Supply Chain Operations Managers

Key Responsibilities

• Diagram supply chain models to help facilitate discussions with customers.
• Determine appropriate equipment and staffing levels to load, unload, move, or store materials.
• Appraise vendor manufacturing capabilities through on-site observations or other measurements.
• Review or update supply chain practices in accordance with new or changing environmental policies, standards, regulations, or laws.
• Negotiate prices and terms with suppliers, vendors, or freight forwarders.
• Design or implement plant warehousing strategies for production materials or finished products.
• Confer with supply chain planners to forecast demand or create supply plans that ensure availability of materials or products.
• Select transportation routes to maximize economy by combining shipments or consolidating warehousing and distribution.
• Monitor suppliers' activities to assess performance in meeting quality or delivery requirements.
• Evaluate and select information or other technology solutions to improve tracking and reporting of materials or products distribution, storage, or inventory.
• Design, implement, or oversee product take back or reverse logistics programs to ensure products are recycled, reused, or responsibly disposed.
• Identify opportunities to reuse or recycle materials to minimize consumption of new materials, minimize waste, or to convert wastes to by-products.
• Design or implement supply chains that support environmental policies.
• Develop procedures for coordination of supply chain management with other functional areas, such as sales, marketing, finance, production, or quality assurance.
• Implement new or improved supply chain processes to improve efficiency or performance.
• Investigate or review the carbon footprints and environmental performance records of current or potential storage and distribution service providers.
• Locate or select biodegradable, non-toxic, or other environmentally friendly raw materials for manufacturing processes.
• Document physical supply chain processes, such as workflows, cycle times, position responsibilities, or system flows.
• Monitor forecasts and quotas to identify changes and predict effects on supply chain activities.
• Analyze information about supplier performance or procurement program success.
• Participate in the coordination of engineering changes, product line extensions, or new product launches to ensure orderly and timely transitions in material or production flow.
• Forecast material costs or develop standard cost lists.
• Meet with suppliers to discuss performance metrics, to provide performance feedback, or to discuss production forecasts or changes.
• Develop or implement procedures or systems to evaluate or select suppliers.
• Analyze inventories to determine how to increase inventory turns, reduce waste, or optimize customer service.
• Manage activities related to strategic or tactical purchasing, material requirements planning, controlling inventory, warehousing, or receiving.
• Identify or qualify new suppliers in collaboration with other departments, such as procurement, engineering, or quality assurance.
• Design or implement supply chains that support business strategies adapted to changing market conditions, new business opportunities, or cost reduction strategies.
• Define performance metrics for measurement, comparison, or evaluation of supply chain factors, such as product cost or quality.
• Conduct or oversee the conduct of life cycle analyses to determine the environmental impacts of products, processes, or systems.