I am sure that you will have seen many job offers for a Supply Chain Manager on the Internet and especially on the LinkedIn platform, but you may not know exactly what their function is or how this role can help a company.
The Supply Chain Manager is a job profile that combines the skills of a purchasing agent with those of a logistics and operations professional. The role of the supply chain operation is likely to be very clear and, thanks to this, it is easy to draw up a purchasing strategy taking into account all the steps of the process because there is a clear global vision of the supply chain.
Managing the supply chain of a company involves taking responsibility for the purchase of supplies; including the raw materials, through to the monitoring of the delivery of materials to their final destination.
In this context, we can say that a Supply Chain Manager negotiates, manages and communicates with various departments and/or actors in the purchasing and delivery process. This is why (s)he must have the appropriate skills to successfully carry out these actions with dexterity.
The specific tasks of a Supply Chain Manager.
Now that we have seen what the responsibilities of this purchasing, logistics and operations professional are in general, let us analyze the role in a little more detail. Some of the tasks that (s)he carries out on a daily basis include;
- Planning business strategies, not only with suppliers, but by also creating business partnerships that allow you to make the best possible purchase.
- Managing purchase quantities (you must know how much material to buy at any time).
- Checking that the client’s supply (or his company) is covered including anticipating that there isn’t a lack of stock due to having placed a smaller order than necessary.
- Managing and controlling the logistics operations of the company, including the shipment of products purchased from your area or department.
As a Purchasing Manager, it is common in many companies for the Supply Chain Manager to also participate in the development of product design, since as a purchasing expert, this experience can help adapt the final design in order to optimize the raw material supply process.
Outsourcing the Supply Chain Manager.
As we have seen, this professional figure is exceptionally important in the supply management process of a company. However, there are occasions when this role does not exist within a company or, even if it does, a specialization in certain processes is lacking; such as the management of international purchases.
In this case, it is essential to have the help of an external international Supply Chain Manager; a purchasing agent who at the same time acts as a consultant and controls the management of logistical tasks and processes at an international level.
It is often when searching online for companies specialized in international supply chain management that many companies doubt the advantages of contracting this type of service as they do not understand the role of this type of professional.
Many of the companies that contact us know what they need and how we can help them, but they are often unaware of a series of services that, as sourcing professionals, we can also offer.
It is important to insist that the Supply Chain Manager role is key to ensuring success in the purchasing process, which directly improves the effectiveness of the company. However, international sourcing is not within the capabilities of all professionals, therefore it is better to enlist the help of an external international Supply Chain Manager, who, due to experience in international purchasing management, can contribute to an excellent sales strategy and the correct management of the supply chain.