Six ways to address the supply chain skills gap

Recently I met a bunch of undergraduate students who were studying supply chain management and had the chance to ask this question: Do any of you know what a TEU is?

Much to my surprise, none of them did. What this shows is not a deficiency in these students’ knowledge but the complexity of the supply chain. The field of supply chain management is so broad and within it we have such specialized terminology and acronyms that it’s like we have our own language. That’s why someone could graduate from a supply chain program at a major university and not know some basic information—such as what TEU stands for. (For those who don’t know, it stands for “twenty-foot equivalent unit,” and it’s a unit of measurement representing the volume of a twenty-foot-long ocean cargo container.)

Preparing folks for the opportunities available in the supply chain is not easy. The theoretical information a student learns in a classroom might not match the practical knowledge they need to perform a job. Similarly, just because someone has worked in air freight does not mean they know the right terminology to work in ocean shipping. Addressing these gaps can broaden a learners knowledge base, support a more holistic view, and add value to the organization.  

But there’s no “one-size-fits-all” approach to training someone to be a supply chain manager. How do you craft a program that’s targeted to your company’s specific needs?

Here are some best practices:

1. Conduct a skills assessment: The first step is to take a step back and understand what level your teams are at today. Are they missing some key knowledge and skills? Once you figure out what those gaps are, you can really target your training.

2. Offer training in short chunks: Some people call this approach “microlearning.” By providing training in small segments, it’s easier to keep employees engaged and help them fit learning into their busy work lives.

3. Provide blended learning opportunities: A good approach to training is to pair hands-on learning that occurs on the job with a more traditional class or course, such as an e-learning module. Such courses are good way to address terms, acronyms, or concepts that employees may be unfamiliar with but may be reluctant to ask co-workers or managers to explain.

4. Integrate technology to make learning more engaging: Companies need to adapt their training programs to how their employees prefer to consume and process information. Some innovative uses of technology may be gamifying the learning process or using artificial intelligence to create videos or other new ways to present content. 

5. Don’t forget the soft skills: Employees don’t just need training on the technical side of their job. They also need help developing soft skills, such as communications and leadership skills. 

6. Measure your progress: No one likes tests but having some sort of measurement system is essential for knowing whether your training program is effective.

It’s also important to remember that you don’t have to start from scratch. There are many excellent training and educational programs that you can work with.  For example, CSCMP and my company FreightPath have recently announced an initiative to collaborate on a supply chain e-learning curriculum. 

It’s essential that companies today meet the challenges of the supply chain skill gap. But you don’t have to go it alone. We must work together as an industry to increase supply chain knowledge and skills development across the board.