CSCMP 2019 Call for Academic Cases

The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) is soliciting original academic cases for its ever-expanding on-line case library. CSCMP seeks classroom-ready cases that explore all logistics and supply chain issues involving supply chain strategy and operations, as well as supply chain analysis and decision making.

More specifically, CSCMP has particular interest in cases which address topics such as e-commerce and omni-channel, last mile delivery, impacts of emerging technologies (i.e. blockchain, additive manufacturing), sustainability, ethical considerations in supply chains, food safety, humanitarian logistics, supply chain risk management, and urban logistics. In addition, CSCMP prefers cases with a financial focus, with particular emphasis on an accompanying dataset/database. Finally, the interest in these topics could be enhanced by specific attention to placement in a global setting (non-US focus), or consideration of unique dynamics of particular industries (e.g. healthcare or 3PL).

The primary audience for CSCMP cases is academics who will use these cases to illustrate particular logistics and SCM principles within the context of their courses.  There will be two categories of cases accepted: full-length cases that will typically take a full lecture to discuss, and “mini-cases” that require about 20 minutes of class time, and are useful for introducing a topic.   Author(s) of “full” cases accepted by CSCMP will receive a $3,000 USD honorarium, and authors of “mini” cases will receive $500 USD honorarium provided the case is completed by December 15.

Full and mini cases that are submitted to CSCMP will be evaluated by members of CSCMP’s Academic Strategies Academic Case Study Review Committee utilizing the following criteria:

  • Interesting subject matter and relevance to CSCMP academics
  • Realistic details and adequate information on internal and external issues
  • Story-like narrative addressing a sufficient number of supply chain management issues
  • Useful tools, tables, figures (financial numbers when available) to facilitate analysis
  • Clear set of discussion questions
  • Quality of writing
  • Level of completion including teaching notes
  • Need, based on topics currently held within the CSCMP case database

    • Due Dates

    Submission deadline – July 1st, 2019

    Notification of accepted cases  – October 15, 2019

    Camera Ready Copy -  December 15, 2019

    Submit your case study here.

    Guidelines for Academic Case Study Submissions

    There is a lot of value in creating a "story"-like atmosphere in the case, bearing in mind the facts of the case should not be “buried” under the narrative.

    The case should not provide any solutions within the body of the case.  A key facet is that as students read the case they should begin to identify with the decision maker in the case. To facilitate student engagement, authors should consider adding as many realistic details as possible, so students can also learn about the industry being studied and the role of a supply chain manager.

    For full-length cases, authors should ensure adequate information is included on the internal and external factors facing the company.  It is very important that tables, figures and financial numbers (when available) are useful to facilitate analysis. Ideally, full-length cases should contain several different issues denoted by keywords, and some of the issues should not be important to the outcome of the case.  A key learning process that students go through with well-written cases is related to the ability to distinguish between important and unimportant issues.  Inclusion of a moderate amount of superfluous information is often of value for this purpose.  Authors should always end the case with questions that force the students to identify the key underlying issues found in the case.

    Cases should not require the purchase of specialized software for analysis. CSCMP wishes to encourage use of these materials as widely as possible, so only software that is generally available (i.e. MS Office Suite programs), or software that is generally available should be featured as a required tool of the case.

    For mini-cases the requirements are less rigorous.  Given that mini-cases are designed to introduce classroom topics, and are often used as in-class exercises, there is less need to include as much quantitative data as required in a full case. The focus in a mini-case tends to be more conceptual and introductory.

    For both types of cases, teaching notes should be prepared.  The teaching notes assist the professor in teaching the case; they are not simply answers to the questions found at its ending.  Authors should consider developing a set of questions that can be used by the professor to lead a class discussion, and suggest different logistics and SCM topics for which the case would be an applicable assignment. The focus of the teaching notes is to lay out questions in such a fashion that the students discover key issues.  If possible, authors should identify the approximate time needed to discuss each question to provide the greatest learning.  In summary, the teaching notes should include the following:

  • a synopsis of the case
  • teaching/learning objectives and appropriate audiences for case
  • teaching suggestions
  • several questions/answers to facilitate discussion of the case
  • a summary of the pros/cons of each alternative being considered in the case, if not already done in the case
  • lessons learned/outcomes – this should be linked to teaching objectives above
  • Finally, where possible/appropriate, the author should include an epilogue section (i.e., "what really happened") so that the professor can provide historical data based on the results of the actual case.

    • Full Cases, not including the teaching note and figures, should be between 2,000- 4,000 words. 
    Mini Cases, not including the teaching note and figures, should be between 1,000- 2,000 words. 

    All Cases should clearly identify whether they are intended for lower level undergraduate classes, all level undergraduate classes, upper level undergraduate/graduate classes, or graduate only level classes.

    Cases should follow the JBL formatting guidelines.

    Cases and Teaching Notes should be double spaced, Times New Roman font, size 12, with 1” margins. All files should be submitted as MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint documents.

    Submit your case study here.

    Questions may be directed to:

    Adriana Rossiter Hofer
    [email protected]

    David Swanson
    [email protected]