The pandemic has disrupted virtually all industries, operations and businesses. A Forbes article proclaimed COVID-19 a black swan, an “unexpected and hard-to-predict event” with consequences far beyond normal expectations.
This black swan hit supply chain operations especially hard, particularly those reliant on imports for domestic consumption.
A Deloitte article asserted, “COVID-19 illustrates how many companies may not fully appreciate their vulnerability to global shocks through their supply chain relationships,” and it posed a question: “Could COVID-19 be the black swan event that finally forces many companies, and entire industries, to rethink and transform their global supply chain model?”
If so, this also could be an opportunity for a new generation of well-educated digital-native supply chain professionals to become leaders amid a technology-driven transformation that has already begun.
Will the Pandemic Accelerate Redoing Traditional Supply Chain Models?
Even before COVID-19, the new technologies were already remaking the traditional supply chain model into digital supply networks (DSNs). And additional digital technologies are emerging that will improve visibility across the end-to-end supply chain and help companies withstand such shocks.
The article concludes that organizations using DSNs will be ready to deal with black swans such as a pandemic, trade war, hot war, terrorism, new regulations, labor issues, demand volatility or supplier bankruptcy.
Is It Time to Consider a Supply Chain Management Career?
Given the technologically altered post-COVID-19 DSN model, now is a good time to consider the opportunities offered by the supply chain revolution and its complementary career path evolution, according to The Balance.
O-Net Online, which provides occupational information, reports that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects growth in the sector to be 4%-6% through 2028. BLS also pegged median wages for supply chain managers at $110,630 in 2019. But in addition to manager positions, The Balance lists a variety of business functions with supply chain roles:
- Sourcing
- Demand planning
- Inventory control
- Logistics
- Purchasing
- Freight
- Warehousing
- Production planning
- Supplier management
- Supplier engineering
PayScale lists these and other positions associated with the supply chain:
- Transportation director
- Distribution supervisor
- Distribution center manager/operations supervisor
- Fleet manager
- Logistics analyst/planner/specialist/supervisor
- Senior logistics analyst
- Logistics engineer
- Logistics management specialist
- Shipping and receiving coordinator/manager/supervisor
- Supply chain analyst/director/manager/planner/specialist/supervisor
- Transportation analyst/coordinator/manager/supervisor
- Warehouse manager/assistant manager
PayScale also pinpoints five top jobs for those holding an MBA in supply chain management:
- Director, supply chain management
- Vice president, supply chain management
- Supply chain manager
- Business process/management consultant
- Supply chain analyst
Most applicants seeking to advance in supply chain management could gain from an MBA.
Is an All-remote MBA in Supply Chain Management Right for You?
By completing the online Master of Business Administration in Supply Chain Management from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, students can gain the business knowledge and skills to manage the point-to-point flow of goods and services to the consumer.
You will learn the essentials of supply chain management in accelerated online courses taught by the same faculty who teach on campus. The 36-credit-hour degree can be completed in 12 months and covers:
- Distribution
- Information processing systems
- Logistics
- Operations and materials management
- Product/service development
- Strategic sourcing
- Quality issues such as outsourcing
Coursework will help you establish a foundation in functional business areas such as:
- Accounting
- Economics
- Management
- Marketing
Plus the program will challenge you to expand your analytical, interpersonal and leadership skills.
Learn more about UNC Pembroke’s online MBA program with a Specialization in Supply Chain Management.
Sources:
Forbes: COVID-19 Is a Black Swan
The Balance Small Business: Where Can My Supply Chain Career Take Me?
O-Net Online: Supply Chain Managers
PayScale: Supply Chain Job Titles
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