Welcome to The Supplychain Garden!

Operations and supply chain management is not just a field, it’s a garden. Like every garden, it needs the right combination of variables to start and to sustain. A fertile piece of land, favorable climate conditions, someone with the right know how to plant the right seeds and make it grow, and, of course, the seeds all need to come together in perfect harmony in order to yield a good crop. So how does a business discipline relate so closely with nature’s way of feeding those who walk this earth? Well, believe it or not, gardening provides a perfect analogy in this situation, hence the creation of The Supplychain Garden.

The business world has already cultivated the richest land, full of successful, dynamic companies, where the garden resides. The current base of practitioners and professors must be the gardeners, and must help plant the seeds and give them the tools to grow. The future generations of supply chain professionals, including myself, must be the sunshine. We must give the garden light and energy, feeding it new ideas and talent, all while illuminating those in the field who have come before us and made us into the great professionals we will become. It is up to all of us: past, present, and future, students, professors, and practitioners alike to plant the seeds of innovation, imagination, and creativity. We must harness education, discipline, and motivation to feed the business ecosystem and continue to grow through even the harshest of winters.

For our personal work of art, we have created this blog as a piece of land upon which we want to cultivate the perfect environment for growth. With his experience as both a practitioner and a professor in Operations and Supply Chain Management and his goals to strive for a world in which students graduate with all the necessary tools to thrive in businesses, Ken Jones makes the ideal master gardener. With my ever-growing knowledge and enthusiasm for the field, and my desire to share my passion for it with everyone as I begin my journey, I am the sunshine and will be sure to shine the light of this profession in every direction so that it will catch the eye of those who can join us in making OSCM grow and prosper. We are already very fortunate to have many individuals contributing to our cause and providing content and feedback, so now let’s cover more ground and share our concepts with many more to come. We would love to make our garden grow, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can join us and become an important part in helping to further advance the realm of supply chain and operations management. 

Brittany Jones,

Supplychain Sunshine