Supply chains have become increasingly complex, and the demand for individuals with specialized skills to manage these complicated systems has been vital. While hard skills are necessary for supply chain operation and logistics, the ever-changing landscape of supply chain management demands a focus on key skills to adapt to the evolving future of the industry.
In a live discussion on Key Supply Chain Skills of the Future, Radu Palamariu, Managing Director Asia Pacific and Europe, and Knut Alicke, Partner, McKinsey & Company, shared their insights and expertise about what are the most important skills that supply chain professionals must possess in the future and why.
Here are some of the insights from the 45-minute conversation.
Knut emphasized that it is crucial for supply chain managers to grasp the complexities of the supply chain process fully, have top-notch problem-solving skills, and possess a solid understanding of IT.
“Supply chains are complex, so we need to make sure that we understand complex systems. We need to understand how to operate these complex systems. And I would say 80% of the supply chain manager’s daily work is dealing with issues. So for that, we need to problem-solve while also being IT-savvy.”
But being successful isn’t just about hard skills – soft skills are also essential. Radu believes that soft skills are also as critical as hard skills when it comes to being successful in the supply chain industry. Radu mentioned that the top global chief supply officers and CEOs believed that the CHAIN model, Collaboration, Holistic, Adaptable, Influential, and Narrative skills were as necessary as the hard skills.
“As people that are highly trained, super smart, they get lost in the weeds. They get lost a little bit in the. Uh, they go so deep in their functional expertise that they fail somehow to see the bigger picture. That ultimately it is the soft skills.”
The co-authors of the book “From Source to Sold” also dwelled on a conversation around developing the key skills supply chain professionals need, discussing the challenges the organizations face in developing such skills, retaining talent that already has such skills, and how it is being measured that these skills are being developed.
As the supply chain gets complex, the balance of hard skills and soft skills is essential to navigate the tides of the future and the success of the industry.
Watch the full discussion and find out more: Key Supply Chain Skills of the Future
