“I ADVANCED TO PROVIDING INPUT AT A STRATEGIC LEVEL”
TIAS EXPERIENCE
“My perspective on supply chains has significantly broadened, thanks to this master's program. We reviewed all the various angles a supply chain involves, and I learned how to combine those into a comprehensive picture. For example, there’s planning, purchasing, sustainability, digitization, financial factors and the effects on staffing.” These are the words of Bas Kampen, Logistics Manager at Vanderlande, an international company that specializes in futureproof logistics process automation. He completed the part-time Master of Operations and Supply Chain Management at TIAS in 2023.
FROM OPERATIONAL TO STRATEGIC
When Bas originally decided to embark on this Master’s degree, his managerial concerns were mostly limited to internal logistics. “With hindsight, that was quite a small bubble. The issues I worked on back then mainly involved the optimization of internal operational logistics processes. The program removed my blinkers. This is also the reason I changed jobs twice as I progressed through my degree. Instead of simply managing operations, I had advanced to providing input at a strategic level.”
“I wanted a Master with a strong emphasis on the application of scientific theory.”
WHY TIAS
During a previous applied science degree, Bas had found that a combination of work and part-time study worked well for him. “For me personally, I really appreciate the ability to relate theory to practice; having them advance in parallel like that. That’s why I was determined to do a part-time Master.” Application of scientific theory “Additionally, I was looking for a Master with a strong emphasis on the application of scientific theory. This TIAS Master, which requires you to have business experience, introduces you to others from different industries and is all about science’s practical applications, appealed to me the most. I’m not the kind of person to spend four years reading and then write articles about what I’ve learned. I’m more about, ‘OK, here’s the theory, and someone created a model to define it at some point. Now how do I apply that to a business situation?’ That approach just really suits me well.” Flexible, modular structure “Another thing I liked a lot about the program at TIAS is its modular structure. This makes it possible to complete your degree at your own rate. The setup where you spend three days in Tilburg each month, being fulling immersed in all the theory, like a sort of camp, was convenient for me as well. After that, you’re let loose on the world with another four weeks in which to write your final paper.”
Name Bas Kampen
Position Logistics Manager at Vanderlande, an international company that specializes in futureproof logistic process automation in the sectors of warehousing, airports, and parcel. Bas's position means he is responsible for all logistics processes at Vanderlande’s production facilities in Veghel. This can include delivery of goods, storage, picking, returns and packaging flows, for example. He leads a multidisciplinary team that includes supervisors to logistics workers, project managers and logistics specialists in the areas of engineering and inventory management.
Program Executive Master of Operations and Supply Chain Management “Writing the papers means you get to present yourself to different managers in your company each time, offering to tackle an issue of theirs as a consultant. Everybody wins.”
FRESH VIEW OF OWN COMPANY’S ISSUES
As Bas proceeded through the TIAS master, he developed in ways that made him realize he might want to try something different, and that this could also work out rather well for him personally. And indeed, his two subsequent job switches proved beneficial both for him and for the program’s results. “The master’s program consists of thirteen blocks. Thirteen times, you act as a sort of consultant for different specific fields. Whenever you start working on the final paper for a certain block, you are forced to take your questions to a different discipline within your company. Due to the fact that I’d switched jobs, I didn’t have any preconceived notions. I had to go looking for an issue to tackle within my company each time. I had to ask the questions, as I didn’t have the knowledge myself yet. It was a good way to learn more about my new employer and a targeted approach to seeing how things worked there. It actually felt very natural.”
Free in-house consultant Each module concluded with a final paper addressing a specific issue at your own company, a way of working that, again, appealed strongly to Bas. “You get to present yourself to a different manager each time, offering to tackle an issue of theirs as a consultant. You familiarize yourself with the issue, look for links to the latest scientific insights and then draw up a report with your recommendations. Sometimes you even get to implement a few of those recommendations yourself. That’s very gratifying. It provides a learning experience for you as a student, and the manager in need of a solution to their issue gets a free in-house consultant to help them improve their department’s organization or a specific process. Everybody wins. Often, people at a company feel they don’t have the time to investigate new trends and developments. When you then have a chance to provide a fresh ‘outsider’ view, that can be very valuable.”
Selling yourself “That is also how I sold myself,” Bas continues. “For each new module, I’d reach out to the head of a department that was the best match for the subject matter in question and tell them, ‘Dear So-and-so, in the coming period, a consultant will be offering you support in addressing a strategic issue. Why don’t we meet up for coffee and discuss the challenges your department or team is facing?’ That sounds a lot better than, ‘Hey, here’s a list of questions about your department.’ It’s all about the presentation.”
“Scenario thinking has taught me to proactively anticipate what’s going on in the world.”
UP-TO-DATE KNOWLEDGE, TRENDS AND INSIGHTS
“What TIAS is really, really good at is attracting the right guest lecturers. I attended so many interesting guest lectures on revolutionary changes or journeys they’d experienced, inventions they’d made, or market trends and the impacts on the labor market, on digitization and automation. I also got to acquaint myself with the pharmaceutical industry, fast moving consumer goods, the food business and how logistics work when you’re dealing with services instead of goods. After each three-day TIAS module, I returned to work brimming with ideas and inspiration.”
Stakeholder management While the three-day modules on marketing, finance and sourcing may not seem very relevant to supply chain management at first glance, Bas believes they have made him a better stakeholder manager. “Although I don’t work in these areas myself, spending three days immersed in them taught me how to think like that business controller whose hyperfocus on figures was previously so alien to me, encouraging much better collaboration. These courses expanded my knowledge in areas where my own experience is limited and facilitated interactions with peers from other disciplines. Take the marketing module, for example. In supply chain management, you have sales and operations planning meetings. On the one hand, there are the salespeople saying sales are going through the roof and there’s nothing to worry about. And then there’s the supply chain people, who need reliable figures to avoid ordering too much or too little of some item. It’s now clearer to me why salespeople say these things and how they think, and they can understand supply chain concerns more easily.”
Thinking in scenarios Thanks to the focus on scenario thinking as an element of logistics strategy development, Bas has become much more aware of the environment and its possible effects on the supply chain. “I think the Covid pandemic has given the whole world more of an insight into how supply chains work. If a ship happens to get stuck in a canal or there is a conflict like the war in Ukraine, that has a huge impact. Before, I was mainly reactive, in the sense that something would happen and only then would I start thinking about what that meant for my department and how we should respond. Now I also have a Plan B. Scenario thinking has taught me to proactively anticipate what’s going on in the world. We have plans in place to allow us to adapt to new situations quickly and continue serving the market.”
Master’s thesis: roadmap from engineer-to-order to configure-to-order
Bas did the research for his Master’s thesis at his current employer, Vanderlande.
His primary research question: How can the Vanderlande plant in Veghel achieve the right balance between Agile and Lean?
Adapted manufacturing strategy
Bas: “Vanderlande’s production was originally based on the engineer-to-order method, where products are engineered and manufactured in response to a specific customer demand. We have now moved on to more of a configure-to-order manufacturing strategy, a system based on the assembly of various building blocks to produce end products at lower prices.”
Recommendations
“My Master’s thesis focused on the requirements to adapt our plant in Veghel to this new strategic direction. To that end, I first created a ‘snapshot’ of the situation as it was, made predictions about what the new strategy would require of us, and analyzed the gap between the two. Then I drew up a roadmap with recommendations on how to make the journey from our existing situation to the desired one.”
Factory redesign
“The fascinating thing about my Master’s thesis was that I got to apply everything I had learned during the program’s various modules in practice: What is the impact on the company? What are the financial effects, and how are processes affected? What are the effects on operations, planning and digitization? I investigated all those aspects, then created a plan that addressed each factor and described everything that needed to be done to achieve our desired situation within the next three years. In this way, my thesis helped lay the foundations for our factory redesign.”
Strengths of studying part-time
“In my current role, I am in a position to provide input on strategy, while also being invited to help implement some of the suggestions from my thesis. I see that as one of the strengths of studying part-time. Who ever gets to dedicate six months to researching a specific topic at work? Generally speaking, no-one is willing to spend that amount of time. Now I actually get the chance to put the recommendations from my thesis into practice. This does mean I’ll also need to ‘sell’ my story to people, distribute it throughout the company as if it were a flyer, convince everyone and make it all happen. But unlike a full-time student who is given a celebratory drink and warmly thanked for their efforts, I can ensure that my Master’s thesis, based on a combination of research on our company’s current situation and up-to-date scientific insights, doesn’t simply disappear into a drawer somewhere.”
INDEPENDENCE AND SELF-LEARNING
Looking back on how he’s developed overall, Bas also names a few aspects that have less to do with up-to-date logistics knowledge, but still contribute to making him strategically stronger in his current position as a Logistics Manager. “The Master has encouraged me to act as an entrepreneur within my own domain, to pay more attention to improvements our company could be making and to keep an eye on the big picture. It was also interesting to interact with peers from various industries and learn about what they are working on, and good to know you’re not alone. Going through it all together creates a great bond. Additionally, by improving my self-reflection, the program has made me better at self-directed learning and allowed me to become much more independent in my work.”
“If in five years’ time, you were to ask an alumnus about the Sustainable Supply Chains module, they would tell you this is the most important module of them all.”
SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAINS
“When it comes to environmentally friendly solutions to logistics processes, many companies are still feeling their way. That’s why I’m glad TIAS offers a Sustainable Supply Chains module. At my own company we do pay a lot of attention to reuse of materials through remanufacturing, reuse and refurbishment. Because supply chains are a large part of that, I am closely involved in the process. The great thing is that my role means I can truly make a difference. If in five years’ time, you were to ask a Master’s alumnus about the Sustainable Supply Chains module, they would tell you this is the most important module of them all. I know that for a fact.”
BAS'S TIP
“If you are considering a part-time Master of Operations and Supply Chain Management, it is important to find a good balance between your work, study and private life. There’s your commitment to yourself, your commitment to your friends and family and the commitment to your employer, of course. You will need to find people at your company who are willing to act as ambassadors, to give you a chance to poke your nose into your company’s business in various areas, to ask all your questions and propose strategic tweaks.”
Master’s program that offers immediate results in the workplace
As an Operations or Supply Chain Manager, you are constantly responding to rapid changes in logistics and the supply chain. Developments in areas such as globalization, digitization and sustainability create new challenges. With the part-time Executive Master of Operations and Supply Chain Management (MOS), you can stay abreast of the latest models and developments. You will be able to apply your newfound knowledge to your own operational or logistics situation straight away, producing immediate results. Download the brochure to discover if this is the program for you.
TIAS School for Business and Society is a place for leaders, professionals and managers who want to make a change, just like you; to get the best out of themselves and create an impact within and with their organization. TIAS has a broad portfolio of part time Masters, Advanced programs, MBAs, Master Classes, TIAS 8hrs and InCompany programs.
Business and Society is the common thread that unites our programs. TIAS focuses on four areas of competence: Responsible Leadership, Collaboration, Business Modeling and Sustainable Innovation. As tomorrow's leader, it is the combination of these four elements that will allow you to transform your business and create an impact.
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