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Connecting e-Commerce and Supply Chain Management in a Digital World

Posted by [email protected] on Apr. 16, 2021  /  Subscribe 0

If ever two terms worked together in perfect harmony, they would be e-commerce and supply chain management. In 2021, you cannot have one without the other, and recent studies show 98% of all manufacturers utilize digital supply chain tools, as well as e-commerce marketing and sales protocols, to enhance sales revenues and reduce costs. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved! 

In our increasingly digital and interconnected world, manufacturers are becoming much more comfortable with the two disciplines’ interconnectivity, creating tremendous opportunities for supply chain professionals interested in the bridge between e-commerce and supply chain management.

What is e-Commerce Supply Chain Management?

Once upon a time, purchasing agents had desks with great, big Rolodexes, telephones, and stacks of purchase orders ready to be filled out by hand. Finding, buying, and receiving merchandise was just as challenging as inventorying, manufacturing, and delivering the merchandise. The transition to buying and selling on the internet has made finding, acquiring, and shipping any product you could imagine easier, faster, and more convenient. 

For industrial consumers, such as manufacturers and producers, this digital switch saved time, aggregating once-diverse big data files into manageable resources. It also created a cadre of executives, managers, and other team members who are comfortable using digital assets and resources to their fullest potential. As the digital marketplace combined with supply chain operations and activities, sourcing materials, negotiating terms, shipping, and maintaining inventory levels took a tremendous and fortuitous leap forward with the evolution of e-commerce.

What Are the Objectives and Role of Supply Chain in e-Commerce?

If there are interruptions in material acquisition, the supply chain is failing. If the supply chain fails, the digital marketplace it supports is in jeopardy. The two work in tandem like a hand in a glove—without one, the need for the other disappears. The difference between success and failure can frequently depend upon the supply chain management teams working seamlessly with the e-commerce team and vice-versa. 

Delivery of finished products to consumers via online e-commerce marketing and sales has created increased profit margins, improved vendor and customer relations, and brought about previously unheard-of efficiencies in product and material flow. All of these factors contribute to a company's bottom-line success, with supply chain management playing a more prominent role every day.

What Kind of Jobs Are in Supply Chain Management?

Look inside a supply chain operation, and you'll find a wide variety of disciplines. Executives, high- and mid-level management, trainers, computer programmers, and the list goes on and on. Regardless of your background or interest, there's likely a position in supply chain management and operations that will not only interest you but give you a career path with growth opportunities like no other. Let's look at the broad view:

Acquisition

Finding and acquiring materials is a discipline that requires creativity, math skills, and a committed desire to find the best. Purchasing agents, logistics coordinators, and transportation specialists are only a few of the careers available.

Inventory Management

Every puzzle-solver’s dream job, having what is needed on-hand and ready to be sent to the production floor or a consumer takes focus, control, and, above all else, patience. Inventory management is a demanding position that is well-paid and not for the faint of heart. 

Think of inventory management like being the conductor of an orchestra, bringing the best instruments and musicians together to create beautiful music. When it comes together just how you anticipated, it’s magic.

Transportation & Delivery

Getting what you need from a vendor to the factory floor or from the factory floor to the consumer is no easy task, and sometimes the order fulfillment process feels like it requires a fortune teller to make it all happen easily. Materials and finished goods move in two directions: Good stuff comes in and goes out; bad stuff comes back and goes back. 

Using technology, the internet, and fast-thinking applications makes the entire process much more manageable and user-friendly, no matter which end of the stick you find yourself holding.

Operations

The people who use digital assets to coordinate the tasks above are like diamonds to their employers. These are the folks who make everything talk, work, and play together nicely. Writing new applications, adapting old ones, or simply getting one application to talk to another application is a long-term career path for those seeking a future in supply chain management. 

Commerce logistics, order and supply chain management, and raw material acquisition all fall under the operations sector.

Management

Keeping an eye on what is happening, along with anticipating what might happen, is management's job. Guaranteeing success in the future by solving today's problems is what keeps managers, supervisors, and everyone else involved in managed supply chain logistics busy every day. 

Unlike situations of the past, today's supply chain managers can expect better income than many accountants and lawyers earn, with additional career-enhancing opportunities arriving all the time.

TBD 

It's a common term used for the phrase To Be Determined. Here it means there are so many employment opportunities it's impossible to list them all. The good news is, no matter what your background or education level may be, there's an industry with opportunities galore waiting. 

There's a good reason why 85-100% of graduates from e-commerce and supply chain management training schools get offers immediately. It's because these industry professionals are so important and valuable in today's burgeoning digital world.

How Has e-Commerce Changed Supply Chain Management?

The recent pandemic-related events affecting every vendor, manufacturer, and seller have made one thing clear: the future of all commerce depends largely on e-commerce. Supply chain management is one channel that benefits from the digital universe, and applying artificial intelligence to risk management spreadsheets has brought next-level evolution to maintaining and controlling supply chains. 

The industry continues to evolve as more data and analytics become available to further define and refine processes. Customer expectations have also set new standards for delivering goods and services, prompting dynamic changes on every e-commerce website and within every e-commerce business—requiring more committed individuals to meet the demands of customers. 

Secure Your Future with a Career in Supply Chain Management

It's no secret that education creates opportunity, and the information we learn about e-commerce is no different. There are many resources available to learn more about the importance of making the connections between e-commerce and supply chain management more efficient. There are also online schools and training courses that help take your career to the next level. 

There’s no limit on opportunities, locations, or income. Each day, new and exciting innovations are occurring at all levels and within all disciplines relating to e-commerce and supply chain management. Learn more about these industries and join a group of supply chain professionals committed to forging a path towards a better, more connected world with APICS.

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