The ISM Global Case Competition, organized by the Institute for Supply Management, is a highly selective international competition that recognizes excellence in supply management, strategic sourcing, and enterprise-level decision-making. In 2023, the Ross School of Business Master of Supply Chain Management team, “Perfect Pirates,” was formally chosen as one of the 26 teams selected worldwide following a competitive screening and selection process. 

The team — Sivajyothi Vemulapalli, MSCM '23, Girish Mehru, MSCM '23, Zhe Wang, MSCM '23, and Gaurav Chaudhary, MSCM '23 — completed a nine-week, multi-stage case evaluation and developed an executive-level solution addressing inventory optimization, organizational restructuring, and rare-earth metal sourcing. Submissions were reviewed by ISM executive subject-matter experts, who selected the top four finalists to present onsite at the ISM World 2023 Annual Conference in Grapevine, Texas. 

Perfect Pirates advanced to the final round and earned second place globally, receiving a monetary prize and complimentary enrollment in the APSM certification program, sponsored by DuPont.