Oct 20, 2025
One of the strengths of the Department of Supply Chain and Analytics at the University of Missouri–St. Louis is using current events to show how the knowledge and skills that students are learning in the program can be directly applied in real-world situations. The reputation the department has earned – not only in the St. Louis region, but across the United States – is attracting the best and brightest to campus. That’s why Zahra Rahmati, who was pursuing her doctorate at a different university, chose to adjust her plans and become part of UMSL’s program. Dr. Haitao Li, the Supply Chain department chair, connected Rahmati with Sowmya Kumpatla, a recent graduate of the Department of Information Systems and Technology, for a supply chain project with Beauty Supply Refresh in Florissant, Missouri. Li had been helping co-owner Trinita Rhodes understand the cost-related challenges of rising tariffs and later proposed a pro bono, data-driven research project to optimize supplier decisions.
After months of research and analysis, Rahmati and Kumpatla presented their findings to the Beauty Supply Refresh team. Their optimization model decreased lead time and increased quality while lowering total costs by 6% and reducing reliance on China from 86% to 64%. Rhodes said the project was “game changing” and helped her rethink how to position the business for the next five years. Rahmati and Kumpatla are now working with Supply Chain faculty to publish their research so other companies can benefit. Rhodes added that the project shows how businesses can stay resilient and navigate challenges by using data-driven insights to move forward.
