A team of four students from the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business won the 2024 Undergraduate Supply Chain Case Competition sponsored by 4flow, a premier global supplier of supply chain consulting, software solutions, and fourth-party logistics (4PL) services.
Under the guidance of a 4flow mentor, each team was tasked with assessing a client's initial problem and coming up with an approach and solution to improve and optimize the client's sustainability goals.
The team competed against five other universities and came in first place, winning $2,400. They also received an additional $1,000 donation from 4flow, which they plan to donate to the Georgia Tech Society of Women in Business Club.
"The 4flow case competition was such a great experience to learn more about supply chain concepts hands-on and to network with so many wonderful people in the industry. I'm grateful for the opportunity to represent Scheller and Georgia Tech," said Elise Gran, a third-year student studying Supply Chain Management and Operations.
For Ansley Reich, third-year student studying Supply Chain Management and Operations, this was her first time attending a case competition. "I really enjoyed learning from the other teams' presentations and listening to the feedback from the judges. I will definitely use what I learned during this competition in classes and my future career," she said.
Each team was required to devise strategies to enhance efficiency, revamp processes, and minimize waste across the supply chain for one of 4flow's clients. This was 4flows' second annual North American competition; however, they've held case competitions since 2016.
"I learned a lot not only from competing, but also from the other groups and the feedback given by the judges. Overall, it was reassuring to know that all the classes I’m taking at Scheller are helping me learn valuable skills within the supply chain industry," said Amelia Fox, a third-year student concentrating in Supply Chain Management and Operations.
The team, led by Bob Myers, senior lecturer in Operations Management, and faculty director of the Lean Six Sigma program, traveled to Detroit, Michigan to compete.
"The case involved a warehouse optimization project, and our team did a great job of synthesizing various concepts they've learned during their time at Scheller and presented their solution in a matter that the judges described as ‘the most authentic.’ They invested significant time over a period of months to prepare for the final presentation," said Myers.
Haley McMenomy, a fourth-year student studying Supply Chain Management and Operations, saw the experience as an opportunity to practice the skills she's learning at Scheller.
"The 4flow challenge allowed me to apply the knowledge I have learned from Scheller into a real-life business case. It was a great learning experience," she said.