We need more supply chain experts on executive boards

Tim Cook, Apple’s new CEO, was originally hired by Steve Jobs back in in 1998 as the Senior Vice President for Worldwide Operations before he was promoted to COO in 2007. His experience in manufacturing, logistics and the supply chain prior and during his tenure at Apple has helped make Apple’s supply chain one of the industry’s best and a large part in the technology company’s meteoric rise.

Should more technology companies follow suit and place supply chain expertise on the executive board? Michael Koploy, ERP Analyst at SCM Software Advice argues that the current state of the global economy and the importance of supply chains to successful tech companies means more executive positions should be filled with supply chain graduates.

Unfortunately, a supply chain talent crisis is holding back the industry from being able to place more graduates on the executive board. Ken Cottrill discusses the lack of high-level supply chain talent in his whitepaper Are You Prepared for the Supply Chain Talent Crisis? If and when talent catches up, Koploy believes that individuals with the following characteristics will be the most capable of C-level ascension:

• Global supply chain management experience
  
• Experience managing a team that adheres to just-in-time, lean and Kanban fundamentals
  
• Supply chain management (SCM) software experience using solutions equipped with business intelligence (BI) and forecasting/planning functionality
  
• Ability to organize and execute both operational and strategic supply chain initiatives and improvements.
  

More more on the topic, check out Koploy’s blog post on the topic at: Consumer-Driven Technology Creates the Need for a C-Level Supply Chain Focus.