FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Supply Chain Management Research Center (SCMRC) in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas is partnering with the Arkansas chapter of the National Association of Purchasing Management to host a two-day conference on purchasing and supply management.

The Ozarks Regional Purchasing and Supply Management Conference will be held at the Inn at Carnall Hall on the University of Arkansas campus on Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 1 and 2. The conference agenda is designed for managers responsible for procurement/purchasing management and operations, supply chain management, strategic sourcing and purchasing, materials and services management, distribution management, and services contracting. In addition, there will be an optional pre-conference strategic sourcing workshop on Monday, Oct. 31.

“This purchasing and supply management conference is a first collaborative effort between the two organizations,” said Jim Crowell, managing director of the Supply Chain Management Research Center. “The program will include industry and academic speakers and features a tour of the new Walton College RFID Research Center laboratory.” The agenda incorporates several case studies from leading companies, including; Tyson Foods Inc., ABF Freight System Inc., Alltel Corp., and John Deere. Topics addressed include: preparing for the next procurement challenges, the how and why of global sourcing, an RFID case study, proper measurements for indirect material buying, and total cost of ownership for purchasing decision making.

Joel L. Thomas, chairman of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM)-Indirect MRO Group and conference chair, said: “There will also be an optional pre-conference strategic sourcing workshop on Monday featuring Tim Underhill, CPM, president of Underhill Associates, a consulting firm for supply chain management.”

“The National Association of Purchasing Management Arkansas Chapter is the largest Arkansas affiliate of the Institute for Supply Management,” added Crowell. “The organization is well known for its ISM Manufacturing 'Report On Business’ and is considered by many economists to be the most reliable near-term economic barometer available.” 

Full conference information and registration can be found at: http://scmr.uark.edu/files/NAPDM05.pdf or by calling (479) 527-9062. Attendance to the conference earns Continuing Education Units. Cost of the two full-days conference is $750 per person for members of ISM and SCMRC or $795 for non-members.

The Walton College Supply Chain Management Research Center serves as a direct link between the private sector and University supply chain resources. The Center’s focus on students, research and education brings academics, practitioners and students together as they pursue challenges and opportunities found throughout the broad topic of supply chain management. The Center is proud to be part of the Walton College team recently ranked 17th nationally in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2006 “America’s Best Colleges” supply chain management/logistics university rankings.