#SmealWeeklyRecap featuring Sheila Brooks, '07 Supply Chain
Thank you to my network for keeping me updated on the business world, sharing career insights, and their successes. Below are some of the articles collected from alumni and other business resources. All articles can be viewed at this link. The topics recently posted on were data, supply chain, drones and Walmart. As you know, our intern, Lawrence Qiu as well as the students in the dean's office, Julie Hetrick and Taylor Zerbe play a key role in organizing the information and researching companies.
Featured Alumni: Sheila M. Brooks ('07 Supply Chain), Sr. Director, Merchandising Operations Candy & Impulse at Walmart
Recruited during a career fair at Penn State, I joined Walmart in the fall of 2007 as a Replenishment Analyst in the Sporting Goods department. After 2 years, I had the opportunity to move to our finance organization where I held different roles in FP&A and Strategy supporting different areas across Walmart U.S and Sam’s Club divisions. I moved to the merchandising organization last year, and I now lead our Merchandising Operations team for Candy & Frond End departments in Walmart U.S. I have responsibility over replenishment, financials and business analytics - with nearly 265 million customers and members visits across 11,200 stores under 55 banners in 27 countries and eCommerce websites in 10 countries. I am originally from Colombia and currently live in Bentonville, AR with my husband Scott and two children, Joseph and Isabella. I am also a triathlete having completed 2 Half Ironman and multiple other triathlons over the last 5 years. I am part of a triathlete fund racing club, Team Endurance, and we raise funds to continue research towards Multiple Sclerosis. Walmart is big! Through the years, I’ve learned to adapt quickly, take risk and understand that change is constant in retail. We all want to move up the corporate ladder, but I’ve also learned to keep my focus on the job in front of me and opportunities will come knocking at my door. I am extremely proud to work for Walmart, a company that values my diversity and has provided so many opportunities to me and my family.
Topics for the week!
Walmart: Thanks to Walmart for being a Corporate Sponsor for Penn State Smeal's Center for Supply Chain Research! We also discussed #thelastmile. In this article from Logistics Management, JP Suarez, the Chief Administration Officer for Walmart International talks about Walmart's global last mile initiatives. Walmart is on track to file more drone patents than Amazon for the second year in a row. In Business Insider, Ken Braunbach, a 17-year Walmart transportation executive discusses the company's massive supply chain network. As of now, a Walmart trucker starts out making nearly $90,000 a year, and Mr. Braunbach doesn't think that self-driving trucks will take over at Walmart anytime soon. They are also making rail an increasingly large part of their supply chain strategy. Walmart is also getting into healthcare by opening its first freestanding health clinic. Business Insider reports that opening these clinics is just part of the company's strategy to push into the $3.5 trillion U.S. healthcare industry. Additionally, it is expanding an education program it began last year by offering healthcare degrees for $1/day. Walmart will offer seven bachelor’s degrees and two diplomas in fields such as health science and healthcare management through a program that already offers degrees in the fields of business, supply chain management, computer science and cyber security.
Drones: Most companies are focusing on #thelastmile of their supply chain which can be the most difficult to control. The post shared that Walgreens made history with its first drone delivery in October. Following suit were UPS who made its first revenue drone deliveries for CVS and FedEX who, like Walgreens, is partnering with Wing Aviation. Other uses of drones include a camouflage drone that will be undetectable on radar, cargo drones that could be the future of the shipping industry, and drones that can carry blood samples. If you are looking for them to benefit humanity there are drones that have been used to deliver a donor kidney and tree-planting drones that fire seed missiles to restore the world's forests. This article in Supply Chain Dive talks about Part 135 certification which is currently the only path for small drones to carry the property of another for compensation beyond visual line of sight. Supply Chain Today provided information on 7 passenger drones that they say you have to see to believe!
Supply Chain: In the post we discussed, an article by Steve Tracey, John Langley, Kusumal Ruamsook and Jim Owens in Supply Chain Management focusing on the last mile in supply chain. Morning Brew shared that the last mile in e-commerce gets talked about a lot as it is the most expensive, time-consuming and dangerous part of the shipping process. In the article you will find links on this topic to articles in Business Insider, Convey, The Wall Street Journal and the Guardian. The publication also shared an article citing this quote," If warehouses are the unsung heroes of 21st century shopping, then artificial intelligence and automation are the spandex suit and cape enabling faster and smarter logistics networks." BW People, Inc. talked about the wide ranging impact that diversity and inclusion have on the logistics industry. SCM Talent Group shared an article describing six tactics to advance your supply chain career which is good advice for anyone! Tactic number 3 encourages you to work towards continuing your education and skill set. Check out our online masters program in Supply Chain. Penn State Executive Programs also offers a range of courses on Supply Chain Management. A little off topic, but interesting Morning Brew also shared that, Warehouses Are the New Hot Event Space!
Data: An interesting article shared by an alumna on using data from digital twins which Forbes says is no longer science fiction. In the article it expects 30% of Global 2000 companies to be using data from digital twins by next year. By bridging the gap between the physical world and the digital world, digital twins can enable a brand’s customer service to provide this differentiated level of service through the data they provide. Is your company ignoring "small data?" Harvard Business Review's article cited that in the rush to advance data science, big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, too many companies have ignored this which is a huge mistake. Small data projects involve teams of a handful of employees, addressing issues in their local workplaces using small data sets are said to have a higher probability of success. They can also "help build organizational data muscle that helps the entire company learn what it takes to succeed with data, gain needed skills, build confidence, and breed the kind of culture that big data demands." Deloitte provided this article on tips to define and implement a data strategy. If you are interested in data and sports, check out Eagles provide roadmap to analytics-driven future of NFL; We Salute You, Founding Fathers of the NFL’s Analytics Movement and What Baseball Can Teach You About Using Data to Improve Yourself.
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Winter/Spring 2020 Lineup to date!
How to Lead in a Dynamic Multi-Generational Workplace: Framing a Strategic Vision and Interpersonal Influence Strategies - with Smeal's Dr. Andy Gufstason - January 22, 2020
Smeal Tax Update 2020 - Get ready for April 15th with Smeal's Professor of Practice Edward Jenkins - February 5, 2020
Venture Capital: Tales from the Trenches - with accomplished international business executive, venture capitalist and entrepreneur, Salomon Sridni ('87 Accounting) - March 25
Strategic Commitment to an Ethical Culture - with Smeal's Drs. Michelle and Jamey Darnell - February 19, 2020
Business Architecture: Strategy Execution’s Secret Weapon - with Smeal's Dr. Brian Cameron, April 22, 2020
Smart Startups: Views from the Legal and Experienced Business World - with experience in emerging, venture capital-backed technology businesses and all areas of business law, David Blackledge ('79 Management) - May 6, 2020