What Do Supply Chain Managers Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Supply Chain Managers 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. They also determine appropriate equipment and staffing levels to load, unload, move, or store materials.

Other tasks include:

• Manage activities related to strategic or tactical purchasing, material requirements planning, controlling inventory, warehousing, or receiving.
• Select transportation routes to maximize economy by combining shipments or consolidating warehousing and distribution.
• Define performance metrics for measurement, comparison, or evaluation of supply chain factors, such as product cost or quality.
• Implement new or improved supply chain processes to improve efficiency or performance.
• Develop procedures for coordination of supply chain management with other functional areas, such as sales, marketing, finance, production, or quality assurance.
• Confer with supply chain planners to forecast demand or create supply plans that ensure availability of materials or products.

We asked Supply Chain Managers how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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75% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 62% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Supply Chain Managers manage activities related to strategic or tactical purchasing, material requirements planning, controlling inventory, warehousing, or receiving. They select transportation routes to maximize economy by combining shipments or consolidating warehousing and distribution.

A typical day for a Supply Chain Manager will also include:

• Determine appropriate equipment and staffing levels to load, unload, move, or store materials.
• Confer with supply chain planners to forecast demand or create supply plans that ensure availability of materials or products.
• Design, implement, or oversee product take back or reverse logistics programs to ensure products are recycled, reused, or responsibly disposed.
• Negotiate prices and terms with suppliers, vendors, or freight forwarders.
• Analyze inventories to determine how to increase inventory turns, reduce waste, or optimize customer service.

We asked some Supply Chain Managers a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	100% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	63% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	92% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	19% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	4% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	52% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Supply Chain Managers also analyze information about supplier performance or procurement program success. They may also monitor suppliers’ activities to assess performance in meeting quality or delivery requirements.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Supply Chain Managers Confer with supply chain planners to forecast demand or create supply plans that ensure availability of materials or products. They might also Meet with suppliers to discuss performance metrics, to provide performance feedback, or to discuss production forecasts or changes.

In addition, they Identify or qualify new suppliers in collaboration with other departments, such as procurement, engineering, or quality assurance.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Develop procedures for coordination of supply chain management with other functional areas, such as sales, marketing, finance, production, or quality assurance.

To some Supply Chain Managers, it is also their responsibility to Analyze inventories to determine how to increase inventory turns, reduce waste, or optimize customer service.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Supply Chain Manager, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/logisticians.htm

http://www.apics.org/

http://www.sole.org/