Teaming up to tackle supply chain management

Supply chain management is not a new concept to Ben Hektoen ’24 MSSCM and Brittany Walter ’24 MSSCM, but both were eager to build upon their foundation of knowledge.  

Ben and Brittany work at New Leader Manufacturing (NLM), a Cedar Rapids original equipment manufacturer (OEM) that builds spreaders that are used with agricultural and highway equipment, supplying customers across the country. As Scheduling Manager, Ben is responsible for creating a production plan for operations that meets customer deadlines and maximizes efficiency. Brittany’s duties as Purchasing Manager include the procurement of materials and components necessary to make the products. 

Many aspects of supply chain management—including the production, distribution, and delivery of products—are part of decisions made by Ben and Brittany at NLM on a regular basis. To expand upon her supply chain knowledge, Brittany said she initially inquired about obtaining a supply chain certification, but when Mount Mercy University launched its Master of Science in Supply Chain Management (MSSCM) program, she and Ben entered together in August of 2022. The two colleagues went through all their classes together and graduated in August of 2024. 

“I was looking for sort of an introduction into a business/academic world, and what I got out of the program was quite a bit more,” Ben said. “You definitely got a general outline of business concepts and ideas throughout the program, which is really helpful to me. But then, more specifically, the program dived into tailored concepts for supply chain management, and a very broad spectrum of those ideas, from procurement to capacity planning to operations forecasting.” 

“Forecasting—a great example,” said Brittany, referring to the process of predicting future demand, supply, and pricing for a product or range of products. “To really be able to know the different ways that you can forecast here—we’ve done it pretty much the same way for a long time. I can go to my team here and say ‘Hey, here are some things I’ve learned. I know we’ve been doing it this way, but there’s some other ways we could be doing it. Should we be looking at it that way too?’” 

In the classroom, conducted online, Ben and Brittany said they collaborated with classmates who brought a range of experience and ideas. Especially beneficial, they added, were the experienced instructors—working professionals who provided industry expertise. 

“They’re working in this field, they’re working in this area, and that was huge,” Brittany recalled. “Just to hear their ideas or hear what they’re doing right now.” 

“Some of the professors work down the road, at actual companies, and they have very real-world examples to use,” Ben agreed. “It’s not just a textbook they’re reading out of. So it was super valuable.” 

Not only did they find the program instructional, it was convenient too, with virtual classes that fit perfectly with working professionals. 

“Is it time consuming? Absolutely,” Ben described. “You have to be disciplined about it. But I found myself three quarters of the way through the program realizing that we only had a few months left, and I was like—whoa. This went by really fast.” 

“This was just doing at your own pace as you can fit it in,” Brittany said.  

"When you’re already in a job specifically related to supply chain, while taking this, you can already start applying what you’re learning in the class every day at work." — Brittany Walter '24 MSSCM

As working professionals bringing their own real world industry experience, both Ben and Brittany agreed the program is especially valuable for individuals already involved in supply chain management. 

“When you’re already in a job specifically related to supply chain, while taking this, you can already start applying what you’re learning in the class every day at work,” Brittany said. “Or I can take what’s going on at work and say, OK, let me go to a class and think of this example and how I can work through it.” 

“If you’re looking for a master’s degree in supply chain, this is a really good one to take,” Ben said. “It’s well paced. The content is super relevant and relatable. It is information that you will use daily in your job.” 

For Ben and Brittany, the ability to complete the program as colleagues also proved to be an added benefit.  

“It made it easier to go through it with somebody, just to bounce ideas off and talk through things,” Ben said. 

With degrees in hand and knowledge gained, Ben and Brittany feel positioned to help drive continued success at NLM. 

“I use almost everything that I learned in the program on a routine basis,” Ben said.  

“It’s a great opportunity,” Brittany added. “The program that they have right now is extremely helpful.”