If you have ever considered a career in logistics, merchandising or shipping, you should consider a career in supply chain management. Supply chain management is the continuous management and coordination supply chain activities to maximize both company and customer value and attain a long-lasting competitive advantage and edge in the global marketplace. It represents a deliberate effort on the part of a company to develop and run supply chains in the most effective and efficient ways that is possible with a given set of resources and personnel. Supply chain activities and programs include everything such as product development, sourcing, production, shipping and logistics, as well as the information systems needed to coordinate the complex and intricate connections of different supply chain models and frameworks.
In the supply chain management world, there are usually two chains or flows of goods that professionals are concerned with – the information flow and the physical flow. The manufacturing, processing, movement, and storage of goods and materials is often known as the physical flow or chain. Action in this flow is often the most noticeable piece of the supply chain. Information flows allow the various supply chain partners to collaborate and coordinate their long-term management plans, and to control the daily movement of goods and materials up and down the supply chain line.
Career Options for Supply Chain Management
There are so many different types of career roles one can pursue in the supply chain management field. Here is just a partial list of the different types of jobs you can land when you pursue a career in the Supply Chain management field:
- Supply/Demand Planner
- New Product Project Manager
- Procurement Manager
- Supply Chain Strategist
- Business Intelligence Analyst
- Business Process Consultant
- Vendor Relations Manager
Salary for an Supply Chain Management Professional
Those who decide to pursue supply chain management as a career are known to have among the highest average starting salaries among those who graduate from business school. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average starting salary for those who studied supply chain management was $58,000 in 2014 with top students commanding salaries as high as $72,500. Obviously salaries will depend on years of experience, size of the organization in which you will work for, geographic location and type of industry you are in. People who typically work for larger consumer packaged goods firms will see the highest salaries. There is also a huge demand for those looking to get into international supply chain management. Salaries will definitely be higher in larger metropolitan areas such as Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Salaries tend to be higher in these areas because of the cost of living.
Related Resource: Decision and Information Sciences
Supply chain management is definitely a top career for those who have a knack for logistics, shipping and love coordinating the flow of different projects to help goods and materials get to one point to another. Supply chain managers are in high demand and can find worthwhile jobs working for major organizations such as Procter and Gamble, Kellog and PepsiCo. If you have a desire to get into this field, definitely do your due diligence and find the right degree that will prepare you for a career in supply chain management.