Question 1

What are supply chains, and why are they important?

Accepted Answer

A supply chain is the system of moving a product from supplier to consumer over the course of its entire lifecycle. This lifecycle may include the procurement of raw materials; their transport and storage to manufacturing facilities; warehouse management of finished goods; and the logistics of shipping inventory to retailers all over the world.

Efficient supply chain management is critically important to the success of any business that sells products, as failures to control costs and protect against disruptions can be fatal in competitive markets. Thus, the responsibilities of supply chain managers are much more than simply shipping goods from point A to point B.

For starters, they must be the operations experts of an organization, with the ability to optimize every stage of these often complex product lifecycles. Lean Six Sigma methodologies or similar data-based approaches to process improvement are often used by supply chain managers to identify opportunities to reduce margins.

However, supply chain managers must also have a knack for planning, with the ability to look ahead and anticipate future needs and challenges. They must use demand forecasting models to anticipate likely demand for their company’s products, and ensure that sufficient supplies will be available to meet it. Supply chain risk management is also critical, requiring a careful eye to identify potential sources of disruption and create contingency plans to manage these events.

Question 2

What kinds of careers can I have with a background in supply chain?

Accepted Answer

Supply chain management requires a highly specialized set of skills, but you can use them to find work in virtually any industry that makes physical products to sell. Thus, whether you’re interested in food products or automobiles, bicycles or medical supplies, a career in supply chains can help you dive deep into the weeds to learn how these products are made - and, potentially, improve on these processes.

One type of supply chain management career highlighted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is logisticians, who are responsible for analyzing and coordinating the entire supply chain of an organization. According to BLS, logisticians typically have bachelor’s degrees in areas such as business or systems engineering, potentially alongside coursework in database management and other relevant software tools.They may also have work experience in related fields, including logistics support roles such as clerks that have visibility into some or all stages of the supply chain.

Question 3

Can I learn about supply chains through online courses on Coursera?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Coursera has in-depth online courses and Specializations in supply chain management and related topics like Six Sigma. These courses are offered by leading schools such as Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, giving you the opportunity to learn from leading experts in the field from wherever you are in the world. And, because you can watch lectures and complete course materials on your own schedule, online learning through Coursera is a great opportunity to build your skills while continuing to work at your current job.

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