The Job of a Supply Chain Manager

1) Supervise the supply chain

The manager will be responsible for the entire supply chain of the business. This means that he (or she as the case may be) will have to make sure that external suppliers supply the parts needed to make the products manufactured by the business. This also applies to office stationery like papers and pens, machinery and other hardware. The manager will also be in charge of ensuring that the finished product is distributed and shipped to the final consumer. This will involve a lot of coordination with the sales, marketing and finance departments.

2) Manage employees in the supplies department

As managers, they will also be required to coordinate the efforts of employees in their dockets in order to make sure that the whole chain runs smoothly without any difficulties. This means that supply chain managers need to be efficient and effective leaders.

3) Coordinate with different companies

The manager will also be responsible for liaising with different companies that are vital to the success of the products being manufactured by the business. Such companies include shipping companies, warehousing companies and suppliers of parts that make up the product and so on. The manager will have to meet with other managers in these companies and come up with deal that will ensure their cooperation with his company.

For all this to happen smoothly and without problems, the supply chain manager needs to have the following character traits:

1) Talent for planning

Managing a supply chain is not a walk in the park. The manager will have to juggle many things at the same time. It will be vital to have that position occupied by a person who can plan ahead for potential problems that may arise. The person should also have a cool head on their shoulders, as managing the supply chain is a stressful nightmare that needs someone who can operate smoothly under pressure.

2) Team leader

This is not a job that can be done alone. The manager needs to be someone who can build a team and encourage them to achieve the set goals and objectives for the department. If the person in charge of the supply department is not a good team leader, you need to immediately evaluate their capacity to lead such an important department.

3) Excellent negotiation skills

The supply chain manager also needs to have good negotiation skills that will ensure the business gets the best deals with suppliers and distributors.