You love the idea of orchestrating the journey of a product from raw materials to delivery. And you’re thinking about becoming a supply chain manager. So, what qualities do you need to be successful?
Qualities of Top Supply Chain Managers
Leadership
Supply chain managers carry lots of responsibilities. Therefore, they must be able to make decisions and get things done. This requires vision and prioritization along with the ability to inspire others.
How to Build Your Skills: One of the best ways to become a better leader is through real-life experience. Thus, try to volunteer for as many leadership roles as possible. You may want to start small. For example, you could manage a minor assignment and gradually work your way up to larger projects.
Communication Skills
Coordinating a product journey involves a considerable amount of communication. You’ll need to talk to suppliers, drivers, colleagues, workers, vendors, customers and more. Consequently, you must be adept at both verbal, non-verbal and written communication as well as listening.
How to Build Your Skills: Improving your communication skills requires a combination of study and practice. There are countless resources available. You could search for articles, read a book and/or take a class. Then, work toward applying what you’ve learned to real-life situations.
Strategic Thinking
Taking a product from Point A to Point B while minimizing costs and maximizing efficiency entails numerous moving parts. As a result, supply chain managers must analyze data while also considering the impact of multiple factors. At times, they need not only to devise creative solutions but also predict potential problems and opportunities.
How to Build Your Skills: As with communication, you can acquire foundational knowledge through articles, books and classes. Studying data analysis or familiarizing yourself with management software may be especially helpful. Real-life practice is essential too. Ultimately, your successes and your failures will be some of your most valuable learning experiences.
Flexibility
Sometimes things will go wrong. Knowing how to troubleshoot and resolve those glitches is a critical skill for supply chain managers. When everybody else throws up their hands in despair, you’ll need to automatically go into problem-solving mode.
How to Build Your Skills: Flexibility is hard to teach. This is a skill best learned on the job. Working with a mentor is one of the most effective strategies. You can ask their advice, watch them in action and follow their lead.
Are You Interested in Becoming a Supply Chain Manager?
Connectology is hiring supply chain managers and more! Our recruiters place talented manufacturing executives with top companies throughout the upper Midwest. Browse our available openings and discover your next career-building opportunity today!
