Supply chain and logistics has gained strategic importance for businesses, especially in the last two years due to myriad unexpected events and disruptions. Individualized customer requirements, shorter delivery times, tougher competition, and the growing number of stakeholders within the supply chain adds additional complexity. To boost agility and flexibility, companies need much more than new technologies—they also need a team that is collaborative, diverse and able to make important decisions to improve operations.
And this is where new career opportunities are emerging, especially for women, in a field mostly dominated by men.
Profitability through collaboration
According to a recent study published by the Production and Operations Management Society (POMS), women can help to maximize mutual benefits because they are more likely to collaborate. The POMS study also says women in the supply chain are driven less by self-interest and opportunism and more by cooperation and coordination among their peers and the suppliers they work with.
The report concludes that because of these behaviors, women are better in seeing the big picture when it comes to maximizing the shared profits from buyer-supplier interactions. Women are more likely to ask about the impact of their work beyond the time and cost of transporting goods, and how their work relates to the overall supply chain.
The numerous supply chain delays and disruptions in recent years, such as container congestion and chip shortages, have shown that it is not possible to gain more transparency and efficiency in the supply chain without collaboration among all players and an adjusted (coordinated) system.
A lot of studies show that companies taking a collaborative approach with their suppliers are significantly more profitable because they can reap the benefits, such as faster access to freshly produced items or access to innovation that often only happens at the supplier level.
Even if companies have the latest technology, they cannot solve supply chain problems if they do not have a collaborative approach and process in place.
Profitability through diversity
The pandemic has shown that companies need to react quickly to changing conditions and new business requirements to survive. A diverse supply chain can help to become more risk resilient and sustainable to respond flexibly in stressful situations and not be interrupted by the smallest disruptions.
To provide this flexibility, companies need diverse teams. Teams that excel at diversity are proven to be smarter, more innovative, and more socially conscious. According to McKinsey & Company's "Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters" report, companies with gender diversity are more likely to show greater financial returns.
The different perspectives, especially those of women, can help challenge the status quo, introduce innovative automation technologies, and adapt more quickly to regulatory requirements as well as market trends.
Women are currently in a unique position to build the supply chain organizations of the future. Female supply chain leaders demonstrate that building a resilient and efficient supply chain is possible through empathy, cooperation, and collaboration.
Opportunities in Supply Chain
Supply chains are complex and dynamic ecosystems where collaborative thinking is critical. And female leaders in supply chain management have the challenge and the opportunity to establish an entrepreneurial culture where collaboration is central.
To learn more about what leadership looks like in the best and toughest times means, attend the “Empowering Women in Supply Chain Virtual Event” on December 1st, 2022 presented by SAP and Capgemini.
- SAP Managed Tags:
1 Comment
| User | Count |
|---|---|
| 9 | |
| 8 | |
| 5 | |
| 4 | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 3 |
