Graduate program in supply chain analytics enhances student's job performance

When JiaJia Ruan was charting her future, she made a bet on supply chain management.

After immigrating to the United States with her parents, she wanted to find an undergraduate program that would prepare her for a new career. “I didn’t know what my life would be,” she said.

Supply chain management attracted her because it seemed essential to global business and it was multi-cultural. Her knowledge of China and Chinese could prove to be assets.

When she graduated from Rutgers Business School in 2015, Ruan took a full-time job at Modway, a medium-sized furniture distribution company in Central New Jersey where she had also done an internship. After a series of promotions and additional job responsibilities, she said it was evident she had chosen the right path. “There were a lot of challenges, but I know it’s a good fit for me,” she said.

As manager of overseas marketing, Ruan handles business with manufacturers and vendors in China, Turkey, Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia. Her company, she said, is growing quickly, creating natural challenges for its supply chain operations.

So when Ruan heard about the new master’s program at Rutgers Business School created in Supply Chain Analytics, she felt it would help her gain skills to do things better. By analyzing data, Ruan said she can make better decisions, elevate her management skills and improve operations. To learn more about the Master's of Supply Chain Analytics, attend a Graduate Admissions Open House on Saturday, March 10, at the Rutgers Business School building on the Livingston Campus.

Last semester, she learned how to use analytics to improve planning to avoid the type of distribution gaps that can occur around the Chinese New Year when many of the company’s manufacturing plants close down for three weeks.

 “I’ve brought a lot of new ideas,” she said. “I’ve improved a lot as a manager.” As she enhances her skills and knowledge, Ruan said she is expecting to do even more.

“When you achieve things,” she said, “you have confidence to take on more challenges.”

Photo Credit: Think Stock.

-Susan Todd