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It’s been a rough year and a half
Supply chain professionals at every level helped us get through the pandemic. It was tough, but you did all you could to make sure the public had the food and supplies needed to get through, even if lead times were longer and an almost superhuman effort behind the scenes was required. For the first time, the general public realized how important our work is and its impact on daily life.
But it’s getting better
Despite the chaos created by the pandemic, a few bright spots emerged. We learned:
- How to improve, break molds and discard outdated ways of doing things. Collapsed project lead times forced innovation and faster results.
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Workers don’t need to go into an office to be productive. Employers are recognizing that team members without a commute can be similarly or more valuable. Many employees are happier due to improved work life balance.
- Companies and workers embraced technology. The pandemic forced organizations to begin, enhance or complete planned digital transformation projects – often ahead of schedule.
- Risk assessment skills improved to face the multi-faceted chaos in the world. The pandemic, climate change, migration and a generational talent shortage along with industry-specific issues such as shortages, port delays, terminal shutdowns, scarcity of containers, pricing changes, labor shortages, and disputes over wages made for an unstable and constantly changing landscape. Assessing risk required constant communications between team members and systems.
- Tech provided visibility into global risk and supply chain professionals learned to make smarter decisions more quickly.
In addition, according to our partner, the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM), the pandemic has increased demand for skilled supply chain professionals. Their 2021 Salary Survey Report revealed other positive news for supply chain professionals. According to ASCM:
There is a rosy outlook for job searches
In fact, of new college graduates, 41 percent found a job in less than 1 month, and 27 percent found a job within 1-3 months after graduation. For those already working in the field, one-third found their most recent position in less than 1 month.
Certification matters
When comparing respondents with a supply chain degree, those who hold an APICS certification report a median salary 20 percent higher than a supply chain degreed undergraduate with no APICS certification.
APICS certification is also key in terms of raises, as 38 percent of undergraduate certified supply chain degree holders received a raise because of a good performance review, compared to just 25 percent of those without.
Additionally, 21 percent of those with an APICS certification and undergraduate supply chain degree received a promotion within the last year, compared to 10 percent for those without APICS certification.
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