J.B. Hunt Transport Department of Supply Chain Management
Supply chain managers make life better by helping people all over the world get what
they want, where they want it, when it's wanted. These resilient, creative professionals
enjoy processes, analytics, collaboration, improving global sustainability, and risk
management.
From their first class to graduation, our students tackle real problems on a global
scale with world-class faculty and industry-leading partners to develop skills for:
Holistic, practical understanding of the entire supply chain network and how decisions
in one area impact outcomes in others to increase resilience.
Data storytelling and analytics, agile and adaptable, embracing continuous and consistent
change, rather than large-scale transformations, with a sound understanding of business
strategy, financials, and market dynamics.
Harness digital tools and data analysis to augment connections, relationships, and
productivity, while demystifying cutting-edge technology, and bringing to life the
theme of human + machine.
Emphasizes the importance of a mindset attuned to Environmental, Social, and Governance
(ESG) factors, with a focus on inclusion, circularity, and sustainable practices as
key aspects of supply chain operations.
Relationship building and working effectively in cross-functional teams with process
and technology partners, suppliers, and customers, embracing distributed omnichannel
networks.
Optimize workflows for human impact: empower employees with user-centric design, flexible
schedules, and intuitive tools. Facilitate seamless collaboration and transparent
communication, breaking down silos. Implement a culture of continuous improvement
with ongoing feedback and support. Engaged employees, empowered by empathetic leaders,
are the engine of high-performing businesses.
Elite Supply Chain Degrees
In three consecutive ranking cycles (2020, 2022 and now 2024), our undergraduate supply chain program was ranked # 1 in North America by Gartner,
the leading global research firm.
This ranking is highly respected throughout industry, which makes our graduates very
sought after as they move on to internships and careers.
As stated by Gartner, this #1 ranking is reflective of “inclusion of global content, great popularity
within the industry, robust program size, strong internship and/or co-op participation,
and starting salary.”
In addition to faculty expertise, our students benefit from the Walton College Supply Chain Management Research Center, which connects students to industry executives, internships, and job opportunities.
Academic Programs
In addition to faculty expertise, our students benefit from the Walton College Supply
Chain Management Research Center, which connects students to industry executives,
internships, and job opportunities. Recognizing the quality of the SCM program faculty
and graduates, the U.S. News & World Report has rated the Walton Supply Chain program
among the best in the United States.
Supply Chain Undergraduate Program Bachelor’s Degree
Learn about Supply Chain from beginning to end, from planning and forecasting to sourcing,
purchasing, shipping and storage. Prepare for careers at any number of companies that
manufacture and distribute goods to customers.
Supply Chain Graduate Programs Master's Degree, MBA Concentration, Ph.D
Advance in your current career or transition into the supply chain profession. Our
graduate degrees will equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to drive success
and deliver value in your organization.
This online program provides a flexible and cost-effective opportunity to pursue a supply chain degree,
whether you are new to college, completing a degree started years ago, or seeking
an additional degree to enhance your skillsets.
Executive Education Redesign your operations for peak performance.
Walton provides trusted advisors to help in moving your company's strategies forward.
Our cadre of instructors includes seasoned practitioners and nationally-recognized
faculty from a variety of industries and disciplines.
Benefit from the College's Supply Chain Management Research Center, which connects students to industry executives leading to job opportunities, internships
and other support.
It was a great night in Dallas for the Razorbacks!
The Supply Chain #HogHappyHour on June 5 - which doubled in size from last year with
over 60 attendees - allowed alumni, faculty, Supply Chain Management Research Center
members, current students and those interested in learning more about our department
to network and connect with one another in a casual and fun experience.
The Supply Chain Management Research Center within the Sam M. Walton College of Business
at the U of A and the Plug and Play Tech Center partnered together on April 25 to
bring Northwest Arkansas supply chain professionals together for the 2024 Supply Chain
Trends & Expo.
The event, which focused on automation and artificial intelligence within supply chains,
included several panels featuring Walton College faculty, pitches from start-ups specializing
in supply chain technology and solutions, as well as keynotes from John Phillips -
SVP Customer Supply Chain at PepsiCo - and Prathibha Rajashekhar - SVP Innovation
& Automation at Walmart.
The event took place at The Momentary in Bentonville and was free to attend. Over
300 supply chain professionals were in attendance to learn, engage, and network.
Last month, the SCMRC hosted its Spring '24 Supply Chain Management Student Showcase.
This Showcase concludes the Project Management Course at the end of each semester.
📺 Watch the video for a recap of the event and why it's an important part of the J.B.
Hunt Transport Department of Supply Chain Management at the University of Arkansas'
curriculum.
The 2024 Supply Chain Trends & Expo is right around the corner, and Joshua Saffran
from Plug and Play Supply Chain & Logistics and Brian Johnson from the Supply Chain
Management Research Center at the University of Arkansas preview the event - including
a new panel format - in the video below.
🔥 Don't miss this event as our own Matt Waller leads a discussion with a brave group
of panelists during their own sauce challenge!
🎸 Plus, awesome keynote speakers John S. Phillips (PepsiCo) and Prathibha Rajashekhar
(Walmart) will be there to rock the stage as well!
🎟️ Limited spots remain available. Email scmrc@walton.uark.edu to learn how to register.
Thirty companies and over 200 students registered to attend our Spring '24 Supply
Chain Pre-Career Fair Networking Event on Monday, March 11 - the day before the larger
Walton Career Fair. This event takes place every semester and, once again, featured
a networking luncheon with select SCMRC members and nominated students in the Razorback
Recruiting Room before the open networking event took place upstairs in the SEC Club
inside Razorback Stadium.
Over 100 University of Arkansas - Sam M. Walton College of Business students took
part in our Spring '24 Northwest Arkansas Supply Chain Shadow Day last week across
13 different Supply Chain Management Research Center partner companies.
📺 Watch a recap of the day as we were able to visit several companies hosting our
students.
The Supply Chain Block Game is a staple activity for introducing students to supply
chain management.
Students learn the complexity, chaos, challenge, and fun working in supply chains.
They see how important and interconnected each part of the supply chain is. For freshman
students, this activity gives them a foundation to build upon throughout the rest
of the semester.
Check out this video from Stephanie Thomas' class as students engaged in this fun
and educational game.
Take a peek behind the curtain of our MAKE course focusing on Achieving Operational
Excellence. In the Fall 2023 semester, this course is collaborating with the Samaritan
Community Center to improve processes and put Lean principles learned in class into
tangible action.
The MAKE course is a key class within our overall curriculum focusing on the SCOR
model.
The fifth annual WISE Future Leaders Symposium was held Oct. 26-27 and showcased several
locations in Northwest Arkansas. The event, themed "Chain Makers. Change Makers,"
celebrated female pioneers who have led the way for women in supply chain management,
and many legends of the industry were on hand.
Day 2 of the WISE event, which stands for Women Impacting Supply Chain Excellence,
took place at the Fayetteville Town Center and featured industry panels ranging in
topics and the induction of the new WISE Legends Class - which included two being
personally on-hand in Michelle Dilley and Ellen Voie.
At the CSCMP - Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals 2023 EDGE Supply Chain
Conference & Exhibition that took place at the beginning of October, our own Janeth
Gabaldon interviewd "Mr. Supply Chain" Daniel Stanton about:
Industry trends Evolution of supply chain management The impact of AI on the supply chain industry
The fifth annual WISE Future Leaders Symposium was held Oct. 26-27 and showcased several
locations in Northwest Arkansas. The event, themed "Chain Makers. Change Makers,"
celebrated female pioneers who have led the way for women in supply chain management,
and many legends of the industry were on hand.
Day 1 of the WISE event, which stands for Women Impacting Supply Chain Excellence,
featured industry speakers including Shelley Simpson, president of J.B. Hunt Transport
Services; Megan Crozier, chief merchant of Sam's Club; and many others.
Our Launch & Learn Supply Chain Leadership Event - a collaboration between the Supply
Chain Management Research Center at the University of Arkansas and Plug and Play Tech
Center - was a great success!
✏️ The 'learn' portion focused around labor in supply chain and Jessica Brooks - Senior
VP of People at J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. - kicked us off before Harvey Williams
from Plug and Play spoke on marketplace trends and Rohit Joshi and Michael Zalle spoke
about how their start-ups are filling needs within the labor management space.
🏌️ Then we headed across the street to Topgolf for some networking and to 'launch'
some balls!
Meet Brooks Richardson, an incoming senior at Walton College. Discover how he secured his competitive internship, his leadership insights as President of ASCA, and his valuable advice for freshman students.
The Walton SCM curriculum is designed to be experiential. Indeed, industry is the
lab in which supply chain students learn.
Walton SCM students are given opportunities to learn, experience, and apply supply
chain knowledge and skills through industry project-based courses, internships, student
clubs, global study abroad, and industry case competitions.
Through our integrated curriculum model, students are equipped with the foundations and experiences to excel in careers in
the supply chain industry.
The Council for Supply Chain Professionals is the world's preeminent professional association dedicated to the advancement and
dissemination of research and knowledge on supply chain management. Thanks to the
generous support of Johnelle Hunt and the Blass family, the University of Arkansas,
Sam M. Walton College of Business will host, coordinate and organize exhibits and
events related to the CSCMP hall of fame at a new location that will open near campus
in Rogers, AR. Learn More
Supply Chain Insights
Faculty and stakholders of the J.B. Hunt Transport Department of Supply Chain Management
often share their research and expertise at Walton Insights, a publication of the Sam M. Walton College of Business.
Growing consumer awareness and demand have pushed companies to adopt robust CSR practices, influencing their supply chain partners to align with these values.
Doing business with the government creates challenges & unexpected effects on firms' bottom lines; finding the right balance and customer mix is crucial.
Disaster relief workers deal with demanding, traumatic work environments; supervisor support & collaborative, synchronized organizations help immensely.
New research identifies five lessons learned from COVID-19 that can help managers develop supply chain resiliency to prepare for future potential disruptions.
The future of automation doesn’t necessarily need to be zero-sum. Instead, integrating automation with human inputs can improve quality and response times.
Walton Supply Chain students enter the work force with industry experience, strategic
and operational understanding of the supply chain, skills and tools to analyze today’s
data driven challenges, and the managerial competence to achieve company goals.
SCM Advantage: A Professional Development Program for Supply Chain Students
The SCM Advantage program encourages engagement and provides promotion and development
opportunities for Walton SCM Students.
The program is a critical tool that ensures Walton SCM students develop important
inter-personal, communication, and leadership skills in parallel to the leading curricular
knowledge being gained through formal course work. This ensures the Walton SCM program
is providing the industry with advanced talent to lead their supply chains into the
future.
Through a progressive series of engagement and leadership development activities,
Walton SCM students are awarded value add services provided by the department. These
value add services include the SCM Internship Spotlight Video Series, Online Resume
Book, Video Resumes, and Professional Development Industry Certificates.
Supply Chain Management Research Center at Walton College
The Supply Chain Management Research Center (SCMRC) at the Sam M. Walton College of Business sponsors and promotes supply chain,
logistics, and transportation research and education.
We provide thought leadership to consumers, to business leaders, and to policy makers
through relevant and rigorous research, events, and peer to peer discussions. Learn more.
Industry Engagement: Lean Processes Training with Simmons Foods
Industry Interactions with Supply Chain Student Groups and Clubs
Our goal is to introduce students to a wide network of individuals and opportunities
to build their professional futures.
Women Impacting Supply Chain Excellence (WISE) is a Walton College student-lead organization with an active executive branch
working to deliver a new perspective by increasing awareness and interest in logistics
and supply chain management through programming, mentoring, networking and other special
events.
The Arkansas Supply Chain Association (ASCA) is dedicated to outreach and professional development among college students
interested in a supply chain and logistics career. Our goal is to introduce students
to a wide network of individuals and opportunities to build their professional futures.
Faculty Adviser Donnie Williams, executive director of the Supply Chain Management Research Center,
serves as the faculty adviser for ASCA. He may be contacted at DWilliams3@walton.uark.edu.
Global Initiatives in Supply Chain
With transcontinental research partnerships with other universities, as well as faculty-led
study abroad programs focused on supply chain, Walton College is growing it's reputation
as a logistics knowledge center for industry and scholarship.
China Partnerships
The department of SCMT has partnered with two universities in China to develop undergraduate
bilingual talent. Combined, the two programs consist of approximately 400 students
who study for 3 years in China then have an opportunity to transfer to Fayetteville
campus and receive a degree from UA Walton College in Supply Chain Management.
Soochow University is strategically located in Suzhou which boasts one of the leading
manufacturing and logistics hubs in China.This along with the close proximately to
Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nanjing provides a robust regional connection to industry and
students.Kunming University of Science and Technology is strategically located in
the Southwest most Yunnan Province in China which is the primary logistics connection
to key neighbors of Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar.
From a research perspective the department is engaged in two significant projects.
One, with multi-year funding from the Walmart Foundation, helping lead supply chain
food safety research in China with university collaborators at China Agriculture University
in Beijing, Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, and South China Agriculture in Guangzhou.
The other is beginning our 4th year of research with the Ministry of Transportation
and Alibaba's Logistics group Cainiao. This longitudinal research is focused on retail
supply chain issues and a benchmark comparison of US and China macro economic logistics
cost.
Faculty Interview: China Initiatives
John Kent is the Director of Supply Chain China Initiatives at the University of Arkansas,
and has made significant strides in facilitating relationships with universities in
China.
Brazil is very relevant from a supply chain perspective as one of the world’s largest
economies. Students study and visit companies in Rio de Janeiro and Recife. Learn more.
Faculty-led study abroad programs expose Walton College students to international
business realities, preparing them to work and succeed in a global economy. View destinations.