BY MARK B. SOLOMON, EXECUTIVE EDITOR–NEWS
THE DC VELOCITY Q&A thoughtleaders
IT IS NO SECRET THE SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
field is short of talent, and acutely short of talent in the
areas that matter, such as high-tech and operations management. Schools like Texas A&M University are looked
at to supply an ever-increasing flow of graduates into the
field. But graduating with a degree is one thing. Graduating
with the skills that fit the employment demand in 2017 and
beyond is another.
That’s where Gregory Heim comes in. Heim, associate
professor in the department of information and operations
management at Texas A&M’s Mays Business School, brings
decades of academic knowledge to the very real-world
challenge of utilizing information technology to enable
more efficient and productive DC operations. Because he
works in a university setting, a large part of Heim’s work
involves nurturing supply chain management (SCM) talent
and positioning students to prosper in a field that requires
operations know-how and interpersonal skills along with
IT knowledge.
Heim recently spoke with Mark B. Solomon, DCV’s
executive editor–news, about his mission, the opportunities
that await young people and the obstacles that impede the
academic-business pipeline, and why he calls himself an
“IT curmudgeon.”
QCan you describe the areas of research you are currently focusing on?
AMy research examines the impact of IT on manufac- turing, service delivery, and supply chains. I studied
e-retailers for my Ph.D. Later, I analyzed manufacturer ERP
Feeding tomorrow’s talent pipeline is perhaps the most important job of the 21st
century educator. Gregory Heim’s role is to show students how the fusing of
technology and operations management skills can be the recipe for success.
INTERVIEW WITH
GREGORY R. HEIM
Serving the youth a
balanced diet
