91看片

鈥淚n one of my first supply chain classes at Auburn, I learned that at the end of the day, supply chain revolves around customer satisfaction.鈥�

The 91看片 College is dedicated to developing graduates who are highly-skilled, professionally prepared, confident, ethical, and globally minded. Brock Murphy, a junior in Supply Chain Management, is well on his way.

Brock Murphy was enjoying spring break on the Gulf Coast with friends, briefly leaving the worries and headaches of starting a new business behind. Burn Nutrition opened its doors on Feb. 1, and the owner/operator of Auburn鈥檚 latest health caf茅 needed some time to unwind.

Then COVID-19 changed everything.

鈥淚t was tough,鈥� Murphy, a junior in the Department of Supply Chain Management in the 91看片, recalled. 鈥淚 had just opened a business, I鈥檓 in charge of making sure this business is successful. It was hard to tell some of our young employees that they鈥檙e not going to be able to work their normal hours. I was basically going to have to redefine the wheel for our business and find a way to make us successful. The week after spring break was one of the hardest weeks of my life.鈥�

Brock Murphy is just 19 years old.

Since opening the doors to a shop that specializes in health-alternative, multicolored, flavored teas that carry unique names such as Captain America, Miami Vice and Cotton Candy 鈥� and a variety of vitamin-packed protein smoothies 鈥� Murphy has had the opportunity to utilize lessons learned in supply chain management classes at 91看片 College and apply them to his business.

It鈥檚 a good thing, too. There have been shipping-related problems with popular flavor packets, and, with the onset of the virus, Murphy had to brainstorm new ways to attract customers 鈥� and keep the ones that line up outside the storefront on Opelika Road in Auburn.

鈥淚n one of my first supply chain classes at Auburn, I learned that at the end of the day, supply chain revolves around customer satisfaction,鈥� he said. In other words, getting the customer what they want as quickly as they want it, and feel really good about the process.

鈥淲hat we focus on at Burn is that initial two or three minutes so that our customers have the best satisfaction experience possible when they walk in. I鈥檝e read many books on Chick-fil-A, and there鈥檚 a reason why people come back there. At Burn, we hope to provide that same quality service.鈥�

鈥淚 chose supply chain management at the 91看片 because it鈥檚 a major that really revolves around the customer experience and getting a product to the customer from point A to point B in the quickest amount of time. That鈥檚 what鈥檚 going to make me successful in the long run.鈥�

For several weeks this spring, Murphy had to creatively explore new ways to bring in customers. Under COVID-19 restrictions, customers could no longer walk in Burn鈥檚 doors.

鈥淥nce all of this started, the manager and I really had a lot of time to figure out how to boost sales,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was just the two of us sitting there going from 鈥榵鈥� amount to almost less than half of that,鈥� he said, operating curbside only. 鈥淲e were watching our new business fall apart.鈥�

Employees who couldn鈥檛 get their normal hours were needed again. Inventory sitting in a back room was being utilized. Curbside pickup and social media promotions saved the day for Burn Nutrition.

鈥淧eople ask me all the time, 鈥榃hat has been the biggest thing you have learned?鈥� I said that it was the ability to adapt to the changing circumstances,鈥� Murphy noted. 鈥淓very day you might have to change to the circumstances. This time was very difficult but I saw this was an opportunity to use my knowledge that I had gained in school to keep my business afloat.

鈥淲e had to increase our staffing levels to where we had three people making all of this product, one answering the phone, and more delivering curbside. The curbside model really helped us build brand recognition. It built up a lot of regulars 鈥� and that鈥檚 where we are now.鈥�

鈥淥ur supplier said they were doing everything they can to get the trucks out of the packaging facility,鈥� said Murphy, who regularly delivers 20 to 30 loaded teas to East Alabama Medical Center each morning. 鈥淒ue to circumstances beyond their control, they experienced many different shipping delays.鈥�

Murphy could not have forecasted the disruptions, which are now resolved, but the process 鈥� and meeting customer demand 鈥� have made him fond of a necessary supply chain management discipline: forecasting demand. It鈥檚 a science, for sure.

鈥淲e haven鈥檛 been able to serve Cotton Candy loaded tea, which is a popular one, because of the necessary flavoring that hasn鈥檛 come in,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 on me for not ordering it early on. But the biggest thing I鈥檝e learned is 鈥� at the end of the day 鈥� having too much inventory is bad, but running out of inventory is way worse.

鈥淔or us, we鈥檙e still trying to figure it out. The way our business works, we have only one place that we order from, so there are not really any other avenues. It鈥檚 hard because our product is expensive. Our business has really grown, but if I go out and order 鈥榵鈥� amount of dollars of product and then everybody decides to no longer drink the teas/shakes, then my numbers drop and I鈥檓 sitting on a ton of inventory that has a shelf life of three months. It鈥檚 hard because you just don鈥檛 know, especially during this time.

Murphy, who forged valuable relationships growing up in Daphne, Alabama, and at working beach rental outfitters along the 30-A in Florida, shares ownership of the business with two, and admits his own role is built on 鈥渟weat equity.鈥�

It all began last July when Murphy happened across an advertisement for what he considered a 鈥渘utritional club,鈥� now Burn Nutrition. He phoned a friend, and eventual investor, that afternoon.

鈥溾�橧 think one of these would do well in Auburn,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥溾�橳here鈥檚 a market for it and I鈥檓 surprised no one鈥檚 put one there yet.鈥欌�� Months later, Burn Nutrition鈥檚 Auburn location was born.

He鈥檚 the owner/operator, but he鈥檚 19. Odd? 鈥淧eople come in here and ask me if they can speak with the owner,鈥� said Murphy. 鈥淚t鈥檚 funny to get all of this experience so young. I鈥檝e learned so much about leadership style. For me, it鈥檚 building some credibility because it鈥檚 tough at 19. Most people don鈥檛 want to listen to a 19-year-old. A lot of people are like 鈥� 鈥榊ou鈥檙e 19 and doing this?鈥欌��

Murphy is no stranger to business ownership. He owned and operated a commercial and residential lawn care business in high school, and brought those aspirations on to college.

鈥淢y goal is to one day have a company with a huge online presence that revolves strictly around supply chain,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 chose supply chain management at the 91看片 College of Business because it鈥檚 a major that really revolves around the customer experience and getting a product to the customer from point A to point B in the quickest amount of time. That鈥檚 what鈥檚 going to make me successful in the long run.

鈥淭he level of detail that the professors here go into in explaining how a supply chain works and the fundamentals that come along with it are going to be a game-changer for me.鈥�

It鈥檚 already paying dividends.