Analyse supply chain strategies

Examine 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, service quality and reduce costs.

analyse supply chain
analyse supplies’ logistics
analyse procurement strategies
manage supply chain
supply chain management
improve supply chain
examine supply chain strategies
analyse and improve supply chain strategies

skill/competence

cross-sector

Analyse supply chain strategies is an essential skill of the following occupations:

Clothing development manager: Clothing development managers define product concepts that are consistent with target consumer and overall marketing strategy. They receive scientific findings and specifications in order to lead the briefing and implementation of all relevant seasonal and strategic concepts, including distribution by channel, product, colour introductions, and merchandised assortments. They ensure realisation and execution within budget. They manage and execute the product line and category life cycle from concept determination through sales and distribution, contribution in research of market, industry trends to influence category concepts and products.
Warehouse operator for clothing: Warehouse operators for clothing are in charge of storing textile fabrics, accessories and components for clothing production. They ensure that all the components necessary for the production of clothing are ready to use in the production chain by classifying and registering the purchased component, forecasting purchases and distributing them across different departments.
Chemical production manager: Chemical production managers are responsible for the technical coordination and control of the chemical production processes. They steer one or more manufacturing units and oversee the implementation of technical and human means, within the framework of objectives of volume, quality and planning. Chemical production managers design and ensure that the production plans and schedules are met. They are responsible for implementation of the processes designed to ensure quality of the manufactured product, good working conditions and environmental practices, and safety of the workplace.
Wearing apparel patternmaker: Wearing apparel patternmakers interpret design sketches and cut patterns for all kinds of wearing apparel using various handtools or industrial machines complying customer requirements. They make sampling and prototypes in order to produce series of patterns of wearing apparel in different sizes.
Clothing technologist: Clothing technologists work on the design, development and production of textile and apparel products. They carry out a range of technical, investigative and quality control work to ensure the end product (from clothing to household up to industrial textiles). They perform to specifications, improve production efficiency and quality while liaising with those involved in the production process. They liaise with designers, adapt designs to suit production methods, make and size pre-production garments, source fabrics and accessories, undertake quality evaluations of materials and check the quality of the final product, and consider ecological aspects.
Purchasing manager: Purchasing managers are in charge of buying goods, equipment and services for their company, and try to ensure the most competitive prices. They are also responsible for negotiating contracts, reviewing the quality of products and analyzing suppliers , and the use and resale of goods and services.
Clothing operations manager: Clothing operations managers schedule orders and delivery times in order to assure the efficient flow of the production system.
Logistics analyst: Logistics analysts streamline product manufacturing, transportation, storage and distribution. They assess production and supply chain problems to determine economically efficient solutions. They assists company managers in decision-making processes and direct programs designed to provide subcontractors, managers and customers with logistic technology.
Logistics and distribution manager: Logistics and distribution managers take decisions on logistic services, operations and provisions. They take internal and external variables into consideration for effective and successful organisational logistic services. They give appropriate support to all the activities of the supply chain from the beginning to the end. These professionals organise the storage and distribution of goods and ensure that the right products are delivered to the right location on time and at a good cost.
Clothing finisher: Clothing finishers set haberdasheries (e.g. bottoms, zips, and ribbons) and cut threads. They weigh, pack, label materials and products.
Rail intermodal equipment operator: Rail intermodal equipment operators assist in the loading of trailers and containers on and off railcars and chassis. They manoeuvre tractor-trailer combinations around tight corners and in and out of parking spaces. They use an on-board computer peripheral to communicate with yard management computer system and to identify railcars.
Resource manager: Resource managers manage resources for all potential and assigned projects. They liaise with the different departments to see that all various resources are met, in a timely manner, and communicate any resourcing issues that may impact scheduled deadlines.
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.
Forecast manager: Forecast managers have a deep understanding of the operations of the company, the inventory levels, production batches, requirements and costs of production per product, and trends in the demand levels. They use all that information in combination with forecasting software in order to define production orders aiming for the most efficient production combinations.
Stevedore: Stevedores sort, handle, load and unload freight into over-the-road equipment in accordance with oral and written instructions, as well as state regulations. They move freight such as boxes, bulky items, or even large pallets of goods to and from storage areas and onto transport vehicles.
ICT buyer: ICT buyers create and place purchase orders for ICT products and services, handle receiving and invoice issues, assess current procurement practices and effectively apply strategic sourcing methodologies. They build relationships with strategic vendors and negotiate price, quality, service levels and delivery terms.
Clothing alteration machinist: Clothing alteration machinists ensure the alteration of finished garments in line with business demands. They are responsible for the quality of any alterations or customisations and brand generic stock in line with customer branding guidelines.
ICT vendor relationship manager: ICT vendor relationship managers establish and maintain positive business relationships between stakeholders (external or internal), by deploying activities which are compliant with organisational processes. They also manage the outsourcing process for the organisation’s ICT department and the supply chain communications.
Clothing process control technician: Clothing process control technicians operate multiple process control equipment in manufacturing assembly lines.

Analyse supply chain strategies is optional for these occupations. This means knowing this skill may be an asset for career advancement if you are in one of these occupations.

Chief marketing officer: Chief marketing officers manage the high level marketing operations in a company. They coordinate all the efforts related to the marketing, promotional, and advertising activities across units or geographical areas. They make sure that different activities aimed at creating awareness of products are profitable for the company. They take decisions and prepare reports on marketing projects and the costs they entail.
Business intelligence manager: Business intelligence managers gain knowledge of the industry, the innovative processes therein, and contrast them with the operations of the company in order to improve them. They focus their analysis in the supply chain processes, warehouses, storage, and sales as to facilitate communication and revenue improvement.
Purchaser: Purchasers select and purchase stock, materials, services or goods. They organise tender procedures and select suppliers.
Manufacturing manager: Manufacturing managers plan, oversee and direct the manufacturing process in an organisation. They ensure products and services are efficiently produced within the timeframe and budget given.
Policy manager: Policy managers are responsible for managing the development of policy programs and ensuring that the strategic objectives of the organization are met. They oversee the production of policy positions, as well as the organization’s campaign and advocacy work in fields such as environmental, ethics, quality, transparency, and sustainability.
Marketing manager: Marketing managers carry out the implementation of efforts related to the marketing operations in a company. They develop marketing strategies and plans by detailing cost and resources needed. They analyse the profitability of these plans, develop pricing strategies, and strive to raise awareness on products and companies among targeted customers.
Sales manager: Sales managers develop sales and targeting strategies for a company. They manage sales teams, allocate sales resources based on the plans, prioritise and follow up on critical leads, develop sales pitches and adjust them over time, and maintain a sales platform to track all leads and sales.
Industrial assembly supervisor: Industrial assembly supervisors are in charge of organizing, planning and coordinating assembly operations. They keep track of all the work activities and manage the process for efficient functioning in order to tackle problems such as production loss. They answer to the industrial production and the manufacturing manager.
Logistics engineer: Logistics engineers design and implement systems aimed to optimise the time and efforts invested in transportation activities. They ensure that systems allow for micro-tracking and smooth communication across transport methods and stages.
Supply chain assistant: Supply chain assistants work closely together with managers in the operations processes, namely purchasing, manufacturing, and distribution processes. They help with administrative and pragmatic follow up of actions such as invoicing, drafting and preparation of contracts and purchasing orders, reconciliation of inventory against documents, and communication with distribution channels.
Clothing fashion designer: Fashion designers create concepts and make sketches by hand or using softwares of their creative ideas. They analyse and interpret fashion trends in order to propose new ideas with high aesthetical value. They perform forecasting and market research to put together collections. They build collection lines by operating mood or concept boards, colour palettes, materials, drawings and sketches considering among others ergonomical criteria, etc.
Industrial production manager: Industrial production managers oversee the operations and the resources needed in industrial plants and manufacturing sites for a smooth running of the operations. They prepare the production schedule by combining the requirements of clients with the resources of the production plant. They organise the journey of incoming raw materials or semi finished products in the plant until a final product is delivered by coordinating inventories, warehouses, distribution, and support activities.
Raw material reception operator: Raw material reception operators operate and maintain tools and equipment to ensure that qualitative and quantitative requirements in the reception of the raw material are met. They use equipment to evaluate products such as grains, potatoes, cassava root, etc. They store and distribute products to the different processing factory units.
Application engineer: Application engineers deal with the technical requirements, management, and design for the development of various engineering applications, such as systems, new product designs, or the improvements of processes. They are responsible for the implementation of a design or process improvement, they offer technical support for products, answer questions about the technical functionality and assist the sales team.

References

1. Analyse supply chain strategies – ESCO