Dear Colleague,
Most supply chain curricula produce technically competent employees. Far fewer produce visionary leaders who can see the big picture: why supply chain matters, which problems to solve first, and what a cascade of small disruptions can do to an entire enterprise.
That distinction matters more than ever. The next generation of the workforce needs skills that are compatible with AI, not replaceable by it. AI can execute orders, but it can't decide which order to give. Students trained to follow technical instructions are exactly those AI will compete with. Students trained to see the direction before anyone tells them which way to go are the ones who will lead.
Join Dr. Yao Zhao (Rutgers Business School) for "Teaching Supply Chain Management by Visual Storytelling"
Aug 11-12, 2026. 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
[REGISTRATION LINK]: https://rutgers.zoom.us/meeting/register/7gK6CfL0QNezdbgaSDQmHw
Visual storytelling isn't a soft add-on to technical training - it's how students learn to interpret data in non-obvious ways, and how they develop the judgment to identify and prioritize problems, not just solve the ones handed to them. As one student put it: "I want to learn how to interpret data and use analytical tools to uncover insights that drive business decisions." The philosophy behind this approach: teaching is wood igniting, not duck filling - and a good story is what lights the fire.
Day 1 (Aug 11) - The Storytelling Framework
- Case studies and data sets that illustrate the financial impact of supply chains – the Supply Chain Butterfly Effect, for showing how small operational shocks cascade into major financial consequences.
- Up-to-date teaching materials on sourcing analytics to handle global trade challenges, including an operational analysis of Intel's stock rebound – so your fall course reflects what's actually happening in industry right now.
- A framework for teaching problem identification and prioritization - Illustrated through breakdown analysis of American Airlines, showing how to isolate the operational issues with the greatest financial stakes, and potentially impact the bottom-line by billions.
Day 2 (Aug 12) - Bringing It to Life With Simulations
- Hands-on walkthrough of two ready-to-use classroom games: the Hunger Chain Simulation and the Florapark Simulation, and tips for integrating these games into existing course structures.
- Hunger Chain Simulation - students experience firsthand how panic ordering during a supply shortage amplifies into a full-blown crisis, even when only minor shortage existed.
- FloraPark simulation – students manage a back-stabbing relationship with supply chain partners into a win-win by implementing coordinating supply chain contracts.
Attend one day or both - each stands alone, but together they give you the full toolkit: the narrative framework plus the hands-on materials to teach it.
[REGISTER NOW →]: https://rutgers.zoom.us/meeting/register/7gK6CfL0QNezdbgaSDQmHw
Best,
-yao
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Yao Zhao
Professor
Rutgers University
Newark NJ
https://yzhao12345.github.io/------------------------------