Earning a Supply Chain Management Degree

Earning a Supply Chain Management Degree Supply chain management involves overseeing aspects of the supply chain. A supply chain is a network of interconnected businesses. Each business contributes one aspect of the chain, from production to the procurement of raw materials to the transportation of materials to the manufacturing process to the consumer market to the final act of consumption. The ultimate goal of supply chain management is to make this chain run efficiently and effectively while reducing costs and delivering customer satisfaction. What a Supply Chain Management Degree Is A supply chain management degree is a type of post-secondary degree awarded to students who have completed a college, university, or business school program that focuses on the management of supply chain activities. Types of Supply Chain Management Degrees There are three basic types of supply chain management degrees that can be earned from a college, university, or business school: Bachelors Degree in Supply Chain Management - A bachelors degree program with a specialization in supply chain management consists of general education courses in addition to courses that focus exclusively on logistics and supply chain management. Although accelerated and part-time programs are available, most bachelors programs take approximately four years to complete.Masters Degree in Supply Chain Management - A masters degree or MBA degree program in supply chain management usually consists of general business courses in addition to specialized courses in supply chain management. Masters program traditionally takes two years to complete; accelerated programs can usually be completed in less time.Doctorate Degree in Supply Chain Management - A doctorate program in supply chain management requires intense study and research. These programs usually take three to five years to complete, though program length can vary. An associates degree is sufficient for many entry-level supply chain management and logistician positions. However, a bachelors degree is becoming a more common requirement, especially for more advanced positions. A masters degree or MBA in supply chain management may be the best option for individuals interested in leadership positions. Earning a Supply Chain Management Degree Supply chain management degrees can be found through online and campus-based programs. Many business schools with an MBA program offer concentrations in supply chain management. Bachelors degree programs can also be found at a number of colleges and universities. The best supply chain and logistics programs  offer a targeted education, experienced faculty, and career assistance. Using Your Supply Chain Management Degree Many people who earn a supply chain management degree go on to oversee aspects of a supply chain. They may work for a specific company or firm or may be self-employed as a consultant. Popular positions for supply chain management graduates include: Logistician - Logisticians, or logistics managers as they are also known, are responsible for analyzing and coordinating a company’s supply chain. They manage nearly every aspect of the chain, including procurement of the product, distribution, allocation, and delivery. More than half of all logisticians work for the government or manufacturing firms.Supply Chain Analyst - Also known as project specialists or supply chain coordinators, supply chain analysts are responsible for monitoring, analyzing, and improving supply chain processes. They predict how logistics will work, oversee operations, and then make a recommendation to make everything better. Most supply chain analysts work for manufacturers or logistics services providers.Transportation Manager - Transportation managers oversee the loading, storage, and transportation of goods. Their main responsibility is to make sure things get where they need to go, but they are also responsible for controlling expenses and ensurin g transport operates within the law. Professional Associations Joining a professional organization is a good way to learn more about the field of supply chain management. As a member of an association, you can meet other people in the field and talk to them about their experiences. As you build your network, you may be able to find a mentor who can offer guidance as you earn your degree and enter the career field. Two professional associations that you may want to consider include: Council of Supply Chain Management - The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) is a professional association of supply chain management professionals. They offer education, news, career information, networking opportunities, and much more.APICS - APICS, the Association for Operations Management, offers certification programs for supply chain professionals. Certification options include the APICS Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) program, the APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) program, and the APICS Certified Fellow in Production and Inventory Management (CFPIM) program.

What You Need to Know About Mad Cow Disease

What You Need to Know About Mad Cow Disease When it comes to Mad Cow Disease, its difficult to separate fact from fiction and hard data from supposition. Part of the problem is political and economical, but a lot of it is based in biochemistry. The infectious agent that causes Mad Cow Disease isnt easy to characterize or destroy. Plus, it can be hard to sort through all of the different acronyms used for the scientific and medical terms. Heres a summary of what you need to know: What is Mad Cow Disease Mad Cow Disease (MCD) is Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), except that Mad Cow Disease is much easier to pronounce!The disease is caused by prions.Prions can cross between species (although not all species get diseases from them). Cattle get the disease from eating infected food, such as feed that contains rendered parts of infected sheep. Yes, cattle are grazing creatures, but their diets may be supplemented with protein from another animal source.Cattle dont immediately get sick from eating the prions. It can take months or years for Mad Cow Disease to develop. Tell Me About Prions Simply put, prions are proteins that can cause disease.Prions arent alive, so you cant kill them. Proteins can be inactivated by denaturing them (e.g., extreme heat, certain chemical agents), but these same processes usually destroy food, so there isnt an effective method to decontaminate beef.Prions naturally occur in your body, so they are not recognized as foreign and dont stimulate the immune system. They have the potential to cause disease, but wont automatically harm you.Disease-causing prions may physically contact normal prions, altering them so that they too can cause disease. The mechanism of prion action is not well understood. How Do You Get Mad Cow Disease? Technically, you cant get Mad Cow Disease or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, because you arent a cow. People who get a disease from exposure to the prion develop a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) known as vCJD. You can develop CJD randomly or from a genetic mutation, completely unrelated to Mad Cow Disease. MCD, BSE, CJD, and vCJD are all members of a class of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE).It appears that some people are genetically pre-disposed toward developing TSEs. This means that the risk of contracting the disease is not equal for all people. Some people may be more at risk; others may have a natural protection.CJD occurs randomly in about one out of a million people.The inherited version of CJD accounts for about 5-10% of all cases.vCJD may be passed on by tissue implants and theoretically by blood transfusion or blood products. Beef Safety It is not known how much beef has to be eaten to cause infection.Nerve tissue (e.g., brain) and various ground meat products and by-products carry the infectious agents.Muscle tissue (meat) may carry the infectious agent.Rendering or processing foods can (with difficulty) destroy prions.Normal cooking will not destroy prions. What Does the Disease Do in People? TSEs, including vCJD, kill neurons in the brain.The diseases have a long incubation period (months to years), so there is a long time between the point of infection and contracting the actual disease.The death of neurons causes the brain to appear like a sponge (areas of open space between groups of cells).All TSEs are presently incurable and fatal.vCJD affects younger patients than CJD (average age 29 years for vCJD, as opposed to 65 years for CJD) and has a longer duration of illness (14 months as opposed to 4.5 months). How Can I Protect Myself? Avoid eating parts of the cow that are likely to carry the infection (brain, ground products, which could include hot dogs, bologna, or certain luncheon meats).Remember that it is possible that muscle may carry the disease, although it would carry the prion in much lower quantities. Its your choice whether to eat beef or not.Milk and milk products are believed to be safe. Be Careful What You Eat Dont eat processed meat from an unknown source. The manufacturer listed on the label is not necessarily the source of the meat. Mad Cow Disease affects nervous tissue. Until it is known whether only the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) or whether the peripheral nervous system (e.g., nerves that are in muscles) are affected, there may be risk involved in eating any parts of infected beef. That is not to say that eating beef is unsafe! Eating steaks, roasts, or burgers known to have been made from uninfected herds is perfectly safe. However, it may be harder to know the origins of the meat in processed meat products.