SUNY Geneseo students win Annual UBSCOM Case Study Competition
A group of four SUNY Geneseo School of Business students took first place in the annual University at Buffalo Supply Chain and Operations Management Case Study Competition on Saturday, Apr. 13, 2024 (L-R, James Bradford, Spencer Haughney, Brandon O’Brien, Isaac Pollock. Photo Courtesy of Brandon O’Brien).
On Saturday, Apr. 13, 2024, a group of four Geneseo School of Business students competed and took first place in the annual University at Buffalo Supply Chain and Operations Management (UBSCOM) Case Study Competition. The “League of Logisticians” team consisted of senior business administration majors Brandon O’Brien and Isaac Pollock, junior marketing major Spencer Haughney, and accounting major James Bradford.
The UBSCOM Case Study Competition consisted of 16 teams with three to four students, each from colleges in western New York. The teams submitted responses to a case study for the preliminary round of the competition before being narrowed down to six teams who then competed in the finals. In the finals, each group was given a new case study before submitting a seven-page paper and delivering a ten-minute presentation at the University at Buffalo.
SUNY Geneseo associate professor of management, Farooq Sheikh, mentioned the competition to students in his production management class and noted that this would be a great opportunity for the students to gain hands-on experience within the field. A top-finish would also display Geneseo’s School of Business’ acumen to schools in the surrounding area. It is important to note that this is the only course these students have taken within the supply chain & operations management field, as well (the “League of Logisticians” competed against graduate students, as well as undergraduate students, who are currently majoring in that area).
According to those involved, it was a complete group effort, as the students and Dr. Sheikh met regularly to “develop strategies and ideas that could give their strategic take on the case a distinctively holistic and well-considered solution approach.” This group of students was also significant because they were Dr. Sheikh’s first to participate in this specific competition.
Once at the competition site, Haughney explained, “We were the third to last team to present, and we were not allowed to watch prior presentations to try to keep the contest fair. Each presentation was limited to ten minutes, making it difficult to showcase our work and methodology in such a short time frame.” He added, “After the final presentation, the judges left the room to deliberate. About ten minutes later, they came in and announced third, second, and first place [finishers] in that order.” Once the group found out they won, Haughney was quick to reflect on the experience, stating, “It offered a good opportunity to get hands-on experience in the field of business, develop our skills and connections, and complete our final project. The $2,000 cash prize for first place was certainly a bonus!”
Multiple members of the team made it obvious that they enjoyed the experience immensely and would recommend it to others in the future. When asked about the competition, Pollock stated, “This was easily the best team project experience I've had at Geneseo. Spencer, Brandon, and James were all super invested and put in a ton of effort! Farooq's mentorship was also invaluable. I'm really glad that we decided to take the opportunity, and it will be one of my fondest memories from my time here at Geneseo!” If you happen to take a course with Professor Sheikh, especially MGMT 355, look for opportunities like this one!