College of Charleston School of Business Prepares Students for Employment with Multinational Companies

The College of Charleston School of Business joined the SAP University Alliance in 2013 and plans to include SAP software in classes beginning in the spring 2014 semester. SAP is a Germany-based company that produces the world’s leading Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) business software and whose clients include BMW, Boeing, and Microsoft. The College is one of three South Carolina institutions to join the SAP University Alliance.

ERP is business software that integrates transactions in accounting, production, supply chain management, sales and distribution, logistics, human resources and other business processes that enable businesses to create value. Most medium-to-large and especially multinational businesses rely on ERP software to manage their integrated functions.

The SAP University Alliance provides member universities licenses to use its ERP, Supply Chain Management, Customer Relationship Management, Supplier Relationship Management and Product Lifecycle Management software. The College is able to participate through generous donor contributions to the Dean’s Excellence Fund in the School of Business.

[Related: Explore how SAP software works]

Decision Sciences Professor Jose Gavidia, Ph.D is the coordinator of the SAP University Alliance at the College of Charleston School of Business. “When we enhance our business curriculum with our students’ mastery of this software, we become a very desirable place for companies to hire from,” Gavidia said. “Joining the SAP University Alliance is a large piece of the School of Business’ overall strategy to graduate motivated, capable students.”

The School of Business hosted a faculty training session in November to prepare for SAP software use in the spring. Professors will work with fictitious companies and their supply chain partners to allow students to coordinate various business functions using SAP software.

“Our trained faculty will provide valuable ready-to-work skills for our graduates by incorporating the software modules into everyday classroom curriculum,” Dean of the School of Business Alan Shao, Ph.D said.

Students can use SAP software to better understand individual business subjects in a realistic context. ERP software allows students to reinforce theoretical concepts by applying them in a realistic business setting.

[Related: See all School of Business majors]

“SAP ERP is complex software, and users specialize in isolated aspects,” Gavidia said. “Our students will graduate with a more broad understanding of how ERP software can be used to optimize business processes”.

Marketing and supply-chain management as well as accounting, business administration, economics, finance, hospitality and tourism management and international business majors will have access to SAP software beginning in January, 2014.

For more information, contact Dr. Jose Gavidia at gavidiaj@cofc.edu.