Certification and Systems

Professional certification is an important aspect of supply chain management. APICS, the professional society for supply change management (SCM) practitioners, offers valuable certifications. Understanding the concept of an operating system and the use of a supply chain is also essential. Material Resources Planning (MRPII) plays a critical role in an organization by creating a logical structure for information, activities, and material flow.

Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP)

Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) is a dynamic process that can significantly enhance an organization's performance. It complements MRPII by providing a framework for aligning sales and operations, identifying key focus areas, and reaping the benefits of following the S&OP cycle.

Forecasting

Forecasting is a prediction based on scientific observation. Understanding customer demand, setting forecasting objectives, and creating a process to develop and update weekly or monthly forecasts are critical steps. Key components of demand include averages, linear trend, seasonality, and cyclical, irregular, and random factors. Qualitative forecasting techniques, such as the Delphi method, panel consensus, and historical analogy, are valuable tools. Quantitative forecasting methods involve time series (simple and weighted moving average and exponential smoothing) and associative methods (linear regression and multiple regression analysis). Advanced forecasting topics include macroforecasting, focus forecasting, and pyramid forecasting. Developing forecasts for new products and using techniques to effectively control forecasts are also important.

Strategy and the Production Plan

Developing and using a Gantt chart, understanding basic scheduling principles, and overcoming production schedule challenges are essential for effective production planning. Priority rules are used to sequence work orders, manage shop loading, and control lead-time.

Master Production Scheduling (MPS)

The master production schedule (MPS) breaks down the production plan in greater detail. A master scheduler converts the production schedule to an MPS, applies a final assembly schedule, and uses available-to-promise (ATP) to satisfy customer orders. Measuring and controlling the MPS is crucial for keeping it on track.

Material Requirements Planning (MRP)

Material requirements planning (MRP) is a vital process for managing dependent demand, bills of materials, and inventory records. MRP reports and schedules help in lot-sizing MRP orders and implementing MRP effectively.

Capacity Planning

Effective capacity planning involves managing both the present and the future. Balancing flexibility with capability is essential. Strategic capacity management, rough-cut capacity planning (RCCP), and capacity requirements planning (CRP) are used to define, plan, measure, and control output.

Production Activity Control (PAC)

Production activity control (PAC) activates all plans, including the MPS, MRP, and capacity plan. The PAC cycle and its requirements and benefits are crucial. Backward and forward scheduling, bottleneck management, and set up optimization are key aspects of PAC. Linear programming can be used to schedule products when facing supply and demand constraints. Production scheduling and control (PSC) is the part of PAC that carries out planning, integrating all stages from the business plan.

Lead-Time Management

Understanding the components of lead-time and successfully controlling it are critical for efficient production activity control.

College of Central Florida (CF)

The College of Central Florida (CF) offers an Associate of Science program with broad-based content reflecting the cross-functional relationships prevalent in supply chain management. Emphasis is placed on understanding the planning, acquisition, flow, and distribution of goods and services while managing the complexity of operational linkages in a fast-paced global supply chain. CF is ranked in the top 1% for affordability across the United States, with low tuition rates and more than $1 million in scholarships awarded every year.

Career Development

Career decisions relating to choice of major and programs of study are often time consuming and haphazard. GEB 3006: Career Development and Financial Planning provides personal reflection and decision making skills to help students successfully navigate educational and on-going career challenges. Students will finalize the implementation of their career plan and learn what to do after they get their entry-level job to manage their career.

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