Is Supply Chain Management a Good Option for Career in IT?

Did you realize that, Supply chain manager wants to create what ants do naturally: They try to optimize and integrate all the steps that are required to produce the right amount of the right product and then deliver it to the end user at the right time with everything that is correctly placed? Putting it in better words, supply chain management (SCM) is something which is involved in every aspect of getting products to customers, from raw materials to consumption. As a well known saying goes “Supply chain management is interested in everything that happens to a product from cradle to grave.” The concept of logistics came into existence during World War II while there was an effort to get the correct amount of supplies to the troops at the right time, supply chain management took the good effort of looking further back into the life of a product & to its manufacture and also to product design while they were integrating what were once taken as unrelated disciplines: customer service and marketing.

Talking generally, SCM recruiters do not look for generalists not even at the entry level. Most companies and organizations have a very selective group of SCM programs from which they recruit. This is because the market is soft now; companies are demanding functional and industry experience even fresher’s positions. In the sphere of MBA, companies look for supply chain coursework or dedicated supply chain programs.

The basic outlook for supply chain management looks healthy & promising. However, in the case of mid-career job seekers, almost all the companies look for people with proper training in supply chain management or prior industry and functional experience. These pre-requisites always limit the number of qualified candidates in the field. While there is no role which clearly outshines the others in terms of employer demand, more companies are getting reorganized around supply chain management and so supply chain manager roles are becoming more prevalent.

Proficiency in an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software package Like SAP, Oracle, or i2 greatly generally enhances your marketability. Finally, because of the cross-functional nature of the companies and field, communication and people skills are paramount and are one of the most important criteria.