DISCM are prepared for entry level positions in purchasing or logistics such as a buyer, purchasing analyst, inventory control or traffic analyst with a career track to the vice president of procurement, operations, or logistics. Firms from around the country and in all sectors of the economy, public and private, manufacturing, service, health care, retail, etc. Frequent recruiters include Motorola, Intel, Honeywell, Hewlett-Packard, Boeing, Tektronix, Applied Materials, Dillards, and General Mills. Starting salaries range from Rs.10000 – Rs.50000/-, with and average of about Rs.25000/-.
Listed below are brief descriptions of a few of the typical entry level positions:
Planner or Analyst
Uses analytical and quantitative methods to understand, predict, and enhance supply chain processes. Responsible for assembling data, analyzing performance, identifying problems, and developing recommendations which support the management of a supply chain.
Buyer
Works with internal customers (marketing, production, operations, etc.) and external suppliers to efficiently and effectively manage the purchasing process for the goods and services needed by the company. Responsible for identifying sources of supply, evaluating and selecting suppliers, negotiating contracts, and managing relationships with suppliers.
Inventory Specialist;
Develops and implements plans to optimize inventory cost and customer service goals. Responsible for inventory quality and accuracy, coordinates physical inventory process and cycle counts, monitors inventory flow through the system, and works on stock location and order picking strategies to optimize work flow, space utilization, and labor productivity in distribution facilities.
Materials Planner, Materials Analyst
Manages raw materials and/or components needed for manufacturing. Responsible for inbound inventory levels. Coordinates with purchasing, manufacturing and supplier to ensure reliable, cost efficient delivery of the raw materials to the production line. May be responsible for receiving, warehousing, scheduling, and inbound transportation.
Transportation Coordinator, Traffic Analyst
Evaluates, selects, and manages transportation carriers for inbound goods. Manages relationships with carriers and internal customers to ensure the timely delivery of goods.
Production Coordinator, Scheduler, Operations Planner/ Analyst
Uses scheduling and forecasting abilities, knowledge of statistical process control, and interpersonal skills. Responsible for coordinating daily production schedules and forecasting future production needs.
The supply chain — a term now commonly used internationally — encompasses every effort involved in producing and delivering a final product or service, from the supplier's supplier to the customer's customer . Supply chain management includes managing supply and demand, sourcing raw materials and parts, manufacturing and assembly, warehousing and inventory tracking, order entry and order management, distribution across all channels, and delivery to the customer.
Due to its wide scope, supply chain management must address complex interdependencies; in effect creating an "extended enterprise" that reaches far beyond the factory door. Today, material and service suppliers, channel supply partners (wholesalers / distributors, retailers), and customers themselves, as well as supply chain management consultants, software product suppliers and system developers, are all key players in supply-chain management.
Logistics management is that part of supply chain management that plans, implements, and controls the efficient, effective forward and reverse flow and storage of goods, services and related information between the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet customers' requirements.
Boundaries and Relationships: Logistics management activities typically include inbound and outbound transportation management, fleet management, warehousing, materials handling, order fulfillment, logistics network design, inventory management, supply/demand planning, and management of third-party logistics services providers. To varying degrees, the logistics function also includes sourcing and procurement, production planning and scheduling, packaging and assembly, and customer service. It is involved in all levels of planning and execution--strategic, operational and tactical. Logistics management is an integrating function, which coordinates and optimizes all logistics activities, as well as integrates logistics activities with other functions including marketing, sales manufacturing, finance, and information technology.
Two main reasons – money and opportunity. In the US about 10 percent of gross domestic product, or almost $1 trillion, is spent on supply chain activities. Advances in information technology (IT) and the expanding IT infrastructure are introducing new possibilities to improve service and efficiencies, and given the amount of money at stake, the opportunities are high. Some people view the IT tools that underlie supply chain management as the backbone of e-commerce.
In years past, manufacturers were the drivers of the supply chain — managing the pace at which products were manufactured and distributed. Today, customers are calling the shots, and manufacturers are scrambling to meet customer demands for options / styles / features, quick order fulfillment, and fast delivery.
Manufacturing quality — a long-time competitive differentiator — is approaching parity across the board, so meeting customers' specific demands for product delivery has emerged as the next critical opportunity for competitive advantage.
Companies that learn how to improve management of their supply chain will become the new success stories in the global marketplace. Benchmarking studies show significant cost differences between organizations that exhibit best-in-class performance and those with average performance.
Improving a process as complex as the supply chain can be daunting, as companies are challenged with finding ways to meet ever-rising customer expectations at a manageable cost. To do so, businesses must identify which parts of their supply chain process are not competitive, understand which customer needs are not being met, establish improvement goals, and rapidly implement necessary improvements.
Industry has long lacked a standard way to measure supply chain performance. Because of this, manufacturers and service providers were unable to use a common assessment tool — benchmarking — in the effort to improve their performance. Moreover, the lack of a common means to describe supply chain processes rendered software selection difficult and usually expensive.
Instead of finding the right tools for improving specific competitive gaps, businesses often made huge investments in software that failed to address their particular problem. All too often, available software products forced companies (often unwittingly) to revamp their supply chain processes to suit some default criteria.
There is no standard career path in SCM . Your journey will be as unique as you want it to be and will likely involve a great deal of variety. You're sure to gain experience in a number of different positions and departments within the organization. You may also move between organizations, industries, and types of employers (logistics services providers, manufacturers, consulting firms, and retailers) during your career. The keys to a success career include:
building transferable skills that will serve you well in multiple positions
learning to be a strong decision maker and accountable for your actions
being a team player and a good colleague (i.e., people want to work for and with you)
having some fun in the process (you'll burn out quickly if you don't enjoy what you do)
To gain an idea of the different career paths that people follow.
A 2007 survey of supply chain employers was conducted by Auburn University and Central Michigan University . The study results suggest that cognitive abilities (e.g., ability to prioritize, plan, and organize, ability to learn quickly, etc.), communication skills, and other interpersonal issues were among the most important factors considered by employers when hiring supply chain graduates.
Hiring Criteria
Employer Mean Rating A
Ability to prioritize, plan, & organize
6.27
Ability to learn quickly
6.21
Oral communication skills
6.16
Ability to manage relationships
6.12
Motivation / enthusiasm
6.1
Ability to perform under pressure
6.03
Decision making skills
5.99
Problem solving skills
5.97
Initiative / resourcefulness
5.88
Ability to work on teams
5.84
Listening skills
5.81
A 7 point scale: 1 = Low Importance to 7 = High Importance
A review of the supply chain research literature reveals that analytical skills, process orientation, computer skills, leadership abilities, and strategic thinking skills are important capabilities for supply chain managers. You should leverage every opportunity to enhance these skills.
The short answer is yes, an internship is very important. An internship is good for you and your future employers. One of the best ways to confirm that you have selected an appropriate career path is to work for a company that will provide you hands-on experience in logistics, transportation, and/or supply chain management. In addition, one of the best ways to confirm to your future employer, which could be the company that provided you with the internship, is the experience gained through your internship. One of the most frequently asked questions by recruiters is: did you have an internship while in college? If so, tell me about it.
YES! Companies look for markets and sources of supply all over the world. If you are fluent in another language, understand another culture, etc. it will be seen as a plus to a company doing business internationally. If you are interested in living and working abroad or simply traveling internationally as part of the job, this certificate may help.
The International Certificates/Diploma in Logistics & Transport are issued by “Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport –International” (CILT) & other certificates are issued by DISCM.
These courses are meant to enable you to move on to the next level. The value of the certificate no doubt also depends on the applicant's overall standing with respect to a job.
The certificate is a means of demonstrating accomplishment based on completion of our online course materials fully endorsed by the industry; the courses have been designed by leading Industry professionals and academics of Management Studies.
After successful completion of course with passing marks, DISCM will ask CLIT- International to issue the certificate. As soon as DISCM get your certificate from CILT, DISCM will handover it to you.
