There’s plenty of reasons why supply chain management is one of the most exciting fields to work in today. One apparent reason is that SCM serves as an integral component of the economy as it takes charge of the production flow of every item you see around you. It takes care of raw material procurement and finished product distribution of items ranging from your favorite ballpoint pens to the vital dosages of COVID-19 vaccines. 

If you’re entirely new to this career path or if you’ve never heard about it before, we’ve rounded up the top 5 reasons why it’s worth it to work in supply chain management. 

1. Endless Growth Opportunities

SCM makes an ideal choice if you want to gain access to unlimited opportunities to hone your skills and expertise. This is all thanks to the APAC market’s steady growth and the countless innovations like autonomous mobile robots and sophisticated demand planning systems. You can also explore plenty of SCM sub-sectors like procurement, manufacturing, and logistics if you want to develop a highly specific technical expertise. Every day is also different for SCM professionals because of the varying degrees of challenges, new and daunting processes, plus several collaborative and cross-functional projects. 

2. Corporate Diversity and Gender Equity

Deloitte shares that workplaces have become more diverse over the years. That’s because inclusive organizations tend to be more successful in meeting or exceeding their financial goals. Although women account for only about 39 percent of the supply chain workforce, more and more organizations have started promoting inclusive leadership. Several companies also encourage female talents to stand out through workshops, training, and academic partnerships. 

3. A Diverse Field Suited for Various Talents 

SCM is a vast sector that requires cumulative efforts to procure and transform raw materials into usable products and have everything distributed to reach the end-users. As a result, regardless of your interest, goals, or skills, you can find a role that would suit you well. All you need to do is ensure you have the basic hard and soft skills required in SCM, especially in a post-COVID era. Some of these skills include the following: 

• Adaptability
• Social Capital
• Communication
• Data and financial analysis
• Familiarity with tech solutions used in the operations

4. Competitive Salary and Benefits

Many talents choose to work in SCM because various organizations offer attractive benefits and salary packages, depending on the position, the years of experience, and industry-specific skills. On top of that, thousands of SCM employers offer top-notch benefits, including paid medical and personal leaves.

5. A new Era for eCommerce

It’s no secret that the eCommerce industry has reached record highs during this pandemic. In the Asia Pacific region alone, internet retail grew by about 75 percent during the pandemic. This may be due to the increased preference for digital transactions to minimize exposure to the highly contagious COVID-19 virus. Even after the outbreak, online shopping will most likely grow steadily, creating thousands to millions of opportunities in various sectors, including supply chain management. Some of the crucial aspects of a B2B eCommerce that would likely need more headcount include: 

• Inventory management
• Warehouse management
• Supplier management
• Demand and supply planning
• Reverse logistics
• Big Data and AI

Find an SCM Job Opening today!

With the rapid advancements in supply chain business, we can expect to see more significant changes and development in the next few decades. It would be interesting to see how tech innovations like IoT, AI, predictive analysis, autonomous vehicles, and 3D printing would revolutionize SCM and its different processes. We can’t wait to see how everything will continue to unfold as we embrace a whole new era.

If you want to be part of something grand and exciting, becoming an SCM talent definitely makes an excellent choice. Be sure to keep yourself in the loop with the latest trends and events in the SCM sector by joining our newsletter. You may also drop by our supply chain management job board to check the available openings for entry-level to senior management positions all over the Asia Pacific. 

Aileen Apuntar-Laqui is the Director – Operations & Research at The Supply Advisory (a division of Datasearch Consulting), a leading executive recruitment firm specialising in Procurement & Supply Chain.

You can view the The Supply Advisory website or contact them directly at info@supplyadvisory.com for a more detailed discussion.