Supply Chain Students Learn Beyond the Classroom

Students in the Supply Management and Global Sourcing Strategies (MGMT 3300) course traveled outside the classroom to gain a new perspective on how one company manages its supply chain. Dr. Amelia Carr, professor and chair of the management department, believes that touring a local company gives her students a beneficial learning experience. She took her students to visit Principle Business Enterprises outside of Bowling Green. Students heard from leaders at the company about how their supply chain successfully operates.

Through this experience, the students found it very insightful. “What I learned while on the plant tour that is related to supply management involves how Principle Business Enterprises evaluates their supplier,” states Nicholas Walker.  “From talking with one of the employees that took my group around their facility, Principle Business Enterprises tries to build a relationship with their suppliers to acquire the best pricing for material and quality.”

Jenny Kukula also comments about her learning experience outside the classroom.  “What I learned from the plant tour of Principle Business Enterprises is that there are many different processes going on at the same time. There has to be good communication throughout, not only the line, but also the plant as a whole. On our tour, we discussed changing suppliers and how that would impact their cost savings and quality. I also learned that many suppliers have restrictions on logistics which may cause changes. Overall, it was interesting to see how important every single person was at the plant.”

Principle Business Enterprises is a world class manufacturing firm that develops and markets innovative, high-performance absorbent products with applications in health care, industry, and consumer products.