What skills does a supply chain manager need?

A supply chain manager needs 22 essential skills including product life-cycle, corporate social responsibility, supply chain principles, product data management, supply chain management. Core competencies include .

Will AI replace supply chain manager jobs?

The AI disruption score for supply chain manager is 70/100 (high risk). Some tasks may be automated but the role will evolve rather than disappear entirely.

Manufacturing & ProductionProduction and specialised services managersISCO 1324

supply chain manager

Supply chain managers plan, manage and coordinate all activities related to the sourcing and procurement of supplies needed to run manufacturing operations from the acquisition of raw materials to the distribution of finished products. The supplies can be raw materials or finished products, and it can be for internal or external use. Moreover, they plan and commission all the activities needed to be performed in manufacturing plants and adjust operations to changing levels of demand for a company's products.

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (22)

product life-cycleproduct life-cycleThe management of the life-cycle of a product from the development stages to the market entry and market removal.corporate social responsibilitycorporate social responsibilityThe handling or managing of business processes in a responsible and ethical manner considering the economic responsibility towards shareholders as equally important as the responsibility towards envir...supply chain principlessupply chain principlesCharacteristics, operations and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to the customer.product data managementproduct data managementThe use of software to track all information concerning a product such as technical specifications, drawings, design specifications, and production costs.supply chain managementsupply chain managementThe flow of goods in the supply chain, movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption.supplier managementsupplier managementThe methods and techniques to ensure that external services and configuration items, which are necessary for the service delivery, are available as requested and as agreed at the service level.manage suppliesmanage suppliesMonitor and control the flow of supplies that includes the purchase, storage and movement of the required quality of raw materials, and also work-in-progress inventory. Manage supply chain activities ...order suppliesorder suppliesCommand products from relevant suppliers to get convenient and profitable products to purchase.maintain relationship with customersmaintain relationship with customersBuild a lasting and meaningful relationship with customers in order to ensure satisfaction and fidelity by providing accurate and friendly advice and support, by delivering quality products and servic...strive for company growthstrive for company growthDevelop strategies and plans aiming at achieving a sustained company growth, be the company self-owned or somebody else's. Strive with actions to increase revenues and positive cash flows.maintain relationship with suppliersmaintain relationship with suppliersBuild a lasting and meaningful relationship with suppliers and service providers in order to establish a positive, profitable and enduring collaboration, co-operation and contract negotiation.analyse logistic changesanalyse logistic changesAssess the financial impact of possible logistics changes such as shipping modes, product mixes or volumes, carriers and means of product transportation.analyse business plansanalyse business plansAnalyse the formal statements from businesses which outline their business goals and the strategies they set in place to meet them, in order to assess the feasibility of the plan and verify the busine...identify software for warehouse managementidentify software for warehouse managementIdentify relevant software and applications used for warehouse management systems, their characteristics and value added to warehouse management operations.identify key processes of traceability systemsidentify key processes of traceability systemsIdentify the different key processes, documentation and regulations for the implementation and follow-up of traceability in the company. Analyse the cost/benefit ratio of traceability processes.analyse supply chain strategiesanalyse supply chain strategiesExamine an organisation's planning details of production, their expected output units, quality, quantity, cost, time available and labour requirements. Provide suggestions in order to improve products...assess supplier risksassess supplier risksEvaluate supplier performance in order to assess if suppliers follow the agreed contracts, meet the standard requirements and provide the desired quality.manage inventorymanage inventoryControl product inventory in balance of availability and storage costs.implement a management systemimplement a management systemMake and monitor the changes in business processes that are needed to create a system that collectively manage different parts of the business of an organisation.estimate costs of required suppliesestimate costs of required suppliesEvaluate the amounts and costs of required supplies such as of food items and ingredients.liaise with managersliaise with managersLiaise with managers of other departments ensuring effective service and communication, i.e. sales, planning, purchasing, trading, distribution and technical.follow company standardsfollow company standardsLead and manage according to the organisation's code of conduct.

Optional (76)

warehouse operationswarehouse operationsThe basic principles and practices of warehouse operations such as goods storage and the organisation of warehouse facilities.labour legislationlabour legislationLegislation, on a national or international level, that governs labour conditions in various fields between labour parties such as the government, employees, employers, and trade unions.transportation software related to an ERP systemtransportation software related to an ERP systemBusiness management software to collect, manage and interpret data related to shipping, payment, inventory, manufacturing applied in transportation and distribution.pricing strategiespricing strategiesThe techniques, theories, and commonly accepted strategies regarding pricing of goods. The relation between pricing strategies and outcomes in the market such as profitability maximisation, deterrence...operations managementoperations managementThe backend business functions that are implemented with the aim of achieving the high efficiency and profitability within an organisation.financial forecastingfinancial forecastingThe tool used in performing fiscal financial management to identify revenue trends and estimated financial conditions.multimodal transport logisticsmultimodal transport logisticsThe logistical supporting activities related to multimodal transport. The different elements of a multimodal system for the movement of goods or people, and all related advantages in terms of time and...risk managementrisk managementThe process of identifying, assessing, and prioritising of all types of risks and where they could come from, such as natural causes, legal changes, or uncertainty in any given context, and the method...project managementproject managementThe discipline of project management, the activities which comprise this area and the variables implied in it, such as time, resources, requirements, deadlines, and responding to unexpected events.international businessinternational businessThe processes related to production or distribution of goods and services across borders.geographical routesgeographical routesThe interpretation of geographical information such as locations and distances between them.statisticsstatisticsThe study of statistical theory, methods and practices such as collection, organisation, analysis, interpretation and presentation of data. It deals with all aspects of data including the planning of ...economicseconomicsEconomic principles and practices, financial and commodity markets, banking and the analysis of financial data.quality standardsquality standardsThe national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.conflict managementconflict managementThe practices concerning the resolution of conflicts or disputes in an organisation or institution. It encompasses reducing the negative aspects of a conflict and increasing the positive outcomes of i...business strategy conceptsbusiness strategy conceptsThe terminology related to the design and implementation of major trends and aims which are taken by an organisation's executives, while keeping in mind its resources, competition and environments.market pricingmarket pricingPrice volatility according to market and price elasticity, and the factors which influence pricing trends and changes in the market in the long and short term.human resource managementhuman resource managementThe function in an organisation concerned with the recruitment of employees and the optimisation of employee performance.advise on risk managementadvise on risk managementProvide advice on risk management policies and prevention strategies and their implementation, being aware of different kinds of risks to a specific organisation.identify suppliersidentify suppliersDetermine potential suppliers for further negotiation. Take into consideration aspects such as product quality, sustainability, local sourcing, seasonality and coverage of the area. Evaluate the likel...forecast sales over periods of timeforecast sales over periods of timeCalculate and estimate the expected sales of products and services over different periods of time in order to determine their profitability.study sales levels of productsstudy sales levels of productsCollect and analyse sales levels of products and services in order to use this information for determining the quantities to be produced in the following batches, customer feedback, price trends, and ...monitor ingredient storagemonitor ingredient storageMonitor ingredient storage and expiry dates via weekly reporting leading to good stock rotation and reduction of waste.manage budgetsmanage budgetsPlan, monitor, report on the budget and prepare set production budgets.manage human resourcesmanage human resourcesConduct employee recruitment, helping employees to develop their personal and organisational skills, knowledge, and competencies as well as providing feedback and performance appraisals. It includes m...analyse market financial trendsanalyse market financial trendsMonitor and forecast the tendencies of a financial market to move in a particular direction over time.visit suppliersvisit suppliersVisit local or international suppliers to get an accurate understanding of their services and report back to clients on that basis.carry out tenderingcarry out tenderingPlace the request for a quotation to the organisation requesting a tender, then perform the work or supply the goods agreed with them during the tendering process.plan future capacity requirementsplan future capacity requirementsDevelop a solid business plan for future capacity requirements; determine whether or not a company is capable of meeting demands for its products or services.control financial resourcescontrol financial resourcesMonitor and control budgets and financial resources providing capable stewardship in company management.track price trendstrack price trendsMonitor the direction and momentum of the product prices on a long-term basis, identify and predict the movement of prices as well as identify the recurring trends.manage staffmanage staffManage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the wor...control trade commercial documentationcontrol trade commercial documentationMonitor written records containing information related to commercial transactions such as invoice, letter of credit, order, shipping, certificate of origin.apply change managementapply change managementManage development within an organisation by anticipating changes and making managerial decisions to ensure that the members involved are as less disturbed as possible.monitor stock levelmonitor stock levelEvaluate how much stock is used and determine what should be ordered.calculate purchasing levels of raw materialscalculate purchasing levels of raw materialsEstimate the adequate quantities of raw materials to be purchased and required to meet the production objectives based on the prospects and forecasts.recruit employeesrecruit employeesHire new employees by scoping the job role, advertising, performing interviews and selecting staff in line with company policy and legislation.programme work according to incoming ordersprogramme work according to incoming ordersSchedule tasks based on incoming work. Anticipate the total amount of resources required to complete the work and assign them accordingly. Assess the required working hours, pieces of equipment, and w...attend trade fairsattend trade fairsAttend exhibitions organised to enable companies in a specific sector to demonstrate their latest products and services, study the activities of their competitors, and observe recent market trends.estimate profitabilityestimate profitabilityTake various factors into account to calculate the cost and potential revenues or savings gained from a product in order to evaluate the profit that could be generated by the new acquisition or by a n...direct logistical functionsdirect logistical functionsCoordinate logistic operations related to product life cycles, such as distribution, delivery and final disposal of products or resources.analyse economic trendsanalyse economic trendsAnalyse developments in national or international trade, business relations, banking, and developments in public finance and how these factors interact with one another in a given economic context.coordinate purchasing activitiescoordinate purchasing activitiesCoordinate and manage procurement and renting processes including purchasing, renting, planning, tracking and reporting in a cost efficient way on an organisational level.advise on sustainable management policiesadvise on sustainable management policiesContribute to planning and policy development for sustainable management, including input in environmental impact assessments.forecast products' demandforecast products' demandCollect, analyse and calculate the demand of products and services based on reports and purchasing activity of customers.ensure equipment availabilityensure equipment availabilityEnsure that the necessary equipment is provided, ready and available for use before start of procedures.negotiate sales contractsnegotiate sales contractsCome to an agreement between commercial partners with a focus on terms and conditions, specifications, delivery time, price etc.analyse consumer buying trendsanalyse consumer buying trendsAnalyse buying habits or currently prevalent customer behaviour.analyse logistic needsanalyse logistic needsAnalysing the logistic needs of all the different departments on the organisational level.forecast workloadforecast workloadPredict and define workload needed to be done in a certain amount of time, and the time it would take to perform these tasks.manage contractsmanage contractsNegotiate the terms, conditions, costs and other specifications of a contract while making sure they comply with legal requirements and are legally enforceable. Oversee the execution of the contract, ...manage logisticsmanage logisticsCreate logistic framework for transporting goods to customers and for receiving returns, execute and follow up the logistics processes and guidelines. Adapt the production processes to the contingenci...forecast dividend trendsforecast dividend trendsForecast the payouts corporations make to their shareholders in the long term, taking into account prior dividends, the corporation's financial health and stability, stock market trends, and sharehold...manage sub-contract labourmanage sub-contract labourOversee work and the labourers hired to carry out part or all of the responsibilities of someone else's contract.maintain contract administrationmaintain contract administrationKeep contracts up to date and organise them according to a classification system for future consultation.manage rented goods returnsmanage rented goods returnsOrganise the return of rented goods to the distributor.forecast future levels of businessforecast future levels of businessPredict how the business will perform in future, potential expenditures and revenues to project situations for future periods.use sales forecasting softwaresuse sales forecasting softwaresOperate sale forecasting softwares in order to help in determining demand levels for products with higher levels of accuracy.ensure cross-department cooperationensure cross-department cooperationGuarantee communication and cooperation with all the entities and teams in a given organisation, according to the company strategy.accurately estimate work hoursaccurately estimate work hoursAssess the necessary work hours, equipment, and skills required to successfully complete a task.carry out statistical forecastscarry out statistical forecastsUndertake a systematic statistical examination of data representing past observed behaviour of the system to be forecast, including observations of useful predictors outside the system.develop professional networkdevelop professional networkReach out to and meet up with people in a professional context. Find common ground and use your contacts for mutual benefit. Keep track of the people in your personal professional network and stay up ...apply for government fundingapply for government fundingGather information on and apply for subsidies, grants, and other financing programmes provided by the government to small- and large-scale projects or organisations in various fields.negotiate supplier arrangementsnegotiate supplier arrangementsReach an agreement with the supplier upon technical, quantity, quality, price, conditions, storage, packaging, send-back and other requirements related to the purchasing and delivering process.perform project managementperform project managementManage and plan various resources, such as human resources, budget, deadline, results, and quality necessary for a specific project, and monitor the project's progress in order to achieve a specific g...assist in planning production schedulingassist in planning production schedulingContribute to the planning of the production schedule with information on previous periods of production as to avoid waste and increase efficiency.estimate duration of workestimate duration of workProduce accurate calculations on time necessary to fulfil future technical tasks based on past and present information and observations or plan the estimated duration of individual tasks in a given pr...issue sales invoicesissue sales invoicesPrepare the invoice of goods sold or services provided, containing individual prices, the total charge, and the terms. Complete order processing for orders received via telephone, fax and internet and...train employeestrain employeesLead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the perspective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the perform...forecast production quantitiesforecast production quantitiesDetermine the most adequate production levels of products according to forecasts and analysis of historic consuming trends.assess financial viabilityassess financial viabilityRevise and analyse financial information and requirements of projects such as their budget appraisal, expected turnover, and risk assessment for determining the benefits and costs of the project. Asse...manage standard enterprise resource planning systemmanage standard enterprise resource planning systemCollect, manage and interpret data relevant for companies related to shipping, payment, inventory, resources and manufacturing using specific business management software. Such software as Microsoft D...forecast economic trendsforecast economic trendsGather and analyse economic data in order to predict economic trends and events.perform resource planningperform resource planningEstimate the expected input in terms of time, human and financial resources necessary to achieve the project objectives.manage warehouse operationsmanage warehouse operationsManage warehouse operations such as delivering orders and maintaining stock. Control safety and risk prevention in the warehouse. Follow plans to maximise efficiency of the supply chain.negotiate buying conditionsnegotiate buying conditionsNegotiate terms such as price, quantity, quality, and delivery terms with vendors and suppliers in order to ensure the most beneficial buying conditions.