WAUSAU, Wis. (WAOW) — Over the last couple of years, the “supply chain” is a term you’ve likely heard many times.
But what is it?
Kurt Swanson, Faculty, Supply Chain Management at Northcentral Technical College, said to think of a supply chain as an actual chain of suppliers, each link bringing consumers what they want or need.
But if there’s a weak link, the chain is broken.
Looking at supply chain management within an organization, there are four pillars: planning, sourcing, operations, and logistics.
Planning is determining demand.
Sourcing is forming partnerships with suppliers.
Operations is the function that turns inputs into outputs
Logistics is the moving of materials.
Over the years, supply chain has become very efficient.
Swanson said there’s been an increase in rapidly changing consumer demand.
“It’s so important that we have those products in the right place at the right time, at the right price, and supply chain management certainly became much more visible and important of meeting consumer demands,” said Swanson.
He said along with the pandemic, a scarcity in some materials, congested ports, and a labor shortage made a perfect storm of factors causing the issues we’ve been seeing, like higher prices and empty shelves.
At Northcentral Technical College, they have been seeing an increase in those pursuing supply chain management.
Swanson said that they started their program in Spring 2018 after supply chain management was identified as a high demand program in the region and state.
This year, their program enrollment was 30% higher than the 2019-2020 school year, after seeing a dip in enrollment last year (2020-2021).
Initially, a large majority of students were already employed in the field, but that’s changing.
“We’re seeing a shift in that demographics to people who are starting to see the value in moving into supply chain and are currently not working in the field but are looking to get into that role in the future,” said Swanson.
He said employers are looking for those who have an understanding of the big picture of a business, and how decisions in one area impact another.
For more information on the supply chain management program at NTC, click here.
