Students know it’s not the holidays without distribution and logistics

For consumers, it’s so easy: Click, pay and receive a purchase within a few days — sometimes on the same day it’s ordered.

Students in East Carolina University’s distribution and logistics program know that it’s far more complicated to get a product from a manufacturer to a customer, especially during the holidays.

“It’s crazy,” said Ted Jones, a junior distribution and logistics major from Wilmington.

Distribution and logistics students learn warehouse operations and management by processing food donations for the Williams-Ross Purple Pantry.

Perhaps at no other time during the year do consumers think about how they get the products they purchase — whether it’s the newest LEGO set or that holiday roast from the grocery store. But should that special gift not arrive in time for that special day, they notice. Distribution and logistics keeps products and supplies moving.

“Behind every package delivered, every store stocked and every global shipment, logistics is that hidden engine,” said Dr. Natalie Aman, teaching assistant professor of distribution and logistics in the Department of Technology Systems. “It blends strategy, technology and real-world problem-solving.”

Aman spent years in industry before becoming an instructor in ECU’s distribution and logistics program, sharing her experiences and knowledge with her students.

“From advanced software to hands-on operations, ECU teaches you to manage the entire supply chain,” Aman said. “We prepare you to optimize warehouses, streamline distribution and design smarter systems.”

It’s a field that’s in demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, transportation, storage and distribution management jobs are expected to grow by 6% through 2034, with median pay of $102,010 annually.

Jones said he originally considered majoring in biology. His curiosity of the manufacturing process and how parts and products find their final destinations convinced him to look at distribution and logistics.

“I’ve always had an interest in how ordering a product online can get to your house and the process of how things get to customers globally. I just wanted to explore that a little deeper,” he said. “It’s a process, from gathering components to building a product and then how that product is moved along through technology.”

Student Ted Jones processes food donations in the Student Service Learning Lab.

One way students learn about that process is through the Student Service Learning Lab in the Science and Technology Building. Students operate the lab as a warehouse for ECU’s Williams-Ross Purple Pantry, which helps fight food insecurities on campus. Students learn the technology required to operate and manage a warehouse by processing food donations, storing them in the specific locations in the lab and then shipping them to the pantry when supplies need to be restocked.

“This is a really good program because we have our warehousing lab, simulating how a warehouse would typically work,” Jones said. “We also have the SAP software that really lets us learn more in depth about warehouse management systems.”

When considering college, Jones said ECU was an obvious choice, pointing to instructors with industry experience as well as campus-wide programs that support the whole student.  

“ECU has a lot of good resources and a lot of good people to talk to,” he said.

As for those holiday purchases, Jones has some advice.

“Order early and look from where something is coming,” he said. “If it’s international freight or something that is coming from really far away, if you can get it from some spot closer, it can get delivered quicker, maybe without having to pay more.”