Kusumal Ruamsook, CSCR® Research Associate
Dr. Ruamsook was first exposed to the concept of logistics during her undergraduate education when she was pursuing her shipping management minor. "That exposure had made me realized that despite growing up in the periphery of one of major port cities and also one of the major air transport hubs in the country, I was largely unaware of the role logistics played in business settings." she explained. Her interest was piqued— but there was one small obstacle.
The supply chain field was only just picking up speed.
"The discipline was very young and only a handful of education programs had business logistics as a separate entity or concentration," she recalled. "Mostly, they were offered as part of more mature functional programs like marketing, management, and operations management. They tended to lack the breadth and depth of business logistics field that itself had evolved into supply chain management."
Ruamsook therefore decided to complete her MBA and pursue a doctoral degree that specifically focused on supply chain. There, began her ever-growing interest in the field.
This associate's early research was all about international sourcing from low-cost countries, which was a worldwide trend as a result of the increasing pace of globalization. Over time, she sought to get involved in a number of studies related to the topic while her team looked at international logistics (e.g., import/export processes, port congestions), landed cost model, and supply chain risks (e.g., counterfeit products, supplier risks).
"It’s exciting to see research contributions to the understanding of these various aspects of international sourcing practices that not only remain relevant, but also become increasingly important today," she said. "Supply chain challenges during the pandemic speak volumes about this."
Ruamsook finds that the business environment is constantly changing and so will the way companies manage their supply chains. And now, with a host of emerging technologies and "emphasis on the environment, social, and governance," opportunities for supply chain management to make a difference are prolific, and ultimately infinite.
With that said, Ruamsook has some advice for the future leaders of supply chain:
"Never lose your motivation to learn whether at your own leisure, through degree programs, or non-degree executive education," she advised. "Anything you learn will always be your ally in professional growth, regardless of what career path you choose to pursue."