Supply Chain Talent – A Broken Link in the Supply Chain

Five Proven Strategies to Close the Gaps
Ask any supply chain leader, “Is the management of supply chain talent important?” and you will get an overwhelming “Yes!” as a response.

Yet, only 14% of companies rate themselves as doing better than their peer group when it comes to managing supply chain talent.

Surprisingly, 43% of the survey respondents believe that they perform worse on the management of supply chain talent than their peers. The ratio is 3:1. Why the gap?

There are many drivers, but the primary reasons are three: management support, recruitment, and staff development.

The largest gap is in the area of middle-management talent. Most companies have active programs for entry level employees, or “high-potential” employees being fast-tracked to senior leadership positions; however, the largest issues are in the area of middle-management talent.

The average company has 15% turnover with 13% of positions open. The average time to fill a job is between four and five months. In the critical areas of demand planning, supply planning, and Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) leadership, the time can be much longer. Currently, there is more demand than supply.

Companies are competing for supply chain talent. Those that have well-defined supply chain talent strategies and aligned/supportive management have the best shot at getting the best talent.