For Your Organization
Supply Chain Academy & Supply Chain Accelerator
Build the supply chain capabilities your organization needs by working with Penn State Smeal expertise to connect your priorities and challenges.
Choose the Right Supply Chain Learning Path for Your Organization
Whether you want to build capabilities across a team or develop expertise in a specific supply chain area, Penn State Executive & Professional Programs offers two online learning paths.
Supply Chain Academy gives you a customizable experience built around your organization’s priorities. Supply Chain Accelerator provides focused, three-week learning paths in defined areas of supply chain management. Compare the options to find the approach that best fits your goals, team, and timeline.
Trusted by Global Supply Chain Leaders
Connect Learning to Your Priorities
Apply supply chain concepts to challenges and opportunities within your organization.
Put New Thinking to Work
Identify opportunities for immediate improvement through applied supply chain learning.
Develop People Without Taking Them Away From the Work
Online learning gives participants room to build capabilities alongside their day-to-day responsibilities.
Supply Chain Academy
How Does the Supply Chain Academy Work?
Create a customized learning experience for your organization by combining topics from over 20 learning sprints. The Academy is designed for teams wanting broader development led by Penn State Smeal faculty experts and can be scaled and tailored to your business priorities.
Build Supply Chain Capabilities Around Your Organization’s Priorities
Supply Chain Academy delivers custom online development for team cohorts of 20–50. Working with Penn State Smeal faculty, combine 20+ learning sprints into tailored modules—featuring focused sessions, collaborative discussions, and group projects designed to solve your specific organizational challenges.
Inside the Supply Chain Academy Program Content
Finding Opportunities in Your End-to-End Supply Chain
Improving Procurement Practices
Competitive Implications of Demand Planning
Manufacturing as a Strategic Variable
Critical Decisions in Logistics Management
Assessing Your Supply Chain Alignment and Collaboration
Strategic Sourcing for Improved Performance
Evaluating Opportunities with Third-Party Logistics Providers
Optimizing Distribution Network Strategy
Managing Supplier Risk
Strategic Leadership Within Your Supply Chain Organization
Building Continuity and Resiliency in Your Supply Chain
Defining Ways to Improve Your Supply Chain
Supply Chain as a Competitive Advantage
Supply Chain Alignment and Orchestration
Aligning Supply Chain Goals with Your Corporate Strategy
Finding Opportunities in Your End-to-End Supply Chain
Improving Procurement Practices
Strategic Sourcing for Improved Performance
Managing Supplier Risk
Aligning Supply Chain Goals with Your Corporate Strategy
Leading Successful Projects
Supply Chain Accelerator
How Does the Supply Chain Accelerator Work?
Build targeted expertise through focused, three-week learning paths. Each Accelerator concentrates on a specific supply chain area, making it a practical option when your team needs to develop capabilities around a defined challenge or topic.
Build Targeted Supply Chain Expertise Without Putting Work on Hold
Here’s What to Expect Each Week
Supply Chain Accelerator gives professionals a focused way to develop expertise in a specific supply chain area while continuing their day-to-day work. Each online learning path is delivered over three weeks, with opportunities to learn, apply, and connect with Penn State expertise along the way.
30 minutes of program activities over four days
A weekly 60-minute virtual-live meeting with faculty experts
Daily monitoring for engagement, questions, and concerns
Completion badges and professional certificates upon completion
Who should consider Penn State Executive & Professional Programs’ Supply Chain Accelerator learning path?
The Supply Chain Accelerator is designed for senior leaders, new and high-potential supply chain employees, and managers addressing the strategic and tactical application of supply chain management.
Inside the Supply Chain Accelerator Program Content
Week 1: Leading the Modern Supply Chain
Week 2: Assessing Your Supply Chain Alignment and Collaboration
Week 3: Finding Opportunities in Your End-to-End Supply Chain
Week 1: Critical Decisions in Logistics Management
Week 2: Evaluating Opportunities with Third Party Logistics Providers
Week 3: Optimizing Distribution Network Strategy
Week 1: Improving Procurement Practices
Week 2: Strategic Sourcing for Improved Performance
Week 3: Managing Supply Chain Risk
Week 1: Selecting and Managing Total Cost of Ownership Projects
Week 2: Preparing for TCO Analysis
Week 3: "Should Cost" Modeling and Success Factors
Weeks 1-3: Leading Successful Projects
Week 1: Strategic Leadership Within Your Supply Chain Organization
Week 2: Defining Ways to Improve Your Supply Chain
Week 3: Supply Chain as a Competitive Advantage
Supply Chain Program Certificates
Participants may earn certificates by completing any three of the Learning Paths presented above. include:
Accelerating Supply Chain Strategy and Leadership: Earn by completing all three Strategy & Leadership Learning Paths.
Accelerating Supply Chain Operations: Earn by completing all three Operations Learning Paths.
Accelerating Supply Chain Integration: Earn by completing any combination of three Learning Paths from both the Operations and Strategy & Leadership categories.
Supply Chain Expertise Connected to Your Challenges
Steve Tracey
Professor of the Practice in Supply Chain, Smeal College of Business
Steve Tracey is a supply chain executive and educator with global leadership experience. Former Executive Director of Penn State's , he specializes in supply chain strategy, enterprise transformation, emerging technologies, and leadership development.
C. John Langley Jr., Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of Supply Chain Management, Smeal College of Business
Dr. Langley is a leading authority in supply chain management and logistics. A Penn State alumnus and former CSCMP president, he founded the Annual Third-Party Logistics Study and co-author of Supply Chain Management: A Logistics Perspective. His research, consulting, and industry leadership have shaped the field for decades.
Chris Norek, Ph.D.
Senior Partner, Chain Connectors
Chris brings over 20 years of supply chain expertise across consulting, industry, and academia. His experience includes strategy, demand planning, transportation, distribution networks, facility design, SKU and supplier rationalization, technology selection and implementation, and returns management. He was named a DC Velocity “Rain Maker” in 2018.
Christopher Craighead
Faculty Affiliate, Supply Chain Academy, Supply Chain Accelerator
Chris' primary research interests lie in the area of strategic sourcing and supply management, with a focus on global supply chain disruptions/risk and resilience and particular expertise in supply chain design, supplier selection, and supply chain project investments.
David Huff
Clinical Associate Professor, Supply Chain Academy, Supply Chain Accelerator
David is Director of the Master of Professional Studies/Supply Chain Management Program at Smeal. He has more than 12 years of teaching experience with expertise in sales-force incentives, project management, inventory management, and Lean Six Sigma.
Robert Handfield
Bank of America, Supply Chain Accelerator
Dr. Handfield is a thought leader in supply chain management and an industry expert in the field of strategic sourcing, supply market intelligence, and supplier development. Handfield has consulted with over 25 Fortune 500 companies, including GlaxoSmithKline, British Petroleum, Nortel Networks, Chevron Phillips, and Federal Express.
Edward T. Reutzel
Associate Professor Emeritus, Supply Chain Accelerator
Dr. Reutzel is a seven-time Excellence in Teaching Award recipient. He has served as Smeal Junior Core Coordinator and Interim Department Chair. With past roles at USX and the U.S. Army, Dr. Reutzel leads executive education programs and has consulted across steel, banking, and telecommunications.