One of the most vital positions within any business is any role relating to the supply chain. It is vital to ensure a steady flow of products coming into a company, that customer have a wide range of products to choose from, and that suppliers have enough stock to deal with demand.
Most employees holding a position within the supply chain deal with procurement and the various buyers who purchase stock to pass on to the consumer base. Purchasers must be in regular contact with suppliers in order to make sure that the level of products supplied meets that of the demand.
Supply Chain positions generally come under a finance role, and a Bachelor of Accounting or any finance qualification is desirable for those applying for this position. For those looking for project manager or analyst positions within the industry, degrees in economist, science or engineering are preferred, as are graduates from leading business schools. A high attention to detail and the ability to work unsupervised is highly desirable in any position relating to buying, procurement or purchasing.

• Having good geography knowledge.
• Being able to work under pressure.
• Having good written and spoken communication abilities.
• Having IT skills.
• Having high attention to details.
• Being able to work with a team.
• Having good planning skills.
• Being able to motivate others.
• Having math skills.
• Having good problem solving abilities.

Supply Chain job placements usually requires degrees, Higher National Certificates, Higher National Diplomas, and foundation degrees such as geography, international transport, logistics, transport management, and supply chain management. These courses are offered by many colleges and universities, for more details visit Universities and Colleges Admissions Service website.

There are NVQ’s in logistics operations management level 3 and integrated logistics support management level 4, and postgraduate degrees in logistics, transport planning and supply chain management.