Fatih Yegul is a professor at Conestoga College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning, where he has been a full-time faculty member since August 2018. He teaches a variety of courses in the International Business Management degree program, including Operations Management, Supply Chain Logistics, and Quality Planning & Analysis. Fatih has actively been involved in academic committees, such as the AACSB accreditation committee and the Case Research Development Committee, and serves on the editorial board of the Open Access Teaching Case Journal.

In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Fatih has contributed significantly to research in the field of supply chain management and operations. His recent projects include examining the adoption of Generative AI in SMEs, implementing digital twin systems in manufacturing, and studying the impact of electronic monitoring on remote employee performance. These projects are funded by institutions like NSERC and the Lazaridis Institute.

Fatih’s professional experience spans various roles, including Senior Manufacturing Manager at Custom Rapid Solutions Inc., where he successfully managed the implementation of an ERP system, and Simulation Engineer at Magna International Inc. His expertise in simulation modelling, ERP systems, and supply chain optimization is well-recognized, with numerous publications and conference presentations.

Fatih holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo and an MSc in Industrial Engineering from Gazi University. 

Fatih’s Award for His Published Case Study

Dr. Fatih Yegul is the first Conestoga College professor to win an award from the Case Study Awards and Competition 2025, which celebrates self-developed case studies used widely in organizations around the world. Fatih’s winning case study, Broadband-X: Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation, is based on his experiences with an electronic contract manufacturing company.

“To create the study, I followed step-by-step instructions from a book on writing successful cases. It took me two months to write and submit to Ivey Publishing,” said Fatih, who teaches in Conestoga’s Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) – International Business Management. “The study became a bestseller on the Harvard Business Publishing platform, thanks to efficiency in teaching implementation of ERP systems covered in Management Information Systems courses.”

Fatih regularly uses case studies to teach and creates activities for students to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations. Students enjoy the course content and want to learn more about a case study’s relationship to future work.

Enlivening Case Studies with Simulation Games and Real-World Scenarios

“Along with Broadband-X, I teach other case studies that cover intricacies of ERP implementations (Enterprise Resource Planning – a software system that helps organizations streamline their core business processes—including finance, HR, manufacturing, supply chain, sales, and procurement),” said Fatih. “Students play ERP simulation games for five weeks in the e-supply chain management course, which gives them the opportunity to have first-hand experience with corporate software solutions.”

His award-winning case study covers a success story on ERP implementations. One other case study Fatih teaches includes a story on the implications of ERP implementation failures. Thus, he demonstrates to his students the importance of the efficient change management activities that should accompany ERP implementations for success.

“When I’m teaching with a case study, I ask students to read it before they come to class and write a quiz on what they learned,” said Fatih. “In class, I’ll place students in small groups and give them 10 to 15 minutes to discuss the case questions. Studies may contain multiple pages of information, which can be fun and challenging for students. A class discussion follows the group work, which helps them to learn it with me, the faculty, on the side.”

Staying Current in the Industry

“Technology is progressing very quickly – you can’t teach with what you learned 10 and 20 years ago. I update my knowledge by getting involved in applied research projects,” said Fatih. “For the past five years, I’ve worked with several companies to innovate their supply chain efforts.

“Last year, I started a project with a dairy company that planned to implement an ERP system but didn’t have the proper system map,” he continued. “I wrote a grant proposal through Conestoga, which was accepted, and hired a Supply Chain and Operations Management co-op student who worked with the company for months. By involving myself directly in these projects, I stay in touch with people to know what’s going on and what new situations I can share with students.”

Advice for Faculty

Fatih suggests that faculty maintain updated credentials and have a passion for teaching. Seeing students grow in their careers is what he finds most rewarding.

“I keep in contact with students, too. One research project I did recently started after connecting with a graduate, who contacted me first with a problem their company was facing,” he said. “Go into the industry you teach and see how the theory affects decisions people make. Talk with students about what you learn to create synergy in your classes.”