Dive Brief:
- Changes in technology have disrupted jobs in farming, manufacturing and graphic design throughout the past century, and it may soon be time for a similar disruption in supply chain management, Forbes reported Thursday.
- Increased automation within the supply chain will transform the logistics, inventory and supply chain manager's job away from rote tasks toward agility-based and transformation-oriented roles, potentially by 2025.
- Logistics managers may become directors of customer satisfaction, for example, as customer orders are infinitely tweaked to satisfy unique demand, while production planners could emerging as customization masters, helping to design single and complex orders in high demand.
Dive Insight:
Addressing the ongoing supply chain talent crisis requires forward thinking, in order to hire for a career that will continue to change rapidly.
After all, the ongoing supply chain talent crisis is not just about an imbalance between supply and demand of work in supply chain management, but rather a skills gap. Rapidly changing technology, tightening timelines and improved visibility are making digital skills of utmost importance to supply chain management, all the while manufacturing has fallen to all-time lows in desirability among college graduates.
Instead of presenting available positions as comprising basic procurement tasks, employers should consider recasting ads and qualifications to target not only particular technical skill sets, but also personalities: those who enjoy learning on the job, meeting fresh challenges, and keeping pace with current industry technology.
