Career Profile (Salary, Job Titles, Grad School Data)
Supply Chain Management studies the movement of materials from their procurement as raw material, parts, or components through the manufacturing or processing sector to the marketing and distribution of end products for industrial or commercial users.
The contracting of goods and services with an emphasis on supply source development/analysis, goal-setting, bidding, negotiations, and ethical considerations.
Responsible for performing market analysis of vendor competitiveness, support analysis for contract negotiation and review, tracking vendor performance, executing modal analysis, analyzing cost, risk, and service, analyzing transportation asset utilization and optimizing distribution networks.
Work with third-party suppliers and contractors with emphasis on supply/demand market analysis, supply source strategy development, management information systems, financial analysis, bidding and negotiating, contracting, supplier relationship management, and performance management.
Works at different levels within a supply chain to manage inventory levels, analyze historical sales data and seasonal demand, and analyze processes that determine replenishment cycles
Supply Chain Consultants develop integrated solutions that transform businesses. Work on projects that require complex systems and application integration. Provide program management services and support strategic business imperatives while enhancing operational performance and increasing a client's competitiveness.
Suggests product enhancements to improve user experience, performs quality assurance controls on products
Questions to ask:
Use Keywords
When using job search platforms, such as Handshake, utilize keywords to find appropriate positions the industries you are interested in.
Below are titles Gies Alumni have had:
Advisory Associate
Advisory Consultant
Analyst
Associate Consultant
Associate Product Manager
Business Analyst
Business Career Foundation Program
Business Technology Analyst
Consultant
Consulting Analyst
Data Analytics Consultant
District Manager
Freight Operations Coordinator
Functional Consultant
Human Capital Business Analyst
Indirect Procurement Analyst
Inventory Replenishment Planner
Logistics Analyst
Management Consulting - Product Operations and Procurement
Manufacturing & Distribution Consultant
Manufacturing Associate
Merchandise Analyst
Operations Management Associate
Project Manager
Sales Rotational Program
Store Management Executive Development Program Trainee
Supplier Relationship Manager
Supply Chain Analyst/Associate
Supply Chain Leadership Development Associate
Supply Chain Management Analyst
Use the Right Resources
A simple way to get started is by learning more about the companies that hired Gies students in the past. Once you have identified your target companies, follow these companies on Handshake to be informed about opportunities and info sessions, in which you can network with recruiters and professionals.
Below are employers who have hired Gies Supply Chain students:
Hennwin Manufacturing
Customize your Resume & Cover Letter
It's important to customize your application documents for the industry/position you will be pursuing. Highlight your relevant experience by incorporating desired skills and qualifications into your application documents. How does your experience align with the skills the employer is seeking?
One of the most important duties of a supply chain professional is to reduce costs for the company. If during your college experience you helped your employer reduce inventory turns or save on transportation costs, make sure to include that in your resume. A great way to demonstrate your ability to cut costs is by including numbers in your resume, and providing specific data if possible.
"Increased the supply chain team's productivity by 15 percent," or "Improved customer satisfaction from a 3.1/5 average to a 4.3/5 average."
Words like "increased," "improved," "reduced," and "saved" indicate what you achieved, not just which tasks you owned.
Some of the important skills you may want to highlight:
When interviewing for a role in supply chain, the hiring manager usually asks questions to gain a deeper understanding of your previous roles, acquired skills and overall supply chain knowledge. To set yourself apart from the competition, it's important to be able to thoroughly answer the interviewer's questions and display why you'd be an asset to any organization. You can practice your interview responses with a friend, mentor or career advisor.
Question: What is supply chain management? or What are the key elements of supply chain management?
Response: The purpose of SCM is to make goods or services readily available to fulfill customer demand. Supply chain management encompasses the planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing and procurement, conversion, and all logistics management activities.
We all know massive multi-national firms like Amazon, Boeing and Microsoft. But we often overlook the opportunities that exist in small to medium size companies. Jobs with these companies can seem less "sexy," but they may actually be a better fit and more fulfilling for some candidates depending on an individual's personality and career goals. If you work for a larger company, your role will likely be highly focused and specialized. You may handle a single function for a single customer. However, working for a smaller firm may mean you operate as a supply chain manager, handling end-to-end processes for the entire business. You must decide which path best fits you.
"Direct or coordinate production, purchasing, warehousing, distribution, or financial forecasting services or activities to limit costs and improve accuracy, customer service, or safety. Examine existing procedures or opportunities for streamlining activities to meet product distribution needs. Direct the movement, storage, or processing of inventory."
Experience, Skills, and Personality Traits
Supply chain managers must be excellent communicators, multitaskers, and managers. The job requires the ability to analyze operations and determine ways to improve production processes while cutting costs and not affecting product quality. Companies often seek supply chain managers with experience in manufacturing settings and success in creating lean manufacturing processes. The job requires strong leadership, problem-solving, critical-thinking, time-management, organizational, and interpersonal skills. Knowledge of logistics and supply chain management software is essential.
Employment of logisticians is projected to grow 4 percent from 2019 to 2029, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
The performance of the logistical and supply chain process is an important factor in a company's profitability. Companies rely on logisticians to manage the movement of their products and supplies. Supply and distribution systems have become increasingly complex as they continue to try to gain more efficiencies at minimal cost. Employment is expected to grow as companies need more logisticians to move products more efficiently, solve problems, and identify areas for improvement. However, this growth may be limited by mergers of third-party logistics companies.
Supply Chain managers work in almost every industry. Some work in the logistical department of a company, and others work for firms that specialize in logistical work, such as freight-shipping companies.
The job can be stressful because logistical work is fast-paced. Supply Chain managers must ensure that operations stay on schedule, and they must work quickly to solve any problems that arise. Some supply chain managers travel to manufacturing plants or distribution centers.
The majority of logisticians work full time and they sometimes work overtime to ensure that operations stay on schedule.