Have you always wondered, “How do I become a supply chain analyst?” The good news is that this career offers a stable income and consistent opportunities for growth. As a supply chain analyst, you have the ability to receive many promotions in your workplace or at different companies. Your main responsibilities include overseeing the inventory of a company and the shipping process for that inventory. You are responsible for cutting costs wherever is possible within the company.
What’s it like to be a Supply Chain Analyst?
As a supply chain analyst, you may be required to make presentations to high-powered business executives. They will want to hear your ideas on cutting costs for the company. They will also want to hear about any innovative ways you know about for storing inventory of the business. You are required to develop strong relationships with distributors and shipping companies in order to better fulfill orders for the customers of your company. A good supply chain analyst will leverage his or her relationships with distributors in order to obtain savings on inventory for a business. The typical day of a supply chain analyst is a 9 to 5 gig, but the hours can grow longer during high-demand seasons. The holiday season can be a chaotic time for supply chain analysts who need to ensure that orders for customers are being fulfilled and honored.
Education Requirements
To enter into this career field, you will be expected to have a bachelor’s degree. It is helpful if you have a specialized degree in supply chain management or in business. Employers will also want to see that you have previous experience in serving as an inventory clerk or in the merchandising department for a company. It is a good idea to try to gain as much experience as possible during college in the merchandising part of a major corporation. You may also be an attractive candidate for a position if you have engineering of computer software skills. Supply chain analysts now help companies when they are able to find software programs that cut down on the number of steps in the ordering process.
Salary & Job Opportunities
Supply chain analysts enjoy a nice starting salary of about $70,000. There are plenty of opportunities to quickly move up in this career field. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics expects that this career will grow rapidly in the next 10 years. The career is expected to grow by 25 percent in the next ten years. Businesses will want to continually find out how they can cut down on shipping costs, especially as more businesses turn to the Internet as their sole source of income in selling products. The increasingly global economy will require more individuals who also know how to network with distributors who are located around the world. Supply chain analysts can succeed in this field if they know how to speak a second language in a fluent manner.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a dynamic and challenging career, then you may wish to become a supply chain analyst. Serving as a supply chain analyst for a company will help you build a career with a bright future. You will have plenty of opportunities in the future to expand your position and earn a better salary. People who thrive in this career enjoy seeing the “big picture” for a company and knowing that their skills contributed to the success of the company. If you want to pursue a position in this career, simply try to gain as much experience in working in the inventory department for a business during college.