A silver bullet for supply chain jobability?

What changes a person from unemployable to jobable in the supply chain world?

This article suggests that the answer to this question might be unexpected.

In the supply chain world the marketable skills of today very quickly become constraints to progress, today’s standard operating procedures are tomorrow’s unsafe practices and the earth changing flash of inspiration becomes the norm in no time at all.

Businesses which succeed in this environment are imbued with a special magic which drives them to levels of success far beyond what is predictable from their balance sheets, their products or even the qualifications of their people; in other words the infrastructure, technology, people and processes of those businesses have been combined in a unique way to produce outstanding results.

What does it take to scale that magic to other organisations?

From the human point of view, that magic translates into super competency -- the ability of each team member to add very high levels of value whilst at the same time having the ability to effect change (or at least adapt to it) very quickly.

In these times of massive transition throughout the world, many of which are happening at an exponential rate, there are both tremendous opportunities and feelings of uncertainty. Each team member in the organisation must be able to make sense of all of this

What makes people who are successful in such a world? Certainly, some technical skills are the starting point but even this raises some interesting ideas. For example, we see civil engineers morphing into extremely successful end to end supply chain solutions developers and lawyers transforming into credible business development managers.

Both academic and occupational institutions seem unable to satisfy these demands – employers complain that academic graduates can’t apply theory to practical problems and that that those with occupational qualifications can’t think out of the box and come up with solutions when the rules change.

There is a newer approach in the occupational field which suggests that employer/ industry needs would be better served by structuring courses into theory, practice and workbased experience elements. This is unfortunately likely to produce more of the same (although possibly at a higher level) – people who can operate efficiently in today’s world but who don’t have what is necessary to adapt to radical and rapid change.

Whilst the necessity for technical specialists will always be there, what these examples show is the increasing need for more generalised skills: the ability to work in teams and build relationships, to solve problems, to think strategically, pro-actively and outside of  silos.

Are these skills which can be taught and, if so, how?

Radical change calls for radical adjustments and today’s Supply Chain industry needs a learning environment in which:

·       Learning is based on challenges which are structured to ensure that solutions are found through teamwork. Teams should comprise not only learner syndicates but mentors, subject matter experts and other real people.

·       Each challenge must require that a number of different solutions are presented with a fully motivated case for the adoption of one of them;

·       Recommended solutions presented must include the “what ifs” of contingency planning.

Since there are no correct answers to such challenges, they need to be assessed against:

·       Flexibility of approach

·       Extent of team involvement

·       Ability to transfer learning from one context to another

·       Workability of solutions

·       Adaptability of solution(s) to changing conditions

·       Application of new and relevant technology

Is this a system which could work in your environment?

If there are ideas here which have some appeal, how would you go about implementing them?

How could the current system be adapted to these ideas?

These answers will form the basis of subsequent discussions.

South Africa's Arab Spring - we hold the key

This message is addressed to colleagues involved in the international supply chain to motivate positive actions needed to take advantage of significant opportunities and to defuse the powder keg on which we are sitting.  

South Africa’s prescient and highly credible über strategist, Clem Sunter, has raised the following warning flags regarding the current instability of South Africa:

1. Abnormally high youth unemployment,
2. Same youth are adept and active communicators via social networks,
3. Increasing disaffection with, and disrespect for, authority.

Sunter brings to our attention the clear parallel between these and the exact same flags which were overlooked by authorities in the four Arab countries in which rulers lost power during the Arab Spring, the further two countries in the region in which civil war has erupted and the further six Middle Eastern countries which are currently subjected to unprecedented civil protests.

To believe that we are not headed for the same outcome is to stretch naivety to the point of irresponsibility: Marikana, the Western Cape labour unrest and service delivery protests too numerous to mention are clear straws in the wind.  The general disregard for the law in all of these and the belief that violence and intimidation are essential to the achievement of one’s socioeconomic goals show us that the rules of the game have shifted dramatically and irreversibly.

Believe it or not, these developments carry significant opportunity.

In a highly disruptive environment like this one, the business which wins is the one which can react most quickly to unplanned events.

South African businesses are participating in international markets at unprecedented levels; coupled to this is the necessity for all involved to integrate the functional areas of their businesses in an environment of maximum transparency – from procurement to warehouse to transportation – that will enable the best chance of responding swiftly to the unexpected.

These developments create a demand for heightened levels of competency, particularly in the area of functional integration (plan, source, make, deliver and return). The global nature of supply chain management requires that those involved be able to operate to international standards and in compliance with international statutory measures.

So, in order to take advantage of these opportunities, we need competent people. To have competent people we need to train.

Investment in training thus provides today’s supply chain manager with a vital competitive edge and there is a huge pool of young people out there who are hungry for development.

Training however represents significant investments and it is essential to optimise returns on such investments by:

•      accurately determining the competencies required for each function;
•      assessing individuals against the requirements of their current functions or the functions for which they are being considered and focusing their training on the areas in which there are skills gaps; 
•      selecting only those individuals for development who will in fact obtain benefit from that training;
•      ensuring that, once any training has been completed, the individuals concerned are able to  carry out the functions which the training was intended to teach them. 

This blog has been established to share ideas with those involved in international trade, supply chain management and logistics and to equip them with the tools they need to capitalise on the opportunities which are offered through developing their people.

Individuals who will obtain the most benefit are those who need practical tips on how to maximise returns on developing  their people without being bogged down in all the very confusing terminology and bureaucracy in which the field abounds.

More importantly, it will, I hope, encourage those with better suggestions to share them.