Tag: Life at Olin



When I first told someone I was going to be a part of this great program called Masters in Supply Chain Management, they gave me a strange look and wondered if I will be ferrying boxes for a logistics company.

Of course, it is not all about managing logistics or suppliers. The program is a mixture of business decision making, operations management, suppliers, demand, inventory, optimization, corporate strategy, finance and accounting. And when you are tired of those you can diversify into honing your skills in leading change or negotiations and conflict management.

As a proud member of the MSSCM community, I can say one thing for sure, there are many things about the program that make you want a career in supply chain management. The small class size not only promotes individual growth but also gives you an opportunity to truly learn from working with a diverse mix of classmates who are geniuses in their own right.

Prof. Sergio Chayet

Prof. Sergio Chayet

I spent some time wondering today how my not-so-long journey through the program has shaped me and there are already a list of highlights that I can share. I remember sitting in Sergio Chayet’s seminar session back in February 2014 before joining the program and thinking to myself, this is going to be amazing. The summer course in Operations Management sealed the deal for me on my belief in supply chain management as a career.

The course is lovingly dubbed as a rite of passage for all supply chain and MBA operations platform students, specifically our very first group case. I remember spending hours with my team analyzing, assessing, thinking and finally arriving at a revelation that operations is not only amazing but invigorating. The next few sessions will expand your understanding of operations all the way from auto manufacturing, hospitals to consumer goods.

2013-11-21 04.22.53-2If you are wondering why else should I be in this class – The Beer Game. There is beer, a game and there are awards! There is also an important lesson in operations which will remain etched in memory for many years to come.

Another interesting class of the program is project management. I know what you are thinking, the same old stories on critical path method and PERT, what is new with that? The panache with which Professor Chayet brings in variety, humor, and elements of incredulity to these classes are unprecedented. Project management education takes on the form of involved discussions, experiential learning and wonders of the world (yes, you will learn a thing or more about history and world events).

The program makes a special effort not only to weave in industry experience through the practicum projects but also interestingly connects the courses with each other. You may be in a class talking about Hewlett Packard’s supply chain strategy and in another class you will experience the method and math behind making the strategy work.

In one class you will learn all about your personal negotiation style and walk into another class the same week where you use these skills in a supply chain negotiation against your classmate. Some classes will encourage you to present group projects and cases, while the professional communication forum throughout the semester will be preparing you for these exact skills. The program brings a unique flavor by weaving together all these seemingly disconnected elements.

Are you prepared to storm the operations and supply chain industry with style (and knowledge)? I for one can’t wait!




This past weekend a team of four students from the Olin Business School set out on a mission to participate in the Tepper International Case Competition at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. We had a daunting task ahead of us – to give it our best shot. In the week leading up to the case competition everything was a fuzz, sessions to discuss strategy, exchanging ideas, poking holes in each others theories, and for the most part a lot of fun.

To say it was a fantastic experience to work with a great team of brilliant people would be a cliche, of course, but I am saying it anyway. When you pull people with varied backgrounds in the same room you can expect one thing for sure – ideas. There are moments of intense discussion, friendly banter, and more importantly a desire to give it all you have. So after spending hours brainstorming and arriving at the solution we were ready to head to Pittsburgh and take on the case competition. As my father says, when you travel under high stress there is bound to be something that one misses.

I left home at 4:30 am to pick up the team and drive to the airport for a 6:25 am flight to the ‘burgh. At the last pick up, I had this sinking feeling, like I was missing something, something crucial to this trip. What was it?  As my last team mate was loading I asked him if he had seen my suitcase in the trunk. My nightmare was coming true – I had forgotten my suitcase ! It was outside my apartment door, long-story-short, we made it to the airport with enough time to have breakfast and get to Pittsburgh well in time.

Competition brings out the best in people and this was no exception. The competition was filled with the usual combination of things – stress, last minute edits, jitters and a desire to excel. We gave it our best shot – we didn’t place. I could say the journey of solving the case, reaching a consensus and finally learning from the other teams was the best part of this experience. I will be honest, there is nothing like seeing the team win! Of course, there will be opportunities to accomplish that in the future.

An integral part of the case competition was my allegiance to Pittsburgh, I did attend school at the University of Pittsburgh in my previous life. The city is filled with jewels from the two main universities and makes for a great opportunity to walk around, take in the history that is evident on both campuses.

The competition and my visit to Pittsburgh was definitely a reminder of all those dreams you concoct when you are younger. It was an opportunity to rediscover these dreams, face the fear of having to answer questions, pitch you idea and walk away with your head held high. I did just that, this time along with my suitcase.

For every time you walk away and do something off the beaten track, you will end up postponing some important homework. I just learnt that this is called the student syndrome and it will most definitely be a critical factor in the recovery process post- competition. Interestingly, our team was comprised of four different types of people – one was happily snoring while we waited for results, one socialized and networked, one was using cellphone apps as a distraction, and another was simply catching up on some homework for the week ahead. However, we had one thing in common – we had a great time!

Each experience ends with lessons learned, in this case:

1. Do not forget your suitcase

2. The homework you have put off till the end will be waiting

So pack up your fears (and your suitcase) and throw your name in the hat for a case competition in spring. Maybe you will find your dreams along the way.

Image: Pittsburgh skyline, Tepper, Carnegie Mellon website

Editor’s note: Olin’s team won the Tepper Case Competition in 2013.