 Lombard, Illinois USA, September 4, 2013 – Dr. Jason A. Acimovic, assistant professor of supply chain and information systems, Smeal College of Business at The Pennsylvania State University, will receive the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals’ (CSCMP) 2013 Doctoral Dissertation Award for his research titled Lowering Outbound Shipping Costs in an Online Retail Environment by Making Better Fulfillment and Replenishment Decisions. The award will be presented at this year’s CSCMP Educators’ Conference, which takes place on Sunday, October 20, 2013 in Denver, Colorado, in conjunction with the organization’s annual global conference. Consumers are projected to spend approximately 10% of their retail purchases on the Internet in the next few years. However, much of the online retailing industry is still operating with supply chain strategies that were developed for brick-and-mortar retailing. Fundamental differences exist in these supply chain structures, which necessitates the development of new tools and ideas, according to Dr. Acimovic’s research paper. The primary objectives of his research were to recognize the specific differences in each of the structures, as well as improvements that could be made to online retailing experiences. His research also offered solutions that could perform well enough to be implemented and tested on actual or realistic data to determine potential cost savings. The first part of his thesis focused on developing a heuristic for fulfilling customers’ orders. The heuristic was then tested with industry data obtained through a partnership with a large American online retailer. Finally, the research explored replenishment, and how, specifically, to replace inventory in fulfillment centers. The mathematical component of supply chain and logistics, combined with their abilities to positively impact peoples’ lives was the motivation behind choosing a career in the supply chain field. “When I worked in Liberia as a logistician with a humanitarian aid organization,” said Dr. Acimovic, “the impact that logistics made on the day-to-day operations of clinics and hospitals was a powerful revelation. That’s when I decided that this was the career path I wanted to take.” Dr. Acimovic received his doctorate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Operations Research Center, and his Bachelor of Science degree in physics from Yale University. Prior to returning to graduate school, he worked in credit card operations for Capital One and for Doctors Without Borders. His research interests include applied operations, online retailing supply chains, and humanitarian logistics. His work has appeared in the American Statistical Association’s (ASA) Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports, and he has worked on research projects with industry partners including an online retailer and the PGA TOUR. Initiated in 1973, CSCMP’s Doctoral Dissertation Award is presented annually to the author of a submitted doctoral dissertation in a logistics- or supply chain-related area. The selected work must demonstrate significant originality and technical competence while contributing to the logistics and supply chain knowledge base. For more information about CSCMP’s Doctoral Dissertation Award, contact Kathy McInerney at [email protected] or +1 630.645.3483. |
| About CSCMP Since 1963, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) has been the leading worldwide professional association dedicated to education, research, and the advancement of the supply chain management profession. With more than 9,000 members globally, representing business, government, and academia from 62 countries, CSCMP members are the leading practitioners and authorities in the fields of logistics and supply chain management. |
| For more information, contact: Madeleine Miller-Holodnicki, ABC Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) 333 East Butterfield Road, Suite 140 Lombard, Illinois 60148-5617 USA SOURCE: Submitted by CSCMP |
