Shop Talk
Survival Tips for Supply Chain Professionals
As U.S. manufacturers face ever-increasing competition from the global market and an unstable economy, workers need to ensure that they are secure in their jobs – and that their companies are successful.
Recently, APICS The Association for Operations Management released a report outlining the top five ways manufacturing and supply chain professionals can succeed at their jobs and gain job security:
1. KEEP YOUR TRAINING UP-TO-DATE
Today, businesses must have employees who are continually enhancing their knowledge and discovering new ways to execute their jobs with greater productivity and flexibility. To stay ahead of the curve on innovation, technology and best practices, make sure you are up to date on all of the training and latest certifications that are available to you. Many times, your organization will even pay for you to receive the training or latest certification you need to ensure their business stays at the forefront of technology and best practices.
2. NETWORK
Reach out to other professionals in your field to find out what they are doing to keep ahead and succeed. Through venues like conferences, local chapters and forums like LinkedIn, organizations like APICS provide many opportunities for professionals to network with their peers. Networking will help you keep up to date with the latest trends in your field and your expanded network of relationships will both help you succeed at work and advance your career.
3. COMMUNICATION YOUR IDEAS
If you think you have a good idea to improve efficiency or productivity, the most important thing you can do is share it. Successful managers are always looking to improve efficiency and improve the bottom line and most are happy to give credit where it is due. Sharing your ideas not only lets management know you care about your job, it tells them that you are engaged and a valuable member of the team that works towards bettering the work environment and the company’s bottom line.
4. BECOME AN EXPERT
Today, companies are looking for motivated individuals who contribute on multiple levels. Familiarize yourself not only with what your company does, but also deepen your knowledge of the whole industry. By becoming an expert in your office on the latest trends, your competition, and the sector as a whole, you will be relied upon by your peers and management to provide valuable insight and will be on your way to becoming an indispensable part of your workplace and your organization.
5. TAKE PRIDE IN WHAT YOU DO
Now that you have invested the time to get the latest training and education, show your organization that you are proud of your accomplishments. Share your expertise with co-workers and management and accomplish your tasks knowing that everything you do reflects on you. Whether you are sharing ideas, being a mentor at work or showing others how to get the latest training and information, when you take pride in what you do, you will become a leader in the workplace and a valued member of the organization.
(Source: multichannelmerchant.com)
Warehousing and Logistics Make the List of Growing Businesses for 2012
With shifts and changes in the job market, many unemployed workers are turning to entrepreneurism– specifically owning a franchise or starting a business as a way to become self-sufficient. In a recent article by The Street, they mention FIVE industries that show promise to be in high demand in the the coming year. The industries mentioned are good news for a business like Adeptiv Solutions, which has many facets of expertise and continues to grow.
Here are the five industries with significant growth potential in 2012:
1. Elder care – The need for senior care services and products will become even more pressing in years to come. Not only are baby boomers’ parents living longer; as they age into their own sunset years, they too will need these services. And this group has money to spend.
2. Health and wellness – The trend toward a healthy lifestyle is producing ample opportunity for businesses from frozen yogurt franchises to create-your-own-salad eateries to fitness centers to benefits consultants.
3. Warehousing – Companies are looking to save money wherever possible, and cutting the costs of owning or leasing space to hold merchandise and products can add significantly to a company’s bottom line.
Providing warehousing services and space, particularly for small businesses, shows plenty of opportunity for industry expansion.
Balsam Hill, for instance, might ship thousands of artificial trees, the bulk of its business, during the peak season — and one a day in the offseason. The company contracts with a third party for its warehousing so “I’m not paying overhead to have warehouse space that I don’t need in February,” founder and CEO Thomas Harman says.
4. Shipping/logistics – Logistics is the management of moving packages or shipments. It includes all aspects, including insurance claims, packaging, the best way to ship and pricing. Unishippers franchisees specifically target small to midsize businesses that do not have the resources to hire a logistics professional.
The industry is growing as consumers continue to move to e-commerce for their shopping needs. Shipping companies will also benefit from planned cuts to the U.S. Postal Service that will leave a lot of smaller merchants looking for economical ways to send their products to customers.
5. Outsourcing/staffing
Businesses learned during the recession — some quicker than others — how to cut without hurting business output by “recognizing the true value of technology in their day-to-day [operations],” Generation Equity’s Mackin says. “They don’t need the bookkeeper anymore, there’s QuickBooks to do the inventory. Not only do they get leaner and meaner, but they don’t have to rehire.”
Source: The Street/Laurie Kulikowski