Supply Chain News

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A coronavirus vaccine is being developed by many companies, however, once that is developed, a very complex supply chain has to exist to support its production, storage and distribution. This article, Developing the coronavirus vaccine supply chain, explains the complexity and will hopefully allow people to understand why it will take time for the entire process to occur. Fortunately, many companies are already building out this supply chain as this field is used to being agile and creative in how it operates.

Full article: Developing the Coronavirus Vaccine Supply Chain, Supply Chain Dive, June 16, 2020

Before the pandemic, most people had little to no understanding of what a supply chain was, or how it operates.   Now, because the topic is in the news almost nightly, people are understanding how easy a supply chain can break, and how it can impact them personally.  From toilet paper to vaccines, people are learning that a supply chain is a very complex intertwined group of processes that can span the globe. 

I have had the privilege of teaching supply chain to students at Harper College for the past 2 years. The students I teach are part of a Fasttrac program. This program requires them to take 10 different supply chain classes with the same cohort group. Every time I start with a new group of students I am impressed by their dedication and willingness to learn. Most of the students have full time jobs, and this program requires them to attend class once per week from 6-10 pm for 6 weeks per class.

As supply chain has become more important in the economy and for companies, educational institutions have responded by creating new programs to support the needs of students.

When I attended college, a degree in supply chain didn’t even exist. The closest type of program was production and operations management. What I learned years into my career is that that major didn’t even cover 50% of the functions with the supply chain.

Amazon's recent $13.7 billion purchase of Whole Foods is a game changer to the way we shop but also to the supply chain. Disruption can often lead to job growth and career opportunities for those willing to take them and the supply chain has seen a great deal of this change recently.

There are so many jobs in Supply chain, because there are so many types of companies to work for.  This blog does a great job explaing the 10 segments within this growing career field.   

http://www.danielstanton.com/single-post/2016/12/10/Looking-for-a-new-job-in-supply-chain-management-Here-are-10-industry-segments-to-consider

This is a great article about the increasing career opportunities within Supply chain.  It has a very nice summary of pay ranges by job titles as well.  One of the most comprehensive I have seen in a while.  It also highlights the areas with the most growth..

"The fastest-growing positions, however, include Demand Planner (a mid-level job with a salary range of $50,649-$86,160), Purchasing and Procurement Clerk (an entry-level job with a salary range of $32,051-$54,397), and Logistics Analyst."

High demand for supply chain professionals

Gartner is a highly recognized research organization that provides insights about supply chain.  It publishes a listing of the "top" supply chain schools in the US.  This list is a good starting point for anyone looking at a 4 year degree, but there are many other schools in the US that offer very good programs as well so keep an open mind when looking for the right school.  You can review a list of the other schools by going to the educational programs tab on this website.  

Table 1. Top 10 2014 U.S. Undergraduate Supply Chain Program Ranking

A great article about salary progression in the supply chain industry