Supply Chain Manager
What is a Supply Chain Manager?
from the manufacturer
to the runway
and then lastly, to the shop floor
roles of a supply chain manager
Depending on which part of the supply chain you're in, you could:
- Work with buyers to select products that are in demand and will sell.
- Work with contracts and suppliers.
- Plan the best way to get the goods from the suppliers to the distribution centres then the retailers.
- Work with retailers to make sure the goods arrived in time and in good condition.
- Monitor overall performance/all targets have been met.
- Prepare forecasts and inventories for reports to the company’s management team.
- recruit, train and manage a team of supply chain staff .
Supply chain managment stages...
Downstreaming- the sale of the finisehd product, so, from the goods sent off by the consumer via transport to the customers.
hours/ typical day as a supply chain manager
Hours
You would usually work between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. You may also work some evenings on a rota, and you must make sure you are available for all emergency calls whatever the time of day.
Typical day
Your day will start around about 8am. Supply chain managment is usually office based but at some points it would be neccesary to travel to meet clients, which can sometimes be overseas. As a supply chain manager you will produce concepts which will then be made into saleable physical products. Sets of examples/prototypes to commercial quantites of the item across multiple sizes/ colours/ patterns will be made to decide which ones will work best. As a supply chain manager during the day you might need to look over delivery timetables and making sure you have enough stock to meet the suppliers demands. To end off the day you might overseethe arrival of some shipmants you will usually be able to go home at around 6pm.
As you can imagine being a supply chain manager for a more high end brand for example, Gucci, a lot more care and attention would be put in then apposed to a brand like Primark. Although Primark probably produces a lot more items then Gucci, and a lot more things are sold to customers, the care and attention to detail when manufactoring the goods is probably a lot quicker and less accurate, as their products are mostly about quantity and not quality.
Supply chain managers income
- Starting salaries for graduates can be from £20,000 to £25,000 a year.
- More experienced managers can earn between £25,000 and £45,000.
- And then senior supply chain managers can earn up to £60,000 a year.
how to become a supply chain manager
- start from the bottom of the company so, you could start out as a transport clerk and work your way up the company, while studying for relevant courses.
- Or you can study for a foundation degree, BTEC, or a degree in logistics, geography, transport managment or supply chain managment.
What training is out there if you want to become a supply chain manager?
Youd be able to learn and develop on the job, although there is a degree out there to help learn more about the skills needed in this role...
- a foundation degree, HNC/HND or a degree in a relevant subject, such as:
-logistics
-international transport
-supply chain management
-transport management
-geography
Skills and qualities needed to become a supply chain manager
- good planning and organisational skills
- the ability to motivate and lead a team
- good problem-solving and maths skills
- attention to detail
- confidence in using computer packages such as spreadsheets and databases
- the ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines
good geographical knowledge
good spoken and written communication skills