FASTNET FIRST-HAND: Digital Supply Chain- Recruitment Trends

Digital Supply Chain by Danielle Francois, Lead Talent Consultant- Supply Chain & Business Operations

In recent years Supply Chain has been going through a major digital transformation.

Advances in emerging technologies such IoT (Internet of Things) Automation and Data Analytics are mobilising Supply Chain professionals and thought leaders to imagine what the future of Supply Chain is going to look like. Nearly two-thirds of Supply Chain leaders know that their teams need to enhance Digital Supply Chain skill sets to ensure competitiveness in the market and with that, the war for experienced talent rages on.

Technology and Processes are developing rapidly and talent selection, talent management and learning and development will need to keep up to ensure all facets integrate seamlessly

With the future of Digitally enabled Supply Chains on the horizon, what are some of the recruitment trends emerging?

• In addition to skills needed to function in the more traditional areas of the Supply Chain such as Demand Planning, Logistics, Sales and Ops employees will now present a much stronger value proposition if they are integrating those skills with training and experience in the areas of Data Science and Data Analytics. Digital skills will help supply chain professionals break through silos that exist and create an integrated system that senses and manages change and allows an organisation to react quickly and efficiently when needed
• Hiring managers are beginning to look outside their own industries to find the skills and talent they need. Internally they will start recruiting inter-departmentally utilising digital skillsets already embedded into their organisation
• They are also looking intently at the interim and contract market to bridge gaps in support, strategy & leadership.
• While data will be the oil that keeps digital supply chains flowing smoothly the people who manage these supply chains will need talented individuals with broad skill sets including diverse soft skills. Skills in project management and strategic leadership coupled with deep domain knowledge in Supply Chain will be highly sought after
• Multinationals in Ireland will continue to partner with third level institutes to ensure that the requirement for top-level Supply Chain talent with Data Management skills are leaving third level education equipped to drive success in the Supply Chain 4.0 environment
• Digital Supply Chain professionals have a good sense of their value and will expect a lot from the organisation that hires them including a competitive rewards package, enhanced professional development and lots and lots of open road to experiment and innovate using new processes and technology

It's an exciting time in the Supply Chain function and those with an eye to the future who develop those Digital skills in alignment with this growth will be well-positioned to be the Supply Chain leaders of tomorrow.