Infor Donates Supply Chain Network Design Software to University of Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Georgia-based software provider, Infor, has donated software licenses for Infor SCM Network Design, a supply chain planning and analysis software used by some of the world’s most recognizable companies, to the University of Arkansas. Infor SCM Network Design will be implemented by the Supply Chain Management Research Center in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, as part of its ongoing research into supply chain management.

The Supply Chain Management Research Center serves as a direct link between the private sector and university resources, providing a forum for research, education and collaboration on supply chain issues among faculty, students and industry leaders. The center is on the leading edge of supply chain management theory and practices in areas like optimization and environmental sustainability. Infor SCM Network Design offers the university’s research center access to software that companies use to strategically design their supply chain networks.

“Our goal is to use Infor SCM Network Design to put theory into practice, demonstrating how different variables impact efficiency and identifying the key characteristics of an optimized supply chain,” said Terry Tremwel, research director in the Supply Chain Management Research Center at the University of Arkansas. “We expect this to be a valuable tool for our work to develop best practices for use in the private sector as well as an opportunity to expose our students to advanced supply chain technologies.”

Strategic network modeling is the process of modeling the entire supply chain to quantitatively evaluate network design options in terms of costs, revenue and service. Some of the world’s largest retailers, logistics providers and manufacturers use Infor SCM Network Design to build models that incorporate relevant costs, facilities, nodes and modes. Based on these models, organizations can create hypothetical analyses to optimize their supply chain networks based on lowest cost and best service. More efficient supply chain networks benefit companies through reductions in fuel costs and their customers through a reduction in transit times, which improves service. Optimized supply chain networks also require less fossil fuel and generate fewer emissions, which benefits the planet.

“Research institutions like the SCMRC at the University of Arkansas are a vital part of supply chain practices,” said Richard Simpson, senior product manager of supply chain management at Infor. “Infor is committed to supporting them and we gain equal value through the collaborative exchange of ideas with their faculty and students.”

Infor software is in use at number of colleges and universities around the world for use in their research and curriculum.