The Penn State Smeal College of Business offers a five-day course titled "Managing Effective Supply Chains" from Aug. 25 to 29 as part of its executive education program series. The course is a joint venture with Smeal's Center for Supply Chain Research.

The program aims to provide participants with the skills required for expert handling of supply chains on a global scale. It will provide insight into the benefits to be gained by replacing a "functional" organization with a "process" organization, integrating all functions along the chain through shared objectives, developing common performance matrixes, improving customer satisfaction through shorter delivery times, maximizing capital turnover, using information technology to enhance performance and working effectively in alliances and partnerships throughout the extended supply chain.

To help further executive career development, Penn State Executive Programs has created a two-step educational model. Each step is focused on the core competencies required for supply chain excellence. "Managing Effective Supply Chains" is the first step in the current program for manufacturing/supply chain management. The second is "Designing and Leading Competitive Supply Chains," which will be offered from Sept. 28 to Oct. 3.

"Designing and Leading Competitive Supply Chains" provides senior management and supply-side executives with insight into strategies and models that develop supply chain systems for speed,flexibility and competitive differentiation. The program will address how to develop supply chain systems that support the organizational strategy; how to compete on factors other than product, price and service; how to target system components that will improve performance for the business; and how to sharpen supply chain strategies for industry leadership. Penn State Executive Programs recommends that three people from an organization attend each program in order to create the momentum for change.

The programs are aimed at managers who are new to supply chain processes and searching for best practices in their area of responsibility. Those who work as functional counterparts in finance, information systems, manufacturing or marketing will also benefit, the school says . The course includes presentations by Penn State faculty and guest speakers from industry. It also includes project work in which participants create frameworks for priority issues or challenges they face within their own organizations.

The 2003 program fee of $2,950 includes all instructional materials, private room accommodations, all meals and access to recreational facilities.

This program is co-sponsored by the Council of Logistics Management. For more information, contact Penn State Executive Programs, The Smeal College of Business Administration, The Pennsylvania State University, 409 Business Administration Building, University Park, PA 16802-3009. The phone number is (814) 865-3435; fax (814) 865-3372. More informati on is also available on the Web at http://www.smeal.psu.edu/psep.