The Power of Online Education: How Two Professionals Mapped Their Paths

Time is a scarce resource. So why do supply chain professionals invest significant amounts of it in exacting online courses such as the MITx MicroMasters Credential Program to gain expertise in supply chain management?

By Dr. Eva Ponce and Ken Cottrill

As the reflections of two MicroMasters® credential holders show, there are many reasons. One practitioner with more than a decade of professional experience wanted to expand his knowledge base. The other practitioner was less experienced and needed a more comprehensive grounding in supply chain management.

Both individuals are using the knowledge gained to enhance their professional performance. They also agree that high-quality online programs such as MicroMasters could transform professional education and increase awareness of supply chain’s role in companies.

Building on supply chain experience

Ray Ernenwein was a practicing supply chain professional of some 15 years when he signed up for MicroMasters in 2016. At the time, he had taken on a new role in charge of a team of supply chain data scientists.

“As a leader of that team, I wanted to update and refresh my technical skills so I could be a more effective leader of the work they were doing,” he says.

Ernenwein decided that a technically rigorous online program with a focus on practical applications would help him meet these goals. The program also had to be relatively advanced in order to enhance the extensive hands-on and technical experience he already had. After completing all five courses in the MicroMasters program, he graduated in 2018.

In addition to brushing up on skills he had already mastered, the program provided education in areas he was less familiar with such as machine learning and simulation software.

“By pulling me more deeply into these subject areas, not only was it fascinating, but it was also empowering to get a grasp of emerging topics that are playing an increasingly important role in data-driven businesses,” says Ernenwein.

These insights have enriched his work performance, as has the end-to-end perspective on supply chain management Ernenwein gained from the program.

“I’ve gained confidence in the depth and currency of my supply chain knowledge,” he says.

Ernenwein has passed on this knowledge to colleagues as a mentor. In one organization, he started an SQL (structured query language) software mentoring circle.

Widening horizons in the workplace

Dan Covert also appreciates MicroMasters’ all-encompassing view of supply chain — but from a different starting point.

Covert was working as a demand planning analyst at a leading retailer when he enrolled in an online precursor to MicroMasters in 2015. The fully-fledged, five-course program was launched soon after.

His academic background is in math and physics — not supply chain management. At the time, he says, “I didn’t have a great understanding of the fundamentals of supply chain. I was forecasting demand for a bunch of different products and doing some inventory management.”

The initial MicroMasters courses proved very useful for this type of work, and Covert was able to apply the tactical skills he learned almost immediately.

As he progressed through the program, Covert encountered more advanced topics such as database management, machine learning, and software implementation, network optimization, and building mixed-integer linear programs.

The value of these topics was not immediately obvious but became apparent as Covert moved up the career ladder. His current title is Director of Supply Chain R&D, Retail Business Services.

“In my current role, I’m starting to build a supply chain analytics function, so learning about database architecture and the data science components and different ways to source software has been very valuable.”

Indeed, he believes that such knowledge is essential for practitioners intent on growing a career in supply chain management and “propelling a transformation in an organization.”

Finding the time and motivation to learn online

Still, completing a rigorous online course such as MicroMasters represents a significant time commitment. How do busy professionals reconcile such an undertaking to work/life demands?

Ernenwein estimates he spent approximately 10 to 12 hours per week on his MicroMasters studies. “It’s not an investment in time to be taken lightly,” he agrees, but the flexibility of the online medium helps making that time commitment manageable; Ernenwein studied during his daily commute and on weekends. “If you are committed, it’s very feasible, even if you’re a busy professional.”

Covert stuck to a system to manage his time commitment. “Assignments were due Wednesday. I would watch the videos on Thursday and Friday, and I would try and do the whole assignment Monday, and on Tuesday, tie up whatever loose ends I had.” This system enabled him to complete the work without having to devote six- or seven-hour blocks to get it done. He took weekends off to maintain a satisfactory work/life balance.

“It didn’t seem like that much of a chore because I was learning stuff that I had no idea about but was tangible and applicable,” he says. Covert also acknowledges, however, that when he embarked on MicroMasters, it was easier to find time to devote to his studies than it would be now in his more senior role.

Covert also notes that an important motivation from the beginning was an ambition to apply to the MIT CTL blended master’s program. Top-performing MicroMasters graduates can apply for a place on MIT’s residential supply chain master’s program. Covert ultimately succeeded in graduating from the blended program.

A broader impact on careers

What of the effects of programs such as MicroMasters’ outside of personal career goals?

An example cited by both practitioners is the vast potential for using online programs to teach people both within and without the function of the intricacies of supply chain management.

For new, less experienced supply chain recruits who need a firmer grounding in the discipline, or even incumbents who want to know more about other roles in the profession, a traditional approach is job shadowing: sitting with a practitioner in the workplace.

This method is a valid way to acquire insights into supply chain roles but is far from ideal since it requires practitioners to devote precious time to educate colleagues. An online platform such as MicroMasters can play this role very effectively since it is flexible enough to be adapted to each individual’s needs.

Similarly, an online platform can teach other disciplines about supply chain management. This application of online education is increasingly vital as working environments are becoming more multi-functional.

“Anything that helps you understand the challenges that other groups are going through helps you build a better partnership,” Covert points out.

The future of online education

Looking forward, both Ernenwein and Covert agree that online education programs will play a critical role in renewing supply chain skills and keeping professionals on the leading edge.

Helping to keep skills fresh is especially important for senior supply chain professionals who may have worked at one company for lengthy periods suggests Covert. “It helps you to avoid tunnel vision as regards your company operating in the right way. Online programs expose these people to different ways of doing things in different industries” In other words, “They help to build best practice,” he says.

Also, the flexibility of the online medium will help professionals maintain a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives.

One criticism of virtual classrooms is that they can’t replicate the interpersonal communications that take place in physical classrooms.

Ernenwein acknowledges that this can be a limitation. However, “the lack of interactivity is somewhat compensated by the online forums that students use to share questions, ideas, and tips,” he says. These interchanges promote a sense of community even in a course such as MicroMasters, which emphasizes individual, self-paced learning.

Moreover, this kind of networking can continue throughout a person’s career. For example, Covert has a WhatsApp application for his blended class that alums use to swap concepts and ideas. This active community spans multiple countries.

Another challenge is finding credible programs among a growing number of online offerings. “Not all courses are of equal quality or value,” says Ernenwein. But as long as professionals do their due diligence, they can find programs that meet their needs, he believes.

Importantly, as online programs mature and their associated communities grow, the proficiency bar in supply chain management will get higher. And more people from different backgrounds and parts of the world will be able to access education in supply chain management.

“I think one of the most admirable parts of MicroMasters is how it is democratizing education,” says Covert.

Dr. Eva Ponce is Executive Director of the MITx MicroMasters® Program in Supply Chain Management at the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics’ (MIT CTL). The program offers several pathways to coming to MIT Campus including an intensive 5-day Supply Chain Bootcamp. For more information on those initiative’s research, contact Eva at eponce@mit.edu.