How to Become a Supply Chain Manager?

Businesses often face the common problem of their products going out of stock. Maintaining the right amount of stock is quite an arduous call to make and you might wonder how such big outlets of brands like Nike, Adidas, Walmart, etc. are good at ensuring ample availability of their products. The key to the same is a well-designed supply chain management system that makes sure that all products are in stock especially during the higher demand. It is a necessity for all kinds of businesses. Supply chain management plays an important role right from the start of the production process until the end. A Supply Chain Manager leads this department in businesses as they monitor the demand and supply of stock along with inventory, logistics and so on. Want to know all about what a Supply Chain Manager does and how you can become one? Read this blog to explore the job description, roles and responsibilities, salary and career map of a Supply Chain Manager. 

What Does a Supply Chain Manager Do?

Supply Chain Management can be simply defined as the efficient management of goods and services including the storage of raw materials, maintaining inventory to manufactured goods and everything else from production to consumption. The main responsibility of a supply chain manager is looking after the procurement of raw material, overseeing the stock requirements, making necessary requirements for transportation of goods so as to make sure that the right product is available at the right place at the right time. They have to work with different departments like logistics and operations to make the organization’s functioning smooth.

Some of the major roles and responsibilities of a Supply Chain Manager are as follows:

Logistics: This is considered to be one of the core responsibilities of a Supply Chain Manager as they need to track the logistics and keep the inventory updated all the time. This process also involves working with different transportation companies, warehouse managers, freight forwarders and other logistics-related companies and maintaining an appropriate relationship with them in order to make the transportation process effective.

Costing: Under this profile, you will also have to master the art of cost management which means spending just the right amount of money in various tasks of logistics, transportation, amongst others to ensure the cost minimization while increasing the efficiency.

Operations: You will also be an integral part of the operations department as you will have to handle the manufacturing process, lead the production team and accelerate performance. 

Purchasing Head: As a Supply Chain Management, you will also have to carry out the procurement of raw material for the production purposes, giving out purchase orders in order to continue the operations smoothly and to meet the needs of the end consumer.

Skills Required to Become a Supply Chain Manager

As it is a managerial profile, you need to master a versatile skill set to become a successful head of a Supply Chain Management department. Here are the key skills you need to become a Supply Chain Manager:

Management and Organisational Skills: Management is a really big part of this profession as a Supply Chain Manager has to deal with various departments inside and outside the business and maintain effective relations with them in order to make the working of the organization smooth. From inventory management to operations and logistics everything requires proper management and organisation.

Cost Accounting: Cost Accounting is also an imperative hard skill that a Supply Chain Manager must have as they play an indispensable role in the profitability of the company as they directly affect the cost involved in the production, manufacturing and supply of the products.

Negotiation Skills: After becoming a Supply Chain Manager, negotiation with different people will become a part of your daily life and there’s no way around this. You need to be good price negotiator to follow this career path as you will have to tackle logistics, manufacturing, inventory and the like with optimum efficiency.

Leadership Qualities: It goes without saying that in order to manage a team you need to have excellent leadership skills. In Supply Chain Management, you will be leading many departments at once and thus being a good leader would help you manage people effectively, maximize productivity while also ensuring the effective workings of the department you are heading.

Apart from these, here are some more skills required to become a Supply Chain Manager:

• Analytical Skills
• Customer Service Skills
• Efficient at Project Management
• IT Skills
• Communication Skills
• Planning and Time Management Skills 

How to Become a Supply Chain Manager?

To become a Supply Chain Management, the basic educational qualification you need is a bachelor’s degree in Logistics or Supply Chain Management, Business Administration and the like. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in a related field, you can gain imperative work experience through entry-level jobs in this field and master essential work skills as well as soft skills. You can also opt for a master’s degree like an MBA in Supply Chain Management to expand your expertise as well as career horizons and target higher-level and lucrative opportunities. The following sections enlist the best courses and universities you can choose from to become a Supply Chain Manager.

Supply Chain Management Courses

Here are the top diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate-level Supply Chain Management Courses:

Education Level	Supply Chain Management Courses
Diploma	Diploma in Supply Chain and Operations Diploma in Nutrition and Food Services Management
Undergraduate	B.Com in Operations and Logistics BBA in Supply Chain Management BSc Logistics with Supply Chain Management Bachelor of Value Chain Management Bachelor of International Business in Logistics Management BA in International Logistics Management Bachelor in Logistics and Supply Chain Management BSc in Logistics
Postgraduate	Master of Applied Science in Supply Chain Management MBA in Logistics and Supply Chain Management M.Phil in Business Supply Chain Management Masters of Engineering in Supply Chain Management MSc in Global Logistics MSc in Innovative Dairy Chain Management MBA in Logistics

Top Universities

To get the best knowledge and exposure to follow the career path of a Supply Chain Manager, selecting the right university is a major decision which needs meticulous research. Here are the top universities in the world for Supply Chain Management courses:

• Michigan State University
• University of Arkansas
• University of Sydney
• University College Dublin
• Lehigh University
• University of Liverpool
• UNT Dallas
• University of Southampton
• Swansea University
• Griffith University

Salary & Career Prospects

Graduating with a degree in Logistics or Supply Chain Management, you can explore lucrative opportunities in both the public and private sector. Apart from following the career path of a Supply Chain Manager, you can also explore the following jobs:

Logistics Manager: A Logistics Manager handles and coordinates with purchasing, production, warehousing, distribution in order to make the whole process from the procurement of raw material to the delivery of goods and services is carried out neatly.

Purchasing Manager: A purchasing manager is in-charge of negotiating with outside suppliers and makes the purchase orders according to the demand of customers in the market. They have an important role in the organization as they help the organization make money by saving money.

Operations Manager: An Operations Manager manages the overall operations of the organization starting from production of goods to sales and distribution of goods. They ensure that all the operations are carried out efficiently and review employee performance.

Some more careers in Supply Chain Management are:

• Warehouse Manager
• Logistics and Distribution Manager
• Operations Manager
• Operational Researcher
• Production Manager
• Retail Merchandiser
• Freight Forwarder
• Cost Estimator

The average salary of a Supply Chain Manager ranges from 3 Lakhs p.a. for entry-level positions and can go up to 20 Lakhs p.a. for senior-level positions.

Thus, we hope that this blog helped you explore the career path of a Supply Chain Manager. Want to pursue a degree in Supply Chain Management? Our Leverage Edu experts are just a click away and can guide you in picking the right course and university which aligns with your preferences and aspirations. Sign up for a free session with us today!