Home > Degree Programs > College of Business > Operations & Supply Chain Management

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Helpful articles and useful tips for adults considering a college degree.

Thank you for signing up for our newsletter!

You will soon receive an email
confirming your request.

Operations & Supply Chain Management

Franklin University Operations and Supply Chain Management degree program banner Program OverviewProgram DetailsWhy Choose Franklin

Supply competitive edge with efficient end-to-end execution

Sam Walton took Walmart from a five-and-dime to a global megacorp by deep discounting – a strategy made possible because of lean, efficient operations and an innovative supply chain. Sam knew that the seemingly obvious things done remarkably well can add up to a competitive advantage.

Today, companies large and small are looking for that same advantage in execution-oriented professionals with the know-how to deliver the best products at the best cost in the best time.

Change the trajectory of your career with in-demand skills

Franklin’s Operations & Supply Chain Management (OSCM) Degree Program prepares you to get it done. You’ll learn what it takes behind the scenes to streamline every step from raw material to consumption so you can make a real difference to the customer out front.

Along the way, you’ll acquire a set of highly sought-after skills in the areas of demand planning, quality management, procurement, supply chain optimization, strategic sourcing, transportation and logistics, and materials and inventory management.

Manage your end-to-end success with our highly relevant curriculum

You’ll also learn how to handle growing global issues, such as meeting developing countries’ need for goods while overcoming such barriers as dwindling natural resources and insufficient supply chain infrastructure.

Franklin’s OSCM coursework will expose you to in-demand quality management methods, such as Six Sigma, Total Quality Management (TQM), and Theory of Constraints (TOC) and production practices like Lean and Just-in-time (JIT). You’ll learn how to direct transportation, logistics, outsourcing, and other operations functions while you deepen your skills in managing projects and programs.

Because Franklin’s OSCM curriculum addresses relevant issues and trends facing the industry, you’ll be amply prepared to tackle key issues while bringing thought leadership to the table. For example, our curriculum teaches you how to integrate environmental thinking throughout the supply chain, from green-friendly product design and material sourcing to responsible end-of-life management.

Get hands-on learning from instructors with real-world experience

Franklin’s OSCM Major goes beyond just theory, too. You’ll gain practical experience through hands-on project assignments, such as the capstone project in which you’ll research and develop an end-to-end plan to produce and deliver a product.

With credentialed practitioners providing instruction and an Advisory Board comprised of VPs and Division heads of Fortune 500 companies, such as Cardinal Health and UPS, you will have access to some of the best talent and experience in the industry. Plus, you can choose to gain additional insights from networking with members of professional societies like Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) and Association for Operations Management (APICS).

Earn your degree from a university built for busy adults

Earn your degree on your terms by taking classes 100% online or pursue available coursework at one of our eleven Midwest locations. Regionally accredited and nonprofit, Franklin was built from the ground-up to satisfy the needs of adult learners. Our seamless transfer process and team of academic advisors will help ease your transition to becoming a student, while our flexible course schedules help to balance your education with work, family, and life. Get started on your future today!

Gain The Skills Employers Desire

  • Demand Planning & Forecasting
    • Provide demand forecast analyses for volume, levels, and capacity, ensuring timely delivery of goods and services, and inventory replenishment
    • Leverage historical performance, such as point-of-sale data, statistical models, and collaborative insight, to develop and manage forecasts
    • Prepare key performance indicators (KPIs), building consensus of demand forecasts to maximize sales and balance inventory
    • Design and implement rigorous processes and activities for forecasting, planning, and analysis using trends, competitive position, and demand-signal data
    • Support and deliver total demand plans through sales and operations planning cycles
    • Develop critical forecast accuracy metrics using root-cause analyses and corrective action planning to improve forecast accuracy
  • Quality Management
    • Support continuous improvement strategies and initiatives, leveraging methodologies such as theory of constraints (TOC), Lean and Six Sigma
    • Lead continuous improvement activities throughout the supply chain value stream to improve competitive positioning
    • Develop green strategies and operational improvements to increase scalability, efficiency, and effectiveness of processes
    • Enhance operations, improve service delivery, and increase performance and output through efficient scheduling, vendor performance, and adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs)
    • Deploy strategies to reduce future cost structure and improve process performance
    • Understand and document business issues, identifying improvement opportunities, proposing changes, and delivering end-user training
  • Planning & Procurement
    • Manage key supplier relationships, including vendor selection, contract negotiation, performance monitoring, and issues resolution
    • Use Excel, Access, linear programming models, and various other analytics in understanding costs, savings, service, and operational impact
    • Prepare and review contracts and supplier agreements, consulting with legal counsel to ensure accuracy of supplier pricing, specifications, and terms
    • Ensure the cost- and time-efficient purchase of goods and services in accordance with green procurement policies and procedures and supplier agreements
    • Understand and leverage current market trends, such as environmentally sustainable purchasing, identifying opportunities and sources for cost savings based on volume, process, and/or market-based pricing
    • Create, issue, and evaluate request for information (RFI), request for quote (RFQ), and request for proposal (RFP) responses, facilitating the process through vendor selection, including building consensus and resolving conflict
  • Supply Chain Optimization
    • Leverage models to translate outputs into realistic business insights, perform what-if scenarios, and drive business recommendations and decisions
    • Formulate, implement, and continuously improve end-to-end supply chain operations at the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) in order to achieve business objectives
    • Adopt and/or manage green supply chains, including forecasting, product release execution, fulfillment, distribution, inventory management, and logistics, to reduce waste and improve efficiencies
    • Establish sourcing strategies consistent with strategic business objectives, continuous improvement processes, and cost-reduction efforts
    • Ensure seamless, efficient supply chain operations based on a collaborative planning forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) process, minimizing operation costs, and achieving competitive service levels and cycle times
    • Drive initiatives from idea development to implementation management, including supply chain modeling and solution development
    • Develop tactical plans that align with business objectives and support current capabilities and sourcing strategies
  • Strategic Sourcing
    • Track and measure supplier performance and contract compliance to leverage spend, standardize service, and reduce supply base
    • Evaluate market conditions, implementing sourcing, and spend management strategies to proactively mitigate risks and reduce costs
    • Implement sourcing strategies and cost initiatives to achieve year-over-year improvements in cost, quality, delivery, and cycle time performance
    • Develop and execute optimal global commodity and supplier strategies using a structured sourcing process that includes cost reductions, quality improvements, increased safety, supplier diversity, and green procurement
    • Identify cost-reduction opportunities using best-practice techniques, such as total cost of ownership (TCO), should-cost modeling, value analysis, supplier rationalization, item rationalization, demand management, and make/buy and lease/buy analysis
  • Transportation & Logistics
    • Develop and support transportation planning and improvement processes to optimize cost, mode and flow, and ensure consistent, world-class service and delivery
    • Model and optimize freight and sku movement through the supply chain
    • Analyze logistics, carrier performance, scorecards, costs, service standards, and processes for international and domestic inbound and outbound deliveries
    • Manage in-country air and ground transportation requirements, overseeing tactical transportation service
    • Ensure efficient, economical and green flow of goods, services, and information from point of origin to point of destination
    • Investigate and recommend green transportation initiatives such as the SmartWay program and the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance
    • Support information connectivity among suppliers and providers to enhance satisfaction and value through technology-driven services
  • Materials & Inventory Management
    • Maintain accurate inventory controls through continuous improvement in cycle-counting, physical inventory management, and inventory tracking
    • Enhance material flow to ensure availability of supplies and equipment using lean inventory techniques such as Kanban
    • Optimize materials scheduling, delivery, supplier response, and lead time to reduce expenses and improve service levels
    • Ensure materials requirements planning (MRP) accuracy by analyzing SAP/APO (ECC/SCM) systems and master data
    • Perform comprehensive analyses of inventory transactions and material forecasting, identifying deficiencies and obsolescence risk while driving improvements
    • Drive new product introduction programs, ensuring approvals and release through product lifecycle management and enterprise resource planning systems
    • Maintain integrated asset management programs and appropriate inventory levels in consideration of cost, storage space, and delivery lead time, ensuring consistent and timely availability of resources

Career Opportunities

  • Chief Operating Officer

    Chief Operating Officers provide strategic thinking, set long-range goals, and oversee daily operations to ensure efficiency and profitability.

    View Salary Trends
  • Director of Operations

    Directors of Operations ensure that staff successfully carry out business policies and imperatives.

    View Salary Trends
  • Logistics Manager

    Logistics Managers oversee the work of teams responsible for receiving and/or delivering products, ensuring cost-efficient and effective transport and handling.

    View Salary Trends
  • Product Manager

    Product Managers determine product strengths and weaknesses, developing strategies to effectively promote the product.

    View Salary Trends
  • Project Manager

    Project Managers ensure that project goals are accomplished and that project teams adhere to project schedules, timelines, and budgets.

    View Salary Trends
  • Sales Manager

    Sales Managers oversee the activities of the sales staff, ensuring sales goals are set and met.

    View Salary Trends
  • Supply Chain Manager

    Supply Chain Managers direct the planning of procurement, production, inventory control, logistics, and distribution.

    View Salary Trends
  • Procurement Manager

    Procurement Managers handle the ordering of goods and services, including processing requests for purchases, locating suppliers and preparing invitations to bid.

    View Salary Trends
  • Transportation Manager

    Transportation Managers hire, coach, supervise, and manage truck drivers, and supervise employees tasked with loading and unloading transport vehicles.

    View Salary Trends
  • Inventory Manager

    Inventory Managers oversee the tracking and replenishing of merchandise in warehouse, stores, facilities, and food service establishments.

    View Salary Trends

Employment Outlook

In 2010 there were 125,269 job openings related to Operations & Supply Chain Management. That same year, 5,276 students completed programs in Operations & Supply Chain Management.

In 2010 there were 125,269 job openings related to Operations & Supply Chain Management. That same year, 5,276 students completed programs in Operations & Supply Chain Management.
Occupations Job Openings (2010) Expected Growth
(2010-2020)
Computer and Information Systems Managers 14,569 18.3%
Industrial Production Managers 9,555 9.3%
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers 19,857 8.6%
Logisticians 7,202 32%
Gaming Supervisors 2,199 20.5%
First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers 14,495 18.5%
Power Distributors and Dispatchers 734 3.1%
Power Plant Operators 2,513 2.4%
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators 1,253 2.1%
Gas Plant Operators 1,140 10.3%
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers 3,407 2%
Plant and System Operators, All Other 634 2.3%
Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors 505 15.1%
First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Hand Laborers and Material Movers 9,147 20.8%
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators 8,531 9.6%

Source information provided by Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI)

Our Recipe For Your Success

Academic & Industry Experts

Classes are taught and designed by credentialed professionals with real-world experience.
 

  • Programs are designed by combining the insight of industry leaders with the academic expertise of our faculty, ensuring what you learn translates into on-the-job success.

  • Academic concepts and theories are brought to life through our teaching faculty’s professional expertise, and can be immediately applied in your career.

  • Faculty with industry experience teach our courses, not graduate students or life-time academics, so you learn not only the theories behind the practice but also how to apply them in real-world situations.

Relevant & Consistent Curriculum

What you learn is a reflection of the program you choose, not the format in which it’s applied.
 

  • All programs are designed for learning outcomes to flow from the program level into actual coursework.

  • This top-down approach allows credentialed professionals to customize assignments based on trending industry topics without deviating from a program’s core outcomes.

  • Regardless of your professor or the format of your class, you receive the same quality education.

Hands-On Learning Experience

Franklin's coursework teaches not only theories and concepts, but also how they apply to practical situations.

 

  • Professional course designers ensure that class activities such as learning simulations, case studies, interactive videos, and group exercises are relevant and appropriate.

  • A curriculum development team is dedicated to making sure all courses are intuitively designed so content is taught in a logical manner that facilitates your success in the classroom and beyond.

Continuously Evolving Programs

Consistent program reviews ensure our programs stay at the forefront of industry trends.
 

  • Survey results and feedback from student and faculty assessments are reviewed regularly so that our programs are always improving and up-to-date.

  • A structured review process helps identify industry gaps that guide curriculum enhancements allowing our academic and industry experts to regularly implement new industry trends.

  • Regular assessment provides hard data that is used to improve student learning and teaching methods.

Get the details

Read course descriptions, learn about degree options, and meet program faculty.

View Program Details