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In
business, opportunity can knock on any door.
But a knock that companies often miss is the opportunity to
improve performance through the supply chain. Helping companies
recognize the opportunity is what Fisher College Professor Doug
Lambert does on a daily basis.
Lambert,
the Raymond E. Mason Professor of Transportation and Logistics,
investigates and explains the intricacies of supply chain management
to companies large and small. "I try to demonstrate how businesses
can map their entire supply chain, integrate business processes
across the supply chain, and develop and implement supply chain
partnerships," says Lambert. "Better management of the supply
chain represents significant opportunities for improving service,
reducing costs and increasing value."
Whether
teaching that fact to a class of Fisher College students or
leading a group of Fortune 500 executives through a customized
program, Lambert’s research and unique expertise is
at the forefront of this rapidly emerging field. In fact, research
by Lambert and several Fisher College colleagues is changing
the way the industry looks at logistics—as part of a larger
set of processes in the supply chain.
According to Carol Newcomb, Fisher College Executive Education
director, the involvement of experts like Lambert is crucial
in establishing the Fisher College’s overall presence
as a leader in executive education programs.
"Our
strengths lie with two important factors," says Newcomb. "First,
the overall depth and strength of our faculty, and, second,
our ability to quickly adapt to changing trends with relevant
programs executives and non-executives alike will find useful."
Knowledge—specifically the need for knowledge among business
leaders—can change at a rate faster than technology, according
to Newcomb. "The need to be intelligently informed of the latest
trends and strategies is crucial to the success of any organization.
Sensing that, we’ve updated our Executive Education
programs within the past year to reflect those changing desires
of the business community."
Included
among the 40-plus programs conducted annually by Executive Education
are several new programs specifically designed to meet the unique
needs of a particular corporation—a "customized" approach.
For companies like American Electric Power and Bank One, customized
programs are the way to confront and solve problems specific
to their organization.
It’s
a highly efficient way to effect change within the company,
according to Lambert. "When large numbers of people from the
same organization get exposed to ideas at the same time, it’s
bound to make a positive impact."
Yet
public offerings covering the gamut of business disciplines—including
the annual Mason Symposium and Lambert’s week-long
Logistics Management Program—are at the core of Executive
Education’s mission.
"People
are given a chance to see how truly similar their problems are,
even if they’re from cities as different as Sao Paolo,
Frankfurt, or Columbus, Ohio."
That mission is only beginning to be fully realized, according
to Lambert. "In order to have a top-rated business school, you
need to have a top-rated executive education program. And it’s
easy to see that executive education is becoming a key component
of the Fisher College as a whole—two of the six new buildings
being built on the Fisher College campus are devoted to executive
education. We’ve only begun to see our true potential."
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