Written by Hunter Whitley, a Walton Executive MBA Student and Head of the Supply Chain Center of Excellence at Tyson Foods
As someone who has spent most of my career in supply chain - focusing on supply, product movement, and inventory planning - I thought I had a solid understanding of how the pieces fit together. Recently, my role expanded, and I now lead work that involves rethinking core planning blocks from the ground up. When I started SCMT 56603: PLAN -Demand Planning and Inventory Operations, I had no idea how perfectly the course content would line up with the challenges I’m tackling at Tyson.
This class, taught by Dr. Chris Hofer as part of the Executive MBA curriculum in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, centers on the “Plan” pillar of the plan–source–make–deliver framework and helped me strengthen not just my technical understanding but also the way I communicate complex concepts across the business. Here are the three biggest takeaways that stayed with me throughout the semester.
1. Deepening My Understanding of Safety Stock Strategy
I’ve worked with safety stock for years and have seen firsthand how it influences the flow of our supply chain. But even with that experience, I didn’t always have the full technical foundation behind the calculations.
As my company works to refine and strengthen our safety stock strategy, timing couldn’t have been better. The concepts we covered align directly with the enhancements underway across the organization. Having the technical side explained in a clear and practical way has made this work easier to lead and easier to communicate. It has strengthened the connection between my experience and the principles behind it and has helped me guide others through the change with more clarity and confidence.
2. Gaining Structure and Insight Around Forecasting
My role now includes broader responsibility for demand planning, making forecasting a central part of my day-to-day decision-making.
The class gave me the underlying concepts and structures that normally take much longer to learn through day-to-day experience alone. The timing aligned perfectly with what I am taking on at work. That overlap helped me connect our company’s approach to the academic principles we discussed in class, which has shortened the learning curve and strengthened my transition into this broader role.
3. Learning to Communicate Supply Chain Through Storytelling
One takeaway I didn’t expect from a technical supply chain course was a lesson in storytelling. Dr. Hofer teaches students from many different professional backgrounds, which requires explaining complex ideas in ways that are broadly understood.
Seeing this in action made me reflect on how I communicate at work.
In my role, I partner with marketing, finance, sales, operations, IT, and senior leaders. Each group brings a different level of familiarity with supply chain concepts, but all are closely tied to supply chain outcomes. This class helped me rethink how I explain technical topics and frame conversations, so they feel aligned and easy to follow without losing the depth behind the decisions.
I have already used some of this language in conversations with executives and cross functional partners, and it has helped make complex discussions feel more natural and more aligned.
Conclusion: A Semester That Arrived at Exactly the Right Time
Looking back on the semester, the class provided more than technical knowledge. It helped me combine years of hands-on experience with a deeper level of structure and clarity. It showed me how to communicate difficult concepts in ways that build understanding and alignment. It came at the perfect moment in my career, when I am stepping into a larger leadership role and working on projects that reflect the very content we studied. The result has been a combination of clarity, confidence, and better communication.
I walked into the program with experience. I am walking out with experience supported by new insight and the ability to share that insight with others. This class has made me a stronger leader and a more effective communicator, and it has shaped the way I think about supply chain for the future.
