Instructional development in support of an enterprise resource planning software application for a Supply Chain Management Technology Laboratory: A graduate student project

The XXX Program, within the Department of YYYin the ZZZ (ZZZ) at WWW University, has recently developed a Supply Chain Management Technology (SCMT) Laboratory. Supply chain management involves the physical, information, and financial flows to meet customer demand and maximize profit.1 The SCMT Lab utilizes demonstration and simulation activities that allow students to manipulate equipment and products in a "working warehouse" space. Additionally the SCMT lab allows students to simulate the supply chain activities and information that flow between manufacturers, supplier and distributor partners, and industrial end users. A key challenge for faculty teaching in the SCMT Lab has been the development of instructional materials that are appropriate for teaching "hands on" applications of application software and various technologies that will illustrate the supply chain concepts being taught in the class. Distribution management software has been donated for use by students in the SCMTL, as well as supporting training materials. In particular, the lab was provided with licenses to an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software that is delivered via a web-based application service provider (ASP), representing a unique trend in the delivery of software applications. Indeed, a primary advantage of this software is the ready access that students have to the system from any computer with internet access. This paper will discuss a project using graduate students in a Global Supply Chain Management course to prepare software demonstration modules to support the teaching of distribution management ERP software. The ADDIE Model (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate) was adapted for the development of the instructional materials to assure that the needs of the students and objectives of the courses would be met.2 This became an active learning project for the graduate students because they had opportunity to learn the software and make meaningful connections to course concepts, as well as provide the needed instructional materials for future lab activities. This paper will detail the steps taken to engage the students in an instructional development project that was both beneficial to the graduate students preparing them and to the students using them in future coursework.