The Supply Chain Manager Career in 2020

In a world that is moving so quickly with goods circulating at a rapid pace, the role of the Supply Chain Manager (SCM) is crucial.

With the global pandemic we are all living in, supply chains have been severely disrupted, and it has had a huge impact on companies around the world. Sure, we have all heard this on whatever news channel we tune into, and those of us that do the grocery shopping have all experienced stock shortages because of so many delivery restrictions. I mean, who will ever forget the great toilet paper shortage of March 2020?!

But what is supply chain management really?

The basic purpose of the supply chain is to fulfil demand, drive customer value, improve responsiveness, facilitate financial success, and build a good network. Supply chain management is the lifeline of an organization and can cause a company to succeed or fail.

As a kid, I remember playing this old-school computer game called lemonade stand, where we had to make a prediction based on supply and demand. We were provided the day of the week and the weather and then we had to decide how much sugar, how many lemons and how many cups we wanted to buy. Then we had to make our purchase and hope for a profit. It was a fun game and at the time I did not realize that I was learning about a supply chain.

Supply chain management is necessary for the foundation of all societies. Today’s markets are highly competitive, and consumers are looking for the best value and reliability. Manufacturers and retailers depend on SCMs to design networks that meet customer service goals at the least total cost. To sum it up, efficient supply chains enable a firm to be more competitive in the marketplace and the Supply Chain Manager’s main goal is to decrease the total supply chain cost.

So, what makes a successful SCM?

The ability to adapt to the times, think outside the box and to embrace new technologies and ideas are definitely skills supply chain wannabes should hone.

How much do SCMs earn?

Are you sitting down….? The mean Canadian salary for an SCM with a college diploma was $94,961 in 2019. The Canadian Annual Supply Chain Survey 2019 estimates that there are SIX open Supply Chain positions to fill for each graduate with supply chain skills. It is a candidate’s market and companies are finding it harder than ever to source the best talent. Supply Professional says that the market is more candidate-driven than it has been at any point since the financial crisis in 2008!