5 Reasons Why Parents Are Perfect for 

Supply Chain Management Jobs

Parents make perfect supply chain management professionals because

1. They are great collaborators

To be successful in a supply chain management job, it’s crucial to communicate and collaborate well from a product’s planning stages to final distribution. To ensure a successful product, supply chain management professionals work with many other departments, including manufacturing operations, procurement, customer service, marketing and sales, quality assurance and finance.

In other words, it takes a village, just like parenting. You frequently partner with teachers, coaches, health professionals, friends and family members to give the best to your child. Even though you may have what it takes to do the job well on your own, having a few extra hands around to help surely allays some of your stress as a parent.

2. They know how to handle multiple moving parts

“I liken a supply chain management job to the hub of a wheel that deals with all of the spokes on a daily basis,” Bouvat says. “Many departments rely on the supply chain organization for guidance and input into their processes to achieve effective overall business results.”

Because supply chain management jobs oversee the entire life cycle of multiple products at one time, there is a naturally a lot happening at once--think ever-changing, real-time demands. If you are a parent to multiple children, you know the feeling all too well. Each child has a different role in the family, a different personality and different needs, and you are the one they look to for guidance and support.

3. They’re always proactive

Have you ever seen that look in a toddler’s eye? The mischievous one that indicates they are probably up to no good and potentially about to do something dangerous? Parents are programmed with a built-in intuition that allows them to notice needs before they exist and prevent hazardous happenings.

Though it might involve product development and not a sneaky toddler, a supply chain management professional has a similar role. Since the position encompasses several simultaneously moving pieces, perceiving needs leads to saving time and money by preventing problems before they happen.

4. They are extra efficient

Supply chain management professionals are also responsible for creating strategies to minimize the cost or time required to transport goods. This helps ensure the customers are getting what they need, when they need it. To do this well takes a great amount of efficiency as well as time and resource management.

You know what it’s like to juggle multiple responsibilities and needs. If one thing gets off track, the entire day can go awry. Keeping things moving on schedule (and on budget) is key for supply chain managers and parents alike.

5. They thrive in fast-paced environments

The kids are in bed, the house is clean and everything is set for the next day. You know that feeling at the end of the day where you can finally take a deep breath? That’s because there’s probably no job more fast-paced than parenting. From packing lunches at the last minute to driving kids across town during rush hour for soccer practice, no one knows how to manage a fast-paced lifestyle better than you.

Whether your kids are toddlers are teenagers, you know exactly what it takes to get things done and get them done efficiently. The same is true of a good supply chain management professional. To oversee the production goods from raw material to consumer with excellence takes great attention to detail and accuracy, but also speed-just like parenting.