In April 2025, four students from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) participated in the 12th Annual International Supply Chain Case Competition. The event, hosted by Arizona State University and sponsored by Dell Technologies and other global firms, brought together top universities to solve real-world business challenges.
The team comprised Abigail Elikem Dekagbe, Abdul Majeed Fawzan, Rebecca Elikplim Sakyi, and Angela Austin Kotun, students from the Department of Supply Chain and Information Systems at the KNUST School of Business. Competing virtually from the CARISCA Innovations Lab in Kumasi, they placed third overall, following strong showings by Arizona State University and Howard University.
This year’s case, designed by Starbucks, challenged students to build a cost-effective and sustainable delivery model for the company’s Princi Bakery supply chain. The KNUST team worked through four high-pressure rounds of analysis and presentations, despite the 7-hour time difference and midnight start times.
Their participation was supported by the Centre for Applied Research and Innovation in Supply Chain – Africa (CARISCA), which facilitated training, mentorship, and logistics. Previous KNUST competitors coached the team and helped coordinate their virtual engagement.
“CARISCA is committed to giving students opportunities to solve real-life supply chain problems,” says Collins Boakye Dankwa, center manager. “This competition let them apply classroom theory to a global challenge, and they did so with excellence.”
The team’s participation marks the third consecutive year that KNUST has participated in the competition, having placed 4th in 2023 and 3rd in 2024.
Congratulations to Team KNUST for their dedication and hard work.