6 Supply Chain Management Leadership Skills You Really Need to Acquire Now

Do you know which supply chain management skills are essential to take your career to the next level and become one of tomorrow’s supply chain leaders? Are you aware of which specific qualities you need to acquire to perform the role of supply chain leadership efficiently?

Although it is true that there are many elements of supply chain management leadership that can effectively be learned through academic channels alone, yet work experience matters a lot to take your career to new heights. At the same time, you need to keep upgrading your supply chain management skills from time to time with the training and guidance of industry experts.

#1: Information Technology and Automation Knowledge

Supply chain leadership is all about people using technology as a tool. There is nothing more important than working on your people skills if you want to be a successful supply chain leader. If you want to sustain in the supply chain management segment, or run a successful supply chain management business, you have to adopt today’s sophisticated technology tools, such as warehouse management and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.

In order to be a supply chain leader, you have to be familiar with the use of enterprise software applications like ERP, not to mention analytics software that has become a staple source of leadership decision support.

#2: Understanding of Economics and Market Dynamics

The world of supply chain is evolving rapidly, often unpredictably, as and when it needs to adapt with the rapid shifts like in customer and consumer buying-behavior. Current on-demand service is one of the examples wherein business leaders are picking up their skills. So, as a supply chain leader, you have to focus on what lies ahead and, to some extent, predict it. Quick adaptability with the market dynamics is a prerequisite for leadership development.

#3: Understanding Cost-to-Serve

Supply chain leaders play a very crucial role in their organization’s revenue generation. Their decisions impact the costs involved in supplying their organization’s customers when they are running a supply chain operation.

Supply chain leaders can quantify how your supply chain leadership decisions can affect your business bottom line. They have to stay focused on their goals and customize servicing options to their customers, meaning they have to skirt the one-size-fits-all approach to service that can even impair profitability, perhaps creating a situation where logistics costs cause some sales to generate losses instead of profits.

#4: Project Management Skills

Project management skill is an essential part of a supply chain management for leaders. A lot depends on what leadership role you are in, but if you are headed to the top, you will likely hold several management positions on the way up. Most of them will see you leading projects from time to time.

#5: The Ability to Get the Best from the People

Not only in the supply management sector, the ability to get the best out of your people is seen as the best leadership trait that you can acquire through practice and training. The ability to lead, manage, influence, and inspire other people is the number one fundamental, essential skill that all supply chain leaders and managers should possess.

#6: Negotiation Skills

Modern supply chain leaders have to be efficient in making negotiations, not only in business but also all around them to dig out opportunities. Negotiation scenarios include procurement of IT services and solutions, contracts for logistics services, brokering deals with product vendors for direct and indirect supplies, etc.

To Conclude:

If you want to enhance your supply chain leadership skills, and help you gain and maintain a leadership role in your organization, equip yourself with the required skills to thrive and make a difference as a supply chain leader.

Are you ready to do it? Promise Training & Consultancy offers Procurement, Logistics and Supply Chain Management Training for professionals who want to take their career to new heights.