MBA in Operations & Supply Chain Management: Salary, Scope, Fees, Benefits, Career, jobs, Syllabus, Eligibility & More

MBA in Supply Chain Management is a postgraduate programme for those aspiring to be in logistics and back-end operations. The 2-year course deals with various parts of a business like manufacturing, retail, consumer products and healthcare. It also incorporates the process of providing services to customers. This course opens up job opportunities in materials logistics management, warehouse management, transportation companies, distribution centres and retailers.

The supply chain management companies look at the management of goods and services. They deal with processes that transform raw materials into products. This stream focuses on maximizing customer value and gaining a competitive advantage.

In this blog, we will look at the various facets of the MBA degree in Operations and Supply Chain Management the scope of the course, syllabus, eligibility, entrance exams, job opportunities, salary and other benefits.

In case you want to know more about the MBA degree in general, check out the blog below.

MBA: Specializations, Eligibility, Fees, Scope, Opportunities & Benefits

Course Highlights

The curriculum for MBA in Supply Management is similar to the general MBA courses. While in the first year students pick up skills related to Business Administration, further in the course they can choose from elective subjects connected to the Operations domain.

Let us look at some of the topics covered in this branch of MBA.

• Quantitative Techniques & Methods
• Corporate Legal Environment
• Business Skills Development
• Business Policy and Strategic Management
• Management of International Business.

Course Level: This MBA specialization can be opted for as a post-graduate level course.

Course Duration: This programme is generally completed in 2 years.

Course Examination Type: Most institutions conduct examinations after every semester.

Course Eligibility: You need to have a minimum of 50% marks in graduation to be able to secure a seat in an institution offering this MBA.

Course Admission Process: The admission process revolves around entrance exams. Once shortlisted the students take part in other parts of the process – Group Discussion, Written Tests and Personal Interviews.

Course Major Entrance Exams: CAT is considered to be the most popular entrance exam for the MBA course. Institutions conduct their own tests but the usual ones are CAT, XAT and GMAT.

Course Fee: This course usually costs around Rs 1 Lakh to Rs 10 Lakh per semester.

Course Average Salary: A job in supply chain management can easily fetch you anywhere between Rs 8 lakh and Rs 12 lakh per annum.

Top Hiring Companies: Among the leading companies in this sector are Reliance Industries, TCS, Jio, Snapdeal, Cabbage, Cummins and Accenture.

Eligibility Criteria

You need to meet the following criteria to be eligible for the MBA programme in Operations and Supply Management.

• The candidate must be a Graduate in any discipline with a minimum 50% score.
• Can have an equivalent qualification with a 50% minimum score or an equivalent Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) from any recognized university.
• Those appearing for final year examinations can also apply if they have got 50% marks in the qualifying exams.
• For the SC/ST category the minimum score in 45%.

Admission Process

Most B-schools require candidates to clear an entrance exam to be able to secure admission for any MBA programme. It is the same for an MBA in supply management. Here we will look at the admission steps in detail.

1. Entrance Exam: Find out the entrance exam required by the college of your choice. It is most likely to be one of these – CAT, XAT, MAT and GMAT.
2. Cut-off List: The next step is to make it to the cut-off list by securing the required marks.
3. GD/PI: The shortlisted candidates are then called for a Group Discussion or Personal Interview Rounds. Some colleges have another round of written test too. Candidates who clear these rounds make it to the final list.

Salary in India

An MBA degree can help you secure a job with a high pay scale. According to Glassdoor, an MBA in Supply Chain Management can fetch you anywhere between Rs 12-13 lakh per annum. The average annual salary starts from Rs 7,00,000. An MBA graduate is responsible for carrying out technical and managerial functions and so these roles draw high salaries.

Entrance Exams

Most B-schools ask candidates to clear Entrance Exams to be eligible for securing a seat for the MBA in Supply Management programme. Among the common entrance exams are MAT, GMAT, XAT and CMAT. However, CAT has emerged as the most preferred exam for MBA admission.

Major Research Project Topics

One of the major components of the Supply Chain Management MBA programme is the research project. Students are required to submit a thesis on a topic of their choice. The research projects should be comprehensive. The document should be able to explain the various facets of the topic and also ensure that the facts reflect the current trends of the industry.

Some of the topics for the research paper in MBA are:

• Digital Transformation of Supply Chain Management
• Impact of COVID-19 on Supply Management System
• Blockchain and Sustainable Project Management
• Risk Evaluation in Supply Chain
• Importance of Supply Chain Management on an organisation
• Evaluating strategies for cost reduction
• Application of IoT in Logistics and Supply Chain

Top 5 reasons to choose MBA in Operations & Supply Chain Management

How does a store at a shopping mall keep a stock of how many garments of a particular brand are in stock and how many does it need to order to meet the demand? If these questions intrigue you, then an MBA degree will help you understand the operations, the reasoning and the calculations behind all types of supply chains.

The MBA programme covers different aspects of the supply chain like the planning for the creation of a project, sourcing and providing logistical support for procuring raw materials, production methods, distribution, and cost and risk control.

This course also allows students to further specialise in supply chain, logistics, quality management, business intelligence, strategic sourcing and operations strategy.

An MBA degree will open up various positions in the industry. Some of the sought-after designations include Industry Analyst, Project Manager, Global Logistics Manager, Transportation Director, Supply Chain Sales, Supply Chain Consultant and Warehousing Manager.

An MBA degree makes you fit for senior positions, C-level and manager positions. Nearly 50% of supply chain project managers have a post-graduate degree.

Operation Managers are one of the few executives from the managerial level to have access to boardrooms. They are required for important HR decisions, policy changes, documentation and building partnerships with other organizations.

Therefore, operation managers are also one of the highest-paid officials. They draw an average of Rs 8 lakh to Rs 17 lakh per annum.

Required Skills

Those aspiring to do an MBA in Supply Management must possess a set of soft skills.

Communication: You need to develop a good style of communication and critical thinking.

Leadership Skills: MBA candidates will generally be in senior positions. Therefore, the candidates are supposed to have leadership skills.

Teamwork: It is necessary to be able to work in a team as various functions in supply management need to be executed by a number of people. Moreover, the responsibilities require flexibility to be able to deal with different situations, and the ability to come up with innovative and creative solutions.

Syllabus & Subjects

An MBA programme in Supply Chain Management is normally designed in a way that the students gain a thorough understanding of the various aspects of the business. The topics covered in the course include statistics, operations, microeconomics, management, marketing, macroeconomics, finance, business ethics and accounting.

Many institutions also offer specialization within this MBA. Students can choose to specialise in any one of the following:

– Supply Chain Management

– Logistics

– Quality Management

– Business Intelligence

– Manufacturing Design

– Service Supply Chains

– Operations Strategy

Career & Job Opportunities:

An MBA degree, in general, prepares students for a whole range of managerial and analyst roles. A Supply Chain MBA holder can secure job positions that require one to analyse the market demands, prepare research on procurement and deployment. Some other positions deal with studying the trends in fields like manufacturing, healthcare, IT, agriculture and chemical sciences.

The common positions held by an MBA graduate in Supply Management include:

• Industry Analyst
• Project Manager
• Logistics Manager
• Supply Chain Sales
• Procurement Analyst

Scope of MBA in Operations & Supply Chain Management

An MBA in Supply Chain Management is a great way to develop the ability to understand the working of an organization. This, in turn, will help in predicting the behaviour of consumers and the office administration. All of this put together will ultimately help the company to optimize its system performance.

Students of this program will get to learn from industry professionals as part of the guest lectures. They will also benefit from visiting other universities or meeting people from other nationalities.

Scope in Government Sector

In the government sector, supply chain professionals work closely with suppliers of raw materials and services. Also, involved in this system are information technology vendors, infrastructure contractors and logistics providers. An MBA in supply management can open up job opportunities in the government sector. Some of these profiles are with shipping companies, freight firms, printing and publishing, banking, manufacturing and mining.

With this MBA degree, you can also look for job positions in Pharma and tech-related companies. There are opportunities for Assistant Professor jobs in the government sector.

Top 10 Recruiters

MBA holders are much in demand in the Operations and Supply Management sector. The recruiters are generally tech conglomerates, major freight companies and courier services.

Some of the prominent names are:

• McKinsey
• Boston Consulting Group
• Bain and Company
• KEPLER
• Oracle
• DHL
• FedEx
• TCS
• Cummins
• Jio
• Ford Motor Company

Top Recruiting Industries

Graduates with an MBA degree in Operations are in demand in every field. The operation managers are a link between the technology department and production. They maintain and increase the quality of production and also increase the efficiency of the business.

The sectors that are big on operations and supply management are:

• E-Commerce
• Construction
• Hospitality
• Manufacturing
• IT
• Inventory
• Warehousing.

Interview Questions and Answers for Freshers

Q: What is supply chain management?

Ans: Supply Chain Management is about managing the multi-disciplinary aspects of a business. This role requires handling and planning for a project, sourcing and providing logistical support for procuring raw materials and distribution of products.

Q: What skills, in particular, do you have for this role?

Ans: I have the expertise and knowledge to handle complex situations in supply management. I have the requisite management skills and can deal with issues related to supply chain logistics and back-end operations of a business unit.

Q: What motivates you to work in product supply?

Ans: The line of product supply is an interesting domain where you can exercise skills in logistics and analysis. It allows you to showcase your leadership qualities and the ability to coordinate work between different departments.

Q: Please describe the various steps and stages of the supply chain.

The supply management system can be divided into 5 basic steps – Plan, Source, Make Deliver and Return. Each component is integral to the system and contributes to the smooth functioning of the process as a whole.

Q: What is your preferred method for analyzing your team’s performance?

As a team leader, I will first set clear goals for my team members. I will also evaluate their performances periodically so that I can suggest improvements on time. Moreover, I will seek suggestions from my team as a whole for their feedback on strategies and decisions. This will keep the team together and help in achieving the collective goals.

Courses to Do After MBA in Operations & Supply Chain Management

You can opt for several courses after completing your MBA. This provides candidates with an edge who are looking for further specialisations. In the case of supply management, some of the courses that you can sign up for include:

• ISB Certificate Programme in Business Analytics
• CFA – Certification in investment banking, portfolio management and equity research
• FRM – Risk management course
• CISA – Certification in Information Systems Audit and Control Association
• CRMA – Course from Internal Auditors
• CPIM – Global certification on production, planning and stock management
• PhD – For those who want to go for an academic career

Related FAQS

Q1: Is Maths Required for MBA in Operations & Supply Chain Management?

The Supply Chain Management programme requires knowledge of basic maths to do calculations. In certain spheres of supply management only you need to solve advanced problems. This is where you require people who have studied maths in their graduation or post-graduation.

Q2: Which Is Best MBA in Finance or MBA in Operations & Supply Chain Management?

An MBA degree in finance helps one to take up roles that require one to analyse financial situations, troubleshoot related problems and chart the future scope of a companys finances. On the other hand, an MBA in Operations and Supply Chain mostly deals with procurement and demand of raw materials, supply of goods and services and managing of stocks and inventories.

Hence, it is not possible to compare both these streams. These are two different areas of specialization and require people with different skills and expertise.

Q3: Why Choose Operations & Supply Chain Management as Specialization in MBA?

An MBA programme provides you with masters-level expertise and level of understanding. This automatically makes you a good fit for a senior-level position. An MBA degree will also fetch you a good pay package.

Q4: How to Do PhD. After MBA in Operations & Supply Chain Management?

Those who want to do a PhD in Supply Management after an MBA must have completed the two-year management programme. You also need to qualify for UGC-NET of GATE exam. To be able to pursue the PhD, you need to clear GATE or UGC-NET or the CSIR-NET tests.

Q5: Is MBA in Operations & Supply Chain Management a good option?

Yes, an MBA in Operations and Supply Chain Management is a good option as it provides you with avenues to get into the top ranks of any organisation. It allows you to be part of the critical decisions of a company and like elaborated earlier an MBA degree can help you draw bigger pay packages.

Q6: Is MBA in Operations & Supply Chain Management Easy?

The MBA programme is not easy compared to a certification course but a student with a keen interest in logistics and management can excel in this field.

Q7: Who should do MBA in Operations & Supply Chain Management?

Anyone who aspires to be in the managerial roles related to operations or good supply should do an MBA. This degree is also important for anyone who has a keen interest in the warehousing, inventory and stock taking aspects of the e-Commerce business.

Summary

An MBA in supply chain management is the best avenue to understand the various concepts of goods and services delivery. This degree provides you with the understanding of taking key decisions in a gulfportpharmacy.com company. One can also turn an entrepreneur with this degree as the course is structured in a way that equips with all the requisite knowledge.

Call to action

There are various B-Schools that offer an MBA in this field but from the placement and course structure point of view, ASM_IBMR stands apart from the rest. ASM’s 360-degree approach to education provides students with holistic development, all-around development and learning.