Become a Supply Chain Rockstar and rock your career.
Supply Chain Rockstar
What does it take to become a Supply Chain Rockstar? Or at the very least for your employer to acknowledge that you know what you are doing. Then again, let’s shoot for the stars and be a Supply Chain Rockstar. There are certifications out there which are great but also very expensive. A Supply Chain MBA is also very good but can be expensive as well as very time consuming. So let’s do a Rockstar on a budget. First, have you been visiting various Supply Chain websites to see what is going on out there. EverythingSupplyChain.com was made so you could quickly get caught up on recent supply chain current events. So be sure you are visiting various Supply Chain websites.
There are several ways to succeed in a supply chain career, including:
- Developing a strong understanding of supply chain management: A solid understanding of the principles and practices of supply chain management is essential for success in this field. This includes knowledge of logistics, procurement, inventory management, and production planning.
- Building a strong network: Networking is key in the supply chain industry, as it allows you to connect with other professionals in the field and gain access to new opportunities. Attend industry events and conferences, join professional organizations, and use social media to connect with other supply chain professionals.
- Gaining experience: Experience is crucial in the supply chain field, and hands-on experience can help you stand out from other candidates. Look for internships, co-op opportunities, or entry-level positions that will give you the opportunity to gain practical experience in the field.
- Developing strong problem-solving skills: Supply chain professionals are frequently faced with complex problems that require creative solutions. Developing strong problem-solving skills will help you find ways to overcome obstacles and improve efficiency.
- Developing strong leadership skills: Supply chain professionals need to be able to lead and manage teams effectively. Strong leadership skills will help you motivate and direct your team to achieve success.
- Staying current with industry trends: The supply chain industry is constantly evolving, and staying current with new technologies, trends, and best practices is essential for success. Read industry publications, attend conferences and seminars, and seek out professional development opportunities.
- Continuously improve: Successful supply chain professionals strive to continuously improve their skills and knowledge. This can be done through formal education, seeking out mentorship, or participating in training opportunities.
- Embrace digital technologies: With the rise of digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, and cloud computing, it is important for supply chain professionals to be proficient in these technologies in order to stay relevant in the industry.
It’s important to note that in order to be successful in a supply chain career, one must be able to have a holistic view of the entire process, ability to work in a team, have good communication and negotiation skills, and the ability to think strategically.
This is a great place to start.
- End to End Supply Chain Process
- Need Supply Chain Training? Try these resources.
- SCM Top Companies.
- Supply Chain Resources by Topic & Supplier.
- Supply Chain and Strategy Key Concepts.
Supply Chain Training By Process.
End To End Supply Chain Management Process
- Plan it: Supply Chain Planning and Strategy
- Buy it: Supplier Management and Procurement
- Store it: Distribution, Warehouse and Inventory Management
- Make it: Manufacturing
- Ship it: Transportation, Logistics and Shipping
- Return it: Return and Reverse Logistics
Explore SCM Processes. What is…
Utilize free resources out there. Here is a list of over 150 top Supply Chain videos. Instead of watching videos of cats and dogs watch videos of top supply chain leaders. Find out what leading companies are doing. Pick some top Supply Chain companies and start following them. Two of my favorites are Walmart and Toyota. Here is a “list of Supply Chain companies” you may want to follow.
Are you on social media? One of my favorite places to learn are LinkedIn discussion groups. Here is a great LinkedIn group for Supply Chain with nearly 100,000 member. Here is a Supply Chain Facebook group with over 10,000 members. There is so much to choose from out there. Participate in the groups. Get your name out there. Even if you don’t know anything about Supply Chain start asking questions in the groups and grow your network. Don’t let fear stand in your way.
If you want to become a blogger we can help out in that area as well. EverythingSupplyChain.com is starting to look for guest bloggers. SupplyChainToday.com will be looking for guest bloggers in the future.
Would like to hear from the community on ways to become a Supply Chain Rockstar. If you don’t like the term Supply Chain Rockstar how can people get the knowledge of a Supply Chain MBA?
Supply Chain and Logistics Quotes
- “Eighty-five percent of the reasons for failure are deficiencies in the systems and process rather than the employee. The role of management is to change the process rather than badgering individuals to do better.” ~ W. Edwards Deming
- “When you are out observing on the gemba, do something to help them. If you do, people will come to expect that you can help them and will look forward to seeing you again on the gemba.” ~ Taiichi Ohno, father of Toyota Production System (TPS)
- “You will not find it difficult to prove that battles, campaigns, and even wars have been won or lost primarily because of logistics.” ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower
- “Leaders win through logistics. Vision, sure. Strategy, yes. But when you go to war, you need to have both toilet paper and bullets at the right place at the right time. In other words, you must win through superior logistics.” ~ Tom Peters
- “What gets measured gets improved.” ~ Peter Drucker
- “Standards should not be forced down from above but rather set by the production works themselves.” ~ Taiichi Ohno
- “It is impossible to improve any process until it is standardized. If the process is shifting from here to there, then any improvement will just be one more variation that is occasionally used and mostly ignored. One must standardize, and thus stabilize the process, before continuous improvement can be made.” ~ Masaaki Imai
- If you think of standardization as the best that you know today, but which is to be improved tomorrow; you get somewhere.” ~ Henry Ford
- “Every breakthrough business idea begins with solving a common problem. The bigger the problem, the bigger the opportunity. I discovered a big one when I took apart an IBM PC. I made two interesting discoveries: The components were all manufactured by other companies, and the system that retailed for $3,000 cost about $600 in parts.” ~ Michael Dell
More Supply Chain Quotes – https://www.everythingsupplychain.com/supply-chain-and-logistics-quotes/
Supply Chain Videos
- Amazon Videos
- Amazon’s Plan to Take On Alibaba – Global Shipping Plans
- Apple Videos
- Book Reviews: “Made in America” by Sam Walton, founder of Walmart
- Fedex and UPS Documentary
- IKEA’s Supply Chain
- Introduction to Theory of Constraints
- Navigating an Amazon fulfillment center’s 14 miles of conveyor belts
- Porter’s Five Forces – Business Strategy and Execution
- Procurement Training
- Sam Walton Documentary – Walmart Success Story
- Supply Chain Omnichannel Strategies
- Toyota Production System – 5S, Just in Time, Kaizen, GEMBA, Kanban
- Value Chains vs Supply Chains
- Walmart Videos
- What is Supply Chain Management
More Supply Chain Videos – https://www.everythingsupplychain.com/category/supply-chain/
And more Supply Chain Videos – http://www.supplychaintoday.com/category/supply-chain/
Motivation Videos
- Apple Steve Jobs The Crazy Ones
- Attitude Reflects Leadership
- Rocky Speech – The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows…
- Steve Jobs – Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels…
- Zig Ziglar – Attitude Makes All The Difference
More Motivation Videos – https://www.everythingsupplychain.com/category/motivation/
- “Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves it s amazing what they can accomplish.” ~ Sam Walton, created the Walmart Supply Chain.
- “Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” ~ Steve Jobs, founder and former CEO of Apple.
CEO, Leadership and Motivational Blogs
- 50 Great Entrepreneurs share priceless advice. Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Mark Zuckerberg…
- A.G. Lafley: Innovation at Procter & Gamble.
- Apple Steve Jobs The Crazy Ones.
- CEO Videos.
- Don’t let fear keep you from your dreams. Amazing story.
- First Follower: Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy.
- How to Persuade Others with the Right Questions: Jedi Mind Tricks from Daniel H. Pink.
- Inspiration: High school player gives epic speech. Never give up.
- Mark Zuckerberg’s Profile: Bloomberg Game Changers.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. – I Have A Dream Speech.
- Powerful Inspirational true story…Don’t give up!
- Prophecies from the Oracle of Omaha: Quotes and Wisdom of Warren Buffett.
- Sir Richard Branson talks about Virgin, space & what industry he will disrupt next.
- Small Business Advice – Donald Trump Dispenses 24 Great Business Tips For Entrepreneurs
- Star Wars Leadership Lessons. Yoda teaching Skywalker.
- Ten Leadership Theories in Five Minutes.
- The Essence of Leadership. General Colin Powell.
- Tribute to Steve Jobs Think Different.
- Two of the Keys to Walmart’s Success.
- Unstoppable – Motivational Video.