A friend recently graduated with a bachelor’s in SCM from Broward College, in 2.3 years. Is this even possible? The degree looks legit and I am leaning towards giving it a go but would like some more opinions. It’s called SCM Express https://www.broward.edu/academics/imct/supply-chain/express.html

Hello everyone,

I am curious, what certs did you have when you started in the field ?

I will be graduating in october. iIhave two years of experience.

I currently have SAP cert, the ASCM supply chain planning (new CPIM part 1) cert. To assess my skills in programming, I did a portfolio with a few data analytics projects made with python. I am currently planning and learning to pass the microsoft pl300 exam (Powerbi). I have the microst 365 ERP fundamentals cert. I also did a bunch of udemy courses about python and machine learning .

It made me wondering, am I wasting my time and money ? The powerbi cert is 165$ but will employers find it useful or completly disregard it ? I am a bit hesitant.

From a field point of view, would you guys say it will be useful to spend my energy in collecting of this certifications ?

Thank you very much.

Edit : sorry for the title, I should rephrase it as "Am I wasting my time collecting certifications ? Is it actually really required for the field ?

In the town I live in, the economy is ran by warehouses. I will be here for awhile so I am wanting to get a Masters, that helps me. In this area, the positions requires a degree and experience. Certifications are nice but they want a degree. My undergrad degree is useless and I just wanted to get out of school quick during Covid. I have learned my mistake and definitely need a masters so I am able to use a degree. I was wondering which degree would give me more options in growth within the supply chain industry.

My options:

MS in supply chain analytics

MS in supply chain management

MS in business analytics

OR

MBA w/ concentration in

1. supply chain analytics
2. Supply chain management
3. business analytics

Main careers where I live:

-Operations manager -Procurement -Project manager -Safety manager

So any advice on which masters could help me with more than 1 of those.

Hey people, So I'll summarise my profile first. Country: India(Mumbai) Bachelors : Statistics Masters : Big Data Analytics Exp : 1.2 years as a data analyst Had planned to go to Newzealand for Masters in Business analytics (Supply Chain Management) but my visa got rejected so now I rethought my entire plan.

So I wish to transition into Supply Chain Domain. Most of the people who I discussed this with have told me "Why do you want to leave the field of data analysis, it's a booming field and this and that". Acc to me, after a year of experience as a data analyst, I find this job kinda mundane. It lacks adrenaline for me. So I researched a little and supply chain management took my interest. So what I wish to do is use my skills of a data analyst in the domain of supply chain management. That's it.

I'm sure there are many learned and experienced people on this subreddit. I just need some advice as to what should be my next line of action. Should it be studies(something in SCM), should it be work experience(if so then what type of roles), or am I not thinking straight?

Thanks in advance.

TLDR: How have you leveraged your expertise in supply chain, logistics, or distribution into side hustles? Whether it's consultancy, writing books, creating learning materials, coaching, or something else entirely, I'd love to hear your experiences and ideas.

I hope you're doing well! I've been wondering and working on how our expertise in supply chain, logistics, and distribution can extend beyond our day jobs as most Supply Chain roles have a capped salary and an income increase is dependent on role change or a promotion. I've delved into coaching and toyed with the idea of consulting, but I'm curious about the diverse range of side hustles others have pursued.

From writing books to creating learning materials and everything in between, I'm eager to hear about your experiences and ideas. How have you turned your supply chain knowledge into profitable ventures? Let's exchange insights and inspire each other to explore new opportunities.

For my Supply Chain Managers. How often do you travel for work and where do you usually need to go? Also, what cities/states have high Supply Chain Manager employment? I want to have an idea of where I might be living.

I currently work in Customer Supply Chain with a VMI account in the the CPG space. I am looking for input on how other companies structure there VMI teams. For your given employer how is the VMI team structured? Is the person who writes the PO the same person who will manage it from placement to invoice? Or is there some segmentation between who writes the PO, who manages the PO, and maybe even between who performs the CPFR functions.

Thank you

Anybody work in supplier/vendor onboarding? I need some good tips and advice for someone new in this side of the field. I came from manufacturing.

Does anyone here work a remote job? If so what’s the title and what’s your typical day look like. Been applying to quite a few remote jobs myself.

I've worked for a grocery company for 15 years. I have no college education. I have worked my way up to Grocery Department Manager but right before COVID, I took a small step down into Dairy. I have had the best numbers in all 150+ stores since 2016 when I became a department manager. I recently had my review and I simply asked what should be my next step to move up if store management was not my goal.

Very long story short, someone high up in corporate told me to put in for a category manager position. He told me to just brush up on my Excel and PowerPoint skills and they would bring me into the fold.

I feel like I'm massively out my depth. I have enormous respect for this person. I doubt they would recommend this job if they thought I couldn't do this.

Is this job truly abled to learn on the fly so long as I have a good head on my shoulders?

Title says all, I’m planning to buy the CSCP self study, ASCM membership, certification upgrade and the final price is coming up to 1589 USD. Is there any referral code/ promotional code that anybody can share so that my price can come down? 1589USD is very costly as I earn in Indian Rupees. Thanks a lot in advance!

As the title states, my company is offering associates who passes the selection process to pay for the 2 year program to obtain their Masters in Supply Chain Management 100%. I've been with the company for over a year now and I love it. I have so much work life balance, my boss doesn't micromanage, all coworkers are nice, and I do feel valued. HOWEVER, the only caviat is that after the 2 year program, I have to commit another 2 years with the company which I didn't realize after asking all my bosses for a letter of recommendation. The program costs about $35k to $40k for the 2 years which is a no brainer BUT our company has been having a lot of layoffs and closing warehouses so that worries me. If I leave after I complete the program and not stay an extra 2 years, I would have to repay the full tuition amount. If I get laid off, obviously I wouldn't have to pay back the money. Corporate hasn't been really affected by the lays off besides those who has been in the company for 10 plus years so I think I will be okay if I decide to stay. However, we are underpaid compared to the industry average and we don't get any bonuses. I spoke to a recruiter that wanted to scout me and the same role and experiences I have now, these companies are paying$10k-$20k more than how much I make now plus 10-15% annual bonuses so this is where I am stuck on. Another issue I have is I have been job hopping for the past 4 years and this is the only company I've been in that's over a year so if I stay for another 4 years, I'd have 5 years of experience in one company but I'll be missing out on higher salaried opportunities but again, I don't know how the work life balance would be. I'm almost reaching my 30s and I want to have more money to buy a house etc but the job I have now will not let me do that unfortunately. How should I go about it?

I'm in the home stretch of getting a BS in SCM. I've been taking most courses online, both async & sync.

As some of these courses are bit more critical, I find some of the needed courses very interesting and could warrant my attention and discussion but I can't devote all my time as I also work full time.

Of those who've done online college were there some courses you'd wish you could had done via sync or in class to get more discussion? I've been working in the SCM field for about 8 years now and do enjoy a good discussion with the class.

5 years ago, I thought public school purchasing positions were safe, but Covid has killed most purchasing departments in this sector. Other public purchasing positions are hard to find because most people stay in their position until retirement for that sweet government pension.

What private industry procurement departments have faired well in the last 5 years and what industry where you in when you got screwed in the last 5 years?

I randomly applied for a job and actually got an interview. I'm mostly a statistics/program student so I know a lot of programming stuff and machine learning. Some excel as well.

Hi all, I’m a bachelors in Mechanical Engg and a masters in Industrial Engg; I found interest in supply chain during my masters; Currently I’m working as a manufacturing engineer in a big name company, This is also my first career role, However I want to pivot to a supply chain engineering role; what could be the best course of action for me? How do I go about it?

Hey I have a theoretical question. Is there a possible way to find shipments of GLP-1 medications going to pharmacies. For example can you track truck shipments going from manufacturer to pharmacy?

(Question from an outsider looking in) How are delivery drones routed in practice? My intuition is that any real-time processing through computing routes on-board would be a drain on battery life better used to carry the payload. Also, it might be a hassle to continuously reprogram a route for every delivery before it's deployed. I found this article about JD[dot]com's operations saying that they use "fixed routes", but I'm not totally sure what this means. Does the drone take the exact same route every time regardless of whether it has to deliver to a certain location along the way?

Would appreciate any insight into this from someone in the know. I found it quite hard to research this myself; can't quite hit the right keywords.

I am a new purchasing manager at a paint manufacturer. There are 4 members on my team - all of them are buyers. They place orders to suppliers based on material requirements out of MRP.

I have been asked to review our current assignment of SKUs among our buyers. What are some factors I should consider in order to evaluate the current assignments and develop a better one. My team buys a mix of materials - packaging materials as well as raw products (oils and pigments) used in the finished items.

Is there a process that I can follow for such a problem?

Hi guys,

I have done Bachelor of Commerce and PGDM in International business. And currently working as Logistics Coordinator doing documentation work at a logistics company. Have just 1.5 years experience, but am trying to switch in the next few months.

As I'm planning of what to do next, that can help me grow, I need some guidance/advice to go ahead.

I'm looking to change my job to work as a supply chain analyst, operation analyst. I'm more interested in the data analysis, forecasting, planning related part in supply chain.

As I'm new in this area, I'm not sure which direction to go. So basically few questions, 1)what jobs to look out for (designation and job description for searching jobs) 2)is there any courses you can recommend that will enable me to work better for an analyst role. 3) which type of companies to look for. Which industries can give me a good growth in terms of skill & knowledge. 4) I read about sustainable supply chain, but can you enlightened me abit on this. (Same question 1, 2 & 3) come at mind when looking at sustainable supply chain.)

I have done some research, but as there are a lot of courses and I'm not sure which is the right one for this future role. I went to institutes so they can suggest me some, but they were trying to sell any course that they want but not which was aligning with want I want.

Any other general advises you can give is very valuable to me and highly appreciated.

Thanks

Hi everyone :)

I work for a refrigerated beverage company and have been with them for over eight years. My journey from a warehouse clerk to a general admin assistant and now an outbound logistics coordinator has been both fulfilling and challenging. However, lately, I've found myself in a rut, feeling stuck in my role. My current responsibilities include being the main contact for 3PL companies we work with, communicating freight issues w/ sales, QA, accounting etc. tracking service metrics, approving product adds to orders from sales and lots of other random (sometimes tedious) tasks.

We recently hired someone who will take over most of my day-to-day tasks. My manager has given me the opportunity to redefine/grow my role, BUT they are very hands- off and basically told me that where I go from here is up to me.. So I'm focusing on researching career goals, project ideas, and finding ways make myself valuable to the company. I'm looking at things like process improvement, cost reduction, quality assurance, data analysis and cross training into inbound logistics. What are some quantifiable goals/projects I can set for myself? What logistics positions can I move into from here? I'm a little overwhelmed and not sure where to start.

The Food Safety Modernization Act is being required by the FDA for all foods listed on the traceability foods list. The fda says it is needed to prevent foodborne illnesses and breakouts. Wondering if your sources have mentioned this before. Thanks.

https://www.fda.gov/food/guidance-regulation-food-and-dietary-supplements/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma

As a student hoping to USE blockchain for research, I have not found a company that can colla orate on this. Alot of research papers offer "hope" that blockchain offers traceability, data security, etc. I am proposing to actually undertake an action research. Any leads especially regarding companies that can collaborate on this please. IBM and food trust havent responded over few years, Provenance Kenya went quiet as well. Vechain-No response. Thank you

Question for those in the manufacturing space who utilize CHEP pallets - and specific to ERPs. Do you include the pallets in your BOMs? or what process do you follow to manage CHEP inventory and production requirements?

Hi,

Current Location - Indian sub continent
English in not my first language, so apologies in advance for grammar error and mistakes.

I have completed my B. Sc in Textile Eng in 2022. But from May of 2022, I have been employed full time in my country's top IT import and distribution. I have almost 2 years of experience in product management and distribution and as such I am considering to further my career in SCM.

I am struggling to find the pathway to advance my goal. Currently I am planning to see if I qualify for SCM graduate program in Texas A&M University and Illinois Sate University by talking with their admission office.

I will be 1st from my family so a lot is riding on my decision. ( people from this region can related hopefully)

So I would really appreciate some no filter feedback on job prospect after graduation and also guidelines to follow.

Thanks in advance.

Hi all. I graduated with my bachelor’s in SCM in Spring 2023 and started in my current position in Procurement at a Fortune 500 Industrial company in the Summer. My role is essentially project support for the company’s buyers and I’ve been in the position for 9 months. I’m also in the company’s supply chain rotational program and am due to rotate in Summer 2025 (2 year rotations).

Since I have joined the company, my original hiring manager left a month after I started and there has been significant restructuring to Procurement. I decided to take a preliminary look at rotational program positions that are opening up and there is a Logistics Analyst role that will be vacant at the end of May. I am very interested in logistics (intended to make it my next rotation) so I reached out to the hiring manager who told me he would be open to taking me from my current role before actual rotation date.

The way my rotational program is structured, my next position will need to fill a business need at the time. There’s only the one Logistics rotational program role, so if I don’t take it now there likely won’t be another one open for me next Summer (unless I left the program, which still wouldn’t be a guarantee). With this in mind, I am on the fence about pursuing this position now for a couple of reasons.

I am beginning to take on more important projects in Procurement and anticipate taking on even more at year end when my counterpart (a fellow field program participant) leaves their role. This role is helping me develop my project management skills, which I think is important for potential managerial positions in the future. I’m also in the midst of my Six Sigma green belt project and am making solid progress on it, so leaving early could jeopardize getting certified. I’m also worried about my reputation in Procurement, since Logistics also reports into the CPO and I could potentially end up back in Procurement in the future should I go into Logistics-Procurement in my company.

The reasons for taking the Logistics Analyst position are straightforward - I can begin to develop my skills in the field I’m interested in. I think I would enjoy the position more than my current role. Not moving could mean I don’t have the opportunity to move into Logistics in the near future in my company (where I would like to stay with for at least a couple of years). Also, if I find I don’t enjoy Logistics, making this move now would give me the opportunity to try something else while I’m still relatively early in my career.

I’m unsure if staying in Procurement or moving to Logistics is ultimately better for my career, so any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

TL;DR: on the fence about moving from procurement to logistics 9 months into career, staying would mean passing up on position that is more interesting than my current one and not being guaranteed logistics position at company in future, leaving would lose out on project management skill development and potentially not getting Six Sigma green belt certification

Hey folks, I'm new to the sub and I'm sure this has been answered before so feel free to make fun of me. I'm looking at Supply Chain certs to help focus my career towards what I want to do and perhaps even more so, away from what I don't want to do.

I'm currently an ERP Consultant doing implementations for Dynamics F&SC. Somewhat lower level (3 yrs experience) and involved in areas like Sales, Procurement, Planning, Warehousing, and Production. My academic background is an an almost completely unrelated engineering field so I'm figuring some certifications would help. I'm reaching a point in my career where I've done several implementations across several areas and industries, so trying to focus on specific areas now.

I really enjoy Planning, Forecasting, and Warehousing and would l would love to tailor my career more towards being a SME in those fields over anything else. I specifically NEVER want to be a Project Manager on an ERP Implementation. Would much rather be the guy who has specialized knowledge and experience that comes in to develop solutions. In fact, I'm more open to one day getting a job somewhere outside of the Consulting industry as a Planner/Forecaster as I do have a decent background in statistics / data from my degree.

That being said, here are certs I'm looking at right now:

APICS/ASCM CSCP: I think this is a safe bet as it covers damn near everything. Just wondering if it's too broad for what I want. It also seems manageable to study over ~6 months of several hrs per week while I work a 45-60 hr per week job.

APICS/ACSM CPIM: Somewhat considering as it's a bit more specific to planning but the workload seems immense. Not sure if I can balance with an already demanding job.

ISCEA CFDP: This is the most specific as it is a certification in Demand and Forecast Planning. My company currently doesn't have this as an approved cert for reimbursement but I think I could spin a way to get it covered. Just wondering if it's best to start with something more general then do a specific cert like this one later.

Appreciate any advice I can get! Thank you!

Any advice on the best way to do this? This is something I still struggle with because I do feel like I am effecting people’s livelihood.

Some of the RFQs I conduct are quite large, so my call list can be upwards of 10-12 vendors to discuss feedback.

I dread this aspect because I do feel some compassion. Not to mention many times the response from them can be emotional. I even have vendors who wont participate anymore basically saying “Well I never win anything so I’m not wasting my time.”

I work for fastenal as a supply chain associate part time while I’m in school. I’ve been applying to whatever procurement jobs I can find but they seem to be few and far between for entry-level candidates. Are there any other job titles I should be searching for? So far I’ve been using procurement, buyer, and purchaser as key words. Thanks in advance for your advice

Is it typical for demand forecasting software these days to allow the planner to choose from various models that is producing a base stat forecast?

What kind of training would you recommend planners to have to use a demand forecasting/planning system if they are inexperienced with that type of software?

Looking at vendors in the Gartner quadrants. CPG industry. The current software we use today to produces a stat base fcst but can’t see any model detail & can just override a by week+ by item qty.

My background is more on the supply side, I’ve used SAP APO; I’ve worked with demand planners in the past that would have used demand planning that had something like this but I never used it.