CSCMP Notebook

Drake to receive Distinguished Service Award

When Ann M. Drake takes the stage at CSCMP's Annual Global Conference to accept the Distinguished Service Award, she will be the 47th person to receive the association's highest honor.

In 1994 she became one of the first women to run a major third-party logistics (3PL) company when she took over as chief executive officer and chairman of DSC Logistics. Since then, DSC has grown to become a nationwide network of integrated logistics and supply chain operations.

Drake's efforts at breaking down barriers—both for herself and for others—are part of the reason why she was chosen for the award. "Ann Drake is a person who is continually making contributions to the supply chain discipline, giving of herself to the people in the industry," said Rick Blasgen, CSCMP president and chief executive officer. "She is the epitome of what the Distinguished Service Award embodies—a leader, a mentor, a pioneer, and an extraordinary, energetic ambassador for the logistics and supply chain management professions."

In addition to leading DSC Logistics, Drake holds many volunteer positions. She is vice chairman of the Business Advisory Council for the Northwestern University Transportation Center. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the A.M. Castle Company, the Board of Governors for Chicago's Metropolitan Planning Council, and the Board of Governors for The Committee of 200, a global organization of women business leaders. Earlier this year she received the Alumni Merit Award from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and in 2009 was named "Industry Leader of the Year" by the Illinois Institute of Technology. Recently she agreed to serve as transportation and logistics strategy leader for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's Plan for Economic Growth and Jobs.

Drake earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa and her Master of Business Administration degree from the Kellogg School of Management.

CSCMP presents the Distinguished Service Award annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to the art and science of supply chain and logistics management.

Plan ahead with CSCMP

It's not too early to start thinking about ways to expand your supply chain knowledge in 2013. Here are some workshops and programs from CSCMP that can help you develop the skills and expertise you need to succeed in your job.

Fundamentals of Supply Chain Management: This course provides an introduction to supply chain management for those who are new to the field, managers who have taken on broader supply chain responsibilities, and experienced specialists who want to know more about the end-to-end supply chain. (March 11-12, May 20-21, and November 12-13)

Sales and Operations Planning: This workshop focuses on the key role that supply chain management plays in facilitating sales and operations planning activities, processes, and outcomes. (April 8-9)

Transportation: Challenges and Solutions: This program explores different transportation modes and types of carriers, the effects of globalization on transportation, current obstacles to meeting performance objectives, the changing shipper/carrier relationship, and emerging trends. (April 22-23)

From Strategy to Reality: How SCM Turns Corporate Ideas into Results: This high-level workshop offers a comprehensive overview of the strategic options and alternatives for supply chain management that corporations should consider. (May 6-7)

Distribution Center Planning and Operations: This workshop looks at both the high-level planning and the detailed execution needed to run an efficient distribution facility. (June 11-12)

Relationships and Collaboration Meet Performance Metrics: In two consecutive one-day sessions, participants will learn about tools and techniques for building, maintaining, and rescuing business relationships as well as how to create high-trust, high-performance alliances. (August 1-2)

Sourcing and Procurement: This workshop covers the essentials of sourcing and procurement in an integrated context. It emphasizes strategic sourcing, supplier relationship management, contracts, and setting priorities for sourcing and procurement management and staff. (September 9-10)

All workshops will be held at CSCMP's headquarters in Lombard, Illinois, USA. To register, click here.

Doctoral Dissertation Award recognizes research on product variety

Many industries have used product variety over the last few decades as a way to increase sales and profits. While that may be beneficial for manufacturers, little is known about how it affects the distributors that handle those products. That was one of the main reasons Dr. Xiang Wan, assistant professor of supply chain management at the University of Tennessee, chose to focus his doctoral dissertation on the impact that product and service variety has on soft drink distributors' supply chains.

His research, titled "Product Variety, Service Variety, and Their Impact on Distributors" will receive CSCMP's 2012 Dissertation Award at the Annual Global Conference. Comprising three separate essays, Wan's paper uses a series of empirical analyses to look at the effect of product variety on sales and the influences of product and service variety on both demand and costs.

"The main purpose of my dissertation is to help practitioners solve practical supply chain management problems," said Wan. "The soft drink industry provided an excellent forum for studying how product variety influences operational and sales performance." Although the study was based on a data sample from soft drink distributors, the research method, analysis procedure, and estimated results may be applied to other distribution channels with large logistics networks as well as to industries with a high degree of product variety, he added.

Wan received his doctorate in supply chain management from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, where he has won awards for teaching and research.

CSCMP's Doctoral Dissertation Award is presented annually to the author of a submitted doctoral dissertation in a logistics- or supply chain-related field. The selected work must demonstrate significant originality and technical competence while contributing to the logistics and supply chain knowledge base.