Careers in Supply Chain Management
Sara is meticulous. She has an eye for detail, and her efforts are always focused on delivering quality service.
Oscar is a keen enthusiast. He is willing to innovate, never afraid to experiment. Moreover, he has an outstanding Communication and Negotiation Skills.
Jane sticks to the basics and focuses on efficiency but has exceptional leadership skill.
Sara, Oscar and Jane have the zeal and the potential to make it big and are looking for an optimum career path. They are grappling with the critical issue of choosing the right career path, and all have finally zeroed in on the same career – a career in supply chain management.
It may sound unbelievable, but supply chain management is one career which opens up a plethora of career possibilities. It gives you the opportunity to choose your career path based on your expertise, inclination and skillsets and also offers you the flexibility to work in any department of an organization, whether it is production, marketing or logistics. It enables individuals use and develops their skill sets, ranging from communication, negotiation, and leadership abilities to core competency of knowledge in strategy formation, planning, and execution.
Supply Chain Management (SCM) offers cradle to grave solution and uses an integrated approach encompassing all sub-functions for procuring raw materials from suppliers to efficient manufacturing, to covering all aspects for effective delivery of the final product to customers while also including all post-delivery aspects for retention, as well as both horizontal and vertical growth of customer base for existing and new products.
SCM includes systematic integration of all processes, demand planning, strategy building, customer relationship collaboration, order delivery, product launches, operations, manufacturing planning, operations and control, supplier relationship collaboration, life cycle support, reverse logistics and associated risks.
Following are a few to reasons to consider a career in SCM:
1. Job availability: The jobs that are available in the SCM domain incorporate people of all education levels and offer a variety of functions to carve out a niche for themselves.
2. Career opportunities: Thanks to the expansion in the global economy, a plethora of career opportunities have emerged, and subcontracting has further unwrapped many opportunities.
3. Rewarding pay packages: Is yet another plus. Depending on your educational qualification, grades, related work experience, location flexibility and responsibility involved, you can negotiate a gratifying compensation.
4. Range of careers: Logistics offers great chances for high trajectory career advancement based on numerous facets and levels that it encompasses. There is no dearth of opportunities at all levels – be it low-level managers or middle managers or high executives. Opportunities for advancement are always available. Promotions for diligent and innovative individuals are easy to come by.
5. Location flexibility: A career in SCM can be started anywhere and is opportunities are there both in India and abroad. There is a mounting requirement for logistics professional everywhere, so one does not remain confined to a specific region or industry.
6. Scope for growth: Most of the companies these days are engaging in training its industrious employees and imparting essential know-how, with the aim of making them efficient and productive. This increases the chances of moving up the ladder within the same organization.
7. Interesting profile: Work at any point in SCM is interesting and involving. Sheer diversity and flexibility it offers keeps your creativity flowing. One day you could be working on simplifying cumbersome operation procedure and the next day you could be working on logistics to move a heavy piece of machinery from a remote location.
8. Networking: For those with high ambitions and big dreams, career in logistics is a stepping stone into the field of international business. Various opportunities to work with people from different cultures and nationalities helps one in building fruitful and long lasting relationships, which could eventually be converted into productive business partnerships.
One requires a good communication and negotiation skills, leadership abilities along specialized knowledge in logistic management, to excel in the field. However, the most important requirement to flourish in this field is the power to “innovate.”
For more information, contact our Career Counsellors today, who will guide you towards realizing your dream career.
