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NC State College of Management
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Duke Energy Graduate Assistantship
Duke Energy Graduate Assistantship Recipient '06/07
Duke Energy Graduate Assistantship
for Supply Chain Management Studies
2006/07 Recipient - Joe Reuss
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“The opportunities at State have just been amazing. I started my MBA program straight from undergrad, and the real world experience I have gotten as a student surpasses many of my friends who have been working full time! ” Joe Reuss, MBA '07 |
The Duke Energy Graduate Assistantship is offered every fall to a full-time MBA student at the College of Management at North Carolina State University. The assistantship was conceived in 2004 to attract talented individuals to Duke Energy and to familiarize MBA students with careers in the field of Supply Chain Management (SCM). Corporate assistantships such as this one provide a financial incentive for talented individuals to consider careers with Duke Energy and serve to demonstrate the importance of supply chain management issues within the corporate community.
Joe Reuss, the 2006/07 Duke Energy Graduate Assistantship recipient, entered the MBA program at NC State University without knowing much about supply chain management. He found that, unlike finance and marketing that are more mature business disciplines, the pioneering work is going on in supply chain management. With so many people retiring in the next ten year, he decided it would be a great field to get into.
Following is an interview with Joe as he described his project work with Duke Energy.
What was your schedule like for the year, how was it set up, how much and what kind of contact did you have with Duke people?
My schedule for Duke Energy was very flexible. I would have a weekly meeting with Steve Edwards in order to update him on my progress and plan ahead. My contacts at Duke Energy were not as formal. I spoke with them about once or twice a week when questions came up at either end. To kick off projects I would travel down to Charlotte and spend a half day to attend a couple of meetings. During the first meeting I would present the findings of my previous project. That was followed by a group discussion of the material. The latter part of the meeting would be the kickoff for my next project where I would meet the new stakeholders and receive a thorough explanation of the project, my role, and the timeline.
What were the projects? Who did you work with?
My first project was completed during the spring semester of my first year. I worked with Sharon Friday who leads Duke Energy’s Supplier Diversity & Sustainability group. The project consisted of compiling research in order to benchmark online capabilities of the energy industry concerning supplier diversity and contractor safety. The purpose of this research was to give Duke Energy a good baseline of where they stand with regards to their peers.
The second project I worked on focuses on Delegation of Authority (DOA) protocol at large companies. This project was particularly exciting because it involved me contacting many additional SCRC companies in order to learn about their DOA processes. I also compiled research through secondary sources and shared all this information with Duke Energy. This helped them to revamp their processes which were strained due to the recent merger with Cinergy.
My third project involved reviewing the system of performance metrics used in Duke Energy’s supply chain organization. In addition, I performed secondary research in order to learn about best practices concerning supply chain metrics to potentially integrate into Duke Energy. I worked primarily with Sheri Straw, GM of supply Chain Operations, and Mitch Martin on this project. My efforts on this project were well received by these two, and they had me summarize my findings and recommendations to share with the Chief Procurement Officer, Ron Reising.
What did you learn about field of SCM through the contacts and projects?
I have learned some interesting and unique lessons through this assistantship. The energy industry has many unique challenges concerning its supply chain organization, and things are no different at Duke Energy. In my classes, I hear a lot about how important it is to have a well integrated and strategic supply chain. This fellowship has afforded me the opportunity to apply these concepts to real world examples. Therefore, both my classroom and real world experiences have been enhanced a great deal through the fellowship.
What value was there in this experience for your career, advancement, etc?
The most value I have received from this fellowship has been the exposure. I have worked first hand with numerous general managers and other employees at Duke Energy. In addition, my projects have included contacting various other SCRC professionals who have also been outgoing and knowledgeable. This exposure and experience as a young student has been invaluable. I started my MBA program straight from undergrad, and the real world experience I have gotten as a student surpasses many of my friends who work full time! Therefore, the insights I have gained through this experience will likely give me a leg up after graduation.