For the third consecutive year, University of Nebraska–Lincoln business students captured first place in the national Specialty Tool and Fastener Distributor Association (STAFDA) business competition. Selected to compete along with students from across the U.S., nine Huskers traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, with supply chain management majors Dylan Kluthe and Hannah Pham from Lincoln, Nebraska, and Jia Xien Tee from Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, named champions.

The theme of the competition was Working Capital Management based on Inchainge's Cool Connection, an innovative web-based business simulation game. The Huskers were divided into teams of four with students from Stanford, Purdue, Texas A&M, Texas State, East Carolina, the University of Dayton and the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Each student was assigned a functional role in finance, purchasing, sales or supply chain in a manufacturing company of personal care products for the competition.

"Our team's biggest strength was our ability to communicate effectively and align our strategies across all jobs in the business simulation competition. We quickly shared an understanding of our goals and consistently reassessed them as new challenges arose," Pham said. "Another strength was our ability to analyze data. We didn't just make decisions based on current situations, but we also had a margin of breathing room in case of potential risks. Everyone played their role very well, contributing to a well-rounded and winning strategy."

Nebraska senior Phuong Hanh Nguyen, supply chain management major from Haiphong, Vietnam, won second place with her team. Senior supply chain management majors Alessandro Boykin from Bedford, Texas, and Charney Burg from Valencia, Pennsylvania, earned third place, and Majid Al Harthy from Muscat, Oman, finished fourth. Nguyen and Al Harthy were a part of Nebraska's championship team last year.

"At Nebraska, students learn the 'systems thinking' concept through the various courses they take as a supply chain management major. This prepares them to take a holistic approach in their decision-making process and consider the impact of supply chain management decisions on various business functions such as sales, finance, sourcing, etc., and helps them create the best solutions considering the various business dimensions," said Erkut Sönmez, associate professor of supply chain management and analytics, who accompanied the students to Nashville.

He added that the competition's simulation game required a comprehensive understanding of relations between different business functions, which is key for success in practice for companies.

“This competition is a great experience for our students where they can work as a team in a real-life setting to improve a company's operations via the supply chain decisions they study during their coursework at the College of Business. In addition, it is a great opportunity for our students to network with their peers at other institutions and supply chain experts from several companies across the nation,” Sönmez said.

Part of the annual STAFDA conference, the event also included educational workshops, a world-class trade show and networking opportunities. The students selected attended the conference at no charge and participated in special events to connect with students, faculty and professionals from across the nation.

"The competition was not only a test of technical skills but also a platform to understand the value of teamwork and decision-making under pressure. It was very rewarding to see our hard work pay off," Pham said. "With the competition being part of a large STAFDA conference, many real-world companies also attended as members. It was cool to connect with industry professionals and peers who share a passion for supply chain."