Durham College (DC) students from the Supply Chain and Operations – Business diploma program showed off their skills at the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) Toronto Student Case Competition in late October. There were 18 teams from Greater Toronto and Hamilton-area colleges and universities, and the DC Team placed third in their category.

Eight students from the program’s second and third year represented DC in two teams, each showing creativity, critical thinking and collaboration in the three-hour match. Although students receive the scenario for the case two days ahead of time, the problem to be solved only arrives on the day itself, when teams are sequestered into rooms to hash out their solutions. Held at George Brown College, the goal after three hours was to create an eight-minute presentation that introduced their solution to the problem, calling on students’ public speaking skills in addition to their classroom learning.

Gliza Domondon, a team member who participated alongside classmates Gokul Ramasamy, Rodney Lachapelle, and Pratik Adhikari, said that the team decided to take a relaxed approach to the challenge, in part because they initially felt overwhelmed with the calibre of the competition. “We decided that at the end of the day you win or lose, but at least you learn a lot,” she said, adding that it was her first case competition.

While the team had discussed the company over a group chat after they received the scenario, the time constraints on competition day meant that they had to get down to business right away. After discussing possible solutions, they selected one conventional and one riskier one. To make the most of their time, they divided up parts of the presentation and got to work immediately.

While Domondon said she’s dealt with case studies in various classes before, the competition problem was more detailed, and the time pressure really called on the team’s organizational and collaboration skills plus their ability to think on their feet.

Program Coordinator Reza Mofid said those are exactly the competencies he hoped the team would find in this extra-curricular. “The experience provided our students with valuable insights and practical applications of their learning. Their ability to think critically and collaboratively under pressure showcased the quality of education we strive to provide.”

For Domondon, who at 39 is a mature student who already works full-time in logistics for Amazon, the experience was yet another positive aspect of a program that she says has been a really useful complement to her career.

“I’ve had so much fun, learning with my classmates,” she said. “I’d recommend the case competition to other students, for us it’s a learning experience you can’t get in other places, a real-life situation where you can apply all the knowledge you get in college.”