Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and teaching of graduate courses providing in‐depth experiential learning employing commercial supply chain management software. The benefits of teaching such courses are described, the challenges in offering such courses are identified, and some solutions to overcome the challenges are offered.

Design/methodology/approach

The experiences of the authors in developing and teaching supply chain management courses utilizing commercial software provided a basis for discussing the benefits and challenges associated with teaching students the management of modern supply chains using commercial decision‐support software.

Findings

Incorporating commercial software in university programs presents a myriad of challenges and therefore is rarely done. However, providing students with in‐depth knowledge of commercial logistics and supply chain management software improves their understanding of supply chain issues and provides a key differentiator in the marketplace. Modeling real‐world supply chains using commercial software enhances student's education by providing relevant experiential exposure to real‐world problems and decision‐support tools.

Originality/value

The observations of the authors in developing and teaching courses in supply chain management utilizing commercial software afford a unique viewpoint and roadmap for others regarding teaching supply chain management in academic environments.