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My supply chain story started when I quickly lost interest in being a design engineer in the automotive industry. After I switched career paths, I focused my attention on the internal operations of the prototype automotive plant. I wanted to be part of the movement, the action. I soon transitioned into a role as a product line manager and never looked back. This experience introduced me to the supply chain industry, where I would stay for the rest of my career.
I am a clinical associate professor of operations management and faculty advisor for APICS, a student organization for those interested in supply chain careers, at The University of Texas at Dallas. I had 27-plus years of experience across various industries, on leading supply chain teams for GM, Amazon, Verizon and FTI Consulting before I joined the Jindal School as a full-time faculty member in 2018. I want to encourage all curious minds to focus on the dynamic supply chain and logistics industry. Here, I will explain what obstacles and rewards you can encounter as a supply chain professional.
What is attractive about supply chain management?
During my experience as a product line manager for the prototype automotive plant, I realized that my ability to meet customer expectations depended not only on the plant operations but also on how quickly the suppliers could respond to my requirements or demands. So I started on a mission to establish a relationship with my supply base. As our ability to respond improved, the customer requirements also started increasing, with increased product complexity and tighter timelines.
To me, it was a rush! This challenge was what I liked in operations management, the need to work with suppliers and customers to respond faster, offer cheaper options and improve continuously year over year to meet customers’ increasing expectations. I like puzzles, and putting all these puzzle pieces together was an exciting part of my job.
Everything was great, but it could have run more smoothly if I had known beforehand about the primary obstacles supply chain professionals often encounter.
What are the obstacles for supply chain management professionals?
The most common obstacles that I have seen in the operations area, especially for young employees coming into the job, are working in a solo environment, lacking a holistic view of the enterprise and not establishing communication with others in the team.
Working in a solo environment
A business school education will prepare you to work together in teams and with other groups. Supply chain professionals optimize processes for the different parts of a business to work together. I tell all students to take advantage of this early on in their learning. I am surprised when students come to me and say they cannot work in a particular team on a project. That is what you will all do when you join the industry, and you will get paid for your ability to work in teams, resolve conflicts, problem-solve, and more.
The holistic understanding of the enterprise
Another important factor that many young employees lack is an understanding of the operation as a whole. It takes years to build that, and the lack of a holistic view may hinder your progress until you have the necessary problem-solving skills to advance further in the operations field. My recommendation is to take university courses that may not be directly related to your major but that are connected and can expand your horizon. For example, if you believe you lack creativity, take some art courses. Creativity and creative thinking do not apply to just making art pieces, they help you think broadly about solutions to problems. The more knowledge you have in other areas, the more you will develop as a better problem solver.
Lack of communication with others
The last but also essential skill is to improve your communication. The industry needs employees who can speak well and write well, such as in the essays required for recruitment for companies like Amazon. There are several ways to improve communication and networking skills at JSOM. Communication courses are part of the core curriculum for undergraduate students. Otherwise, you can gain experience as a member or officer of a student club, network with guest speakers, work on an industry or capstone project, sign up for case competitions, and more.
As I see it, supply chain management offers curious, energetic and passionate individuals dynamic options and paths that will keep them engaged. Though no career exists without obstacles, the challenges are all part of the exciting puzzle of operations management.
