Working with Nike: A Practicum Project on Inventory Management

UW Foster Master of Supply Chain Management students offer a fresh perspective at Nike practicum

“The practicum provides us with an invaluable platform to showcase our expertise in supply chain management. When I shared this experience with recruiters, they were truly captivated by our story,” shared Sandeep Relangi from the Class of 2023.

It may come as a surprise that even industry giant Nike faces challenges in supply chain planning and inventory management. With support from a Master of Supply Chain Management alum who is now working there, Nike turned to a team of five students from the UW Foster School of Business Master of Supply Chain Management for a fresh perspective.

The students were eager to apply skills they gained over the last few months, including critical thinking, data analysis, teamwork, and supply chain expertise, to propose an improved process flow.

Real-World Issues Prepare Students for Hands-On Professions

Facing a real-world supply chain challenge in a practical business context initially left our students uncertain, a situation that ultimately equipped them with valuable skills sought after by recruiters. Sandeep remarked, “Solutions arise only once you can identify the problems, which were initially a bit ambiguous.”

Professor Apurva Jain, who leads the practicum class, supported the students to help them drive the project forward. The students realized they first needed to ask critical questions. Questions like “What can Nike change in their supply chain operations?” and “How quickly can the proposed solutions be implemented?” paved the way for progress.

Additionally, working as a team helped the students to develop leadership skills and foster open-mindedness, leading to productive collaboration. The students devised a solution that minimized dead inventory and improved sales opportunities by leveraging Prof. Jain’s strategic guidance and applying their knowledge of lean methodology and process improvement.

Discover More about the Program’s Practicum

The practicum is a dynamic and project-based component of the MSCM program. It empowers students to apply their field knowledge and leverage their past work experiences to tackle crucial supply chain challenges various companies face.

Delve deeper into the UW Foster Master of Supply Chain Management’s curriculum by exploring our comprehensive curriculum overview.

Originally published at https://blog.foster.uw.edu on August 14, 2023.