As a supply chain manager, your day starts early. Once in the office, the calls, e-mails, and meetings come fast and furious. By the time the day is over, it is late and you may be tired. But good work was accomplished. Progress was made. Tomorrow, you will do it again, and do it just as well, if not better.
This is all great; we are paid to deliver results. But this kind of focus on the day-to-day can turn into something less desirable: keeping our heads down and not looking at the bigger picture. In other words, doing a good job of managing day-to-day operations should not be your sole focus. You also need to manage your career with an eye toward your future.
The decision to move
Here is one of the most important career management questions we all must ask ourselves at some point: When should I move on to a new position? There is no simple answer that applies to everyone, but the following are some considerations and recommendations that can help you decide whether and when to make a move. (For purposes of this discussion, we are talking about changing companies, not about changing jobs within the same company.)
Go if it will help you grow. Are you still growing professionally? Are you still learning? Are you still challenged? Are you still broadening your span of control? If not, then you should seriously consider changing companies. As the saying goes, if you are not growing, you are shrinking. In other words, if you are not challenging yourself and developing new skills, then your skills are going to atrophy.
Fill your gaps. Every career move should be made with your ultimate career goal in mind. If you want to start your own firm someday, then you would move your career in one direction. If you want to be a chief supply chain officer, then you would move your career in a different direction. An important question, then, is whether the new job you are considering will move you closer to your goal. Now think about what job skills and knowledge you are missing but will need in order to reach your ultimate goal. Does the job you are considering fill a knowledge or experience gap, and therefore will help you achieve your goal? If the answer to these two questions is yes, then you are right to be looking at a new position.
Protect your legacy. You do not want to leave a job in the middle of a big transition. Neither do you want to leave a mess for someone else to clean up. If the project you were hired to carry out has been stabilized, and you have groomed someone to be your replacement, then the time may be right for you to explore other opportunities, without damage to your reputation.
Know what jobs are in the pipeline. Know what positions are available in the marketplace even when you are not looking to make your next move. This knowledge will help you stay current in regard to your value (what other firms are paying for your skills, education, and experience), who is hiring, and which market segments are growing.
How do you find out what jobs are out there? Get involved with industry organizations and professional societies, like the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). CSCMP and similar organizations have job boards. Check them frequently. If you find a position that is interesting but is not a good fit for you, pass it along to someone in your network who would be a strong candidate. You should also belong to LinkedIn, Plaxo, and other networking sites. They have interest-based groups (including some for supply chain management) that are designed to keep you informed in a wide range of areas. Join them and participate in their online forums. You can also use these and other social media resources to follow companies you are targeting as possible future employers.
Another way to stay current is to create relationships with a couple of good executive recruiters. When they call, listen. Recruiters are looking for two types of people: candidates and sources. Candidates are people who fit the position and are interested in pursuing it. Sources are people who know potential candidates. When you are not a candidate, be a source. If you are a reliable source, then recruiters will keep sharing information with you. It also lets your network (potential candidates) know that you are thinking of them and admire their skills enough to recommend them to recruiters.
Be open to change. Staying with one firm throughout your entire career is not inherently bad. I have clients who are 20-year veterans at a single company. Their careers, however, involved different positions within the company, including jobs overseas and in manufacturing, sales, and supply chain. Their employers provided them with broad—and marketable—experience.
If, however, you stay in the same company even when your career is stagnant, you may be slowly killing your career. That's because it suggests to others that you are someone who is complacent or is afraid of change.
While maintaining loyalty to a company is admirable, staying with the same employer for many years does limit your options if your career there does not work out as you expected. If you apply for positions at another company late in your career, then you will have to be able to answer questions like: Why did you stay? Can you work in a different corporate culture? Is your longevity with one company a sign that you are not motivated?
Don't be a "job hopper." When you rapidly move through a series of jobs, each of them with a different firm, you can be viewed as a "job hopper." A job hopper is someone whose résumé typically includes three or more jobs of three years or less, each with different companies. They are not perceived as team players, and they seem to be motivated only by short-term self interest. Most hiring firms, in fact, do not consider this type of candidate because they see someone who will leave just when the company finally starts to get a return on the time and effort it invested in training him or her.
Ideally, you should stay at a company for a minimum of three to five years. Within the same company, however, you can move more frequently without being negatively perceived.
Avoiding being a job hopper goes hand-in-hand with the earlier comment about your legacy. Stay until the situation is stabilized. You always want to leave a position on good terms, and with the project in good hands.
Don't be mercenary. If your only benefit from taking a new position would be a better title or more money, be wary. Title and money can be fine reasons for taking a new job, but not if doing so moves you farther away from your ultimate goal. For instance, if you want to be the senior supply chain officer of a Fortune 500 firm, taking a high-level position in a small company will not advance you toward your goal. It could even prevent you from reaching it altogether. Always keep the end game in sight.
The right way to leave
When you accept a new position at another company, there is a particular etiquette you should follow as you prepare to leave your current position. Here are some widely accepted practices that will serve you well:
Be sure to give adequate notice in a formal resignation letter. Present the resignation letter in person. Depending on the sensitivity of your position, you may be asked to leave immediately. If so, respect the policy and do not take it personally. Regardless, you should offer to help with the transition.
Offer suggestions about who your successor should be. You may be in a better position than your boss to know who would be a good fit.
Voice your appreciation for the opportunities and experiences you have had.
Leave on a positive note. Give only constructive feedback in any exit interview. Keep your comments professional.
Provide your new contact information and make yourself available to answer any unforeseen questions that may come up after you leave.
Stay in touch. Your former co-workers are part of your network. Do not neglect those relationships.
Remember, taking charge of your career is not something to think about once in awhile or leave to chance. Always keep your ultimate goal in mind, and work toward achieving it on a regular basis.
Business software vendor Cleo has acquired DataTrans Solutions, a cloud-based procurement automation and EDI solutions provider, saying the move enhances Cleo’s supply chain orchestration with new procurement automation capabilities.
According to Chicago-based Cleo, the acquisition comes as companies increasingly look to digitalize their procurement processes, instead of relying on inefficient and expensive manual approaches.
By buying Texas-based DataTrans, Cleo said it will gain an expanded ability to help businesses streamline procurement, optimize working capital, and strengthen supplier relationships. Specifically, by integrating DTS’s procurement automation capabilities, Cleo will be able to provide businesses with solutions including: a supplier EDI & testing portal; web EDI & PDF digitization; and supplier scorecarding & performance tracking.
“Cleo’s vision is to deliver true supply chain orchestration by bridging the gap between planning and execution,” Cleo President and CEO Mahesh Rajasekharan said in a release. “With DTS’s technology embedded into CIC, we’re empowering procurement teams to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and minimize supply chain risks—all through automation.”
And many of them will have a budget to do it, since 51% of supply chain professionals with existing innovation budgets saw an increase earmarked for 2025, suggesting an even greater emphasis on investing in new technologies to meet rising demand, Kenco said in its “2025 Supply Chain Innovation” survey.
One of the biggest targets for innovation spending will artificial intelligence, as supply chain leaders look to use AI to automate time-consuming tasks. The survey showed that 41% are making AI a key part of their innovation strategy, with a third already leveraging it for data visibility, 29% for quality control, and 26% for labor optimization.
Still, lingering concerns around how to effectively and securely implement AI are leading some companies to sidestep the technology altogether. More than a third – 35% – said they’re largely prevented from using AI because of company policy, leaving an opportunity to streamline operations on the table.
“Avoiding AI entirely is no longer an option. Implementing it strategically can give supply chain-focused companies a serious competitive advantage,” Kristi Montgomery, Vice President, Innovation, Research & Development at Kenco, said in a release. “Now’s the time for organizations to explore and experiment with the tech, especially for automating data-heavy operations such as demand planning, shipping, and receiving to optimize your operations and unlock true efficiency.”
Among the survey’s other top findings:
there was essentially three-way tie for which physical automation tools professionals are looking to adopt in the coming year: robotics (43%), sensors and automatic identification (40%), and 3D printing (40%).
professionals tend to select a proven developer for providing supply chain innovation, but many also pick start-ups. Forty-five percent said they work with a mix of new and established developers, compared to 39% who work with established technologies only.
there’s room to grow in partnering with 3PLs for innovation: only 13% said their 3PL identified a need for innovation, and just 8% partnered with a 3PL to bring a technology to life.
Even as a last-minute deal today appeared to delay the tariff on Mexico, that deal is set to last only one month, and tariffs on the other two countries are still set to go into effect at midnight tonight.
Once new U.S. tariffs go into effect, those other countries are widely expected to respond with retaliatory tariffs of their own on U.S. exports, that would reduce demand for U.S. and manufacturing goods. In the context of that unpredictable business landscape, many U.S. business groups have been pressuring the White House to pull back from the new policy.
Here is a sampling of the reaction to the tariff plan by the U.S. business community:
American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA)
“Tariffs are taxes,” AAPA President and CEO Cary Davis said in a release. “Though the port industry supports President Trump’s efforts to combat the flow of illicit drugs, tariffs will slow down our supply chains, tax American businesses, and increase costs for hard-working citizens. Instead, we call on the Administration and Congress to thoughtfully pursue alternatives to achieving these policy goals and exempt items critical to national security from tariffs, including port equipment.”
Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA)
“We understand the president is working toward an agreement. The leaders of all four nations should come together and work to reach a deal before Feb. 4 because enacting broad-based tariffs will be disruptive to the U.S. economy,” Michael Hanson, RILA’s Senior Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, said in a release. “The American people are counting on President Trump to grow the U.S. economy and lower inflation, and broad-based tariffs will put that at risk.”
National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)
“Manufacturers understand the need to deal with any sort of crisis that involves illicit drugs crossing our border, and we hope the three countries can come together quickly to confront this challenge,” NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons said in a release. “However, with essential tax reforms left on the cutting room floor by the last Congress and the Biden administration, manufacturers are already facing mounting cost pressures. A 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico threatens to upend the very supply chains that have made U.S. manufacturing more competitive globally. The ripple effects will be severe, particularly for small and medium-sized manufacturers that lack the flexibility and capital to rapidly find alternative suppliers or absorb skyrocketing energy costs. These businesses—employing millions of American workers—will face significant disruptions. Ultimately, manufacturers will bear the brunt of these tariffs, undermining our ability to sell our products at a competitive price and putting American jobs at risk.”
American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA)
“Widespread tariff actions on Mexico, Canada, and China announced this evening will inject massive costs into our inflation-weary economy while exposing us to a damaging tit-for-tat tariff war that will harm key export markets that U.S. farmers and manufacturers need,” Steve Lamar, AAFA’s president and CEO, said in a release. “We should be forging deeper collaboration with our free trade agreement partners, not taking actions that call into question the very foundation of that partnership."
Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA)
“We are concerned that placing tariffs on generic drug products produced outside the U.S. will put additional pressure on an industry that is already experiencing financial distress. Distributors and generic manufacturers and cannot absorb the rising costs of broad tariffs. It is worth noting that distributors operate on low profit margins — 0.3 percent. As a result, the U.S. will likely see new and worsened shortages of important medications and the costs will be passed down to payers and patients, including those in the Medicare and Medicaid programs,” the group said in a statement.
National Retail Federation (NRF)
“We support the Trump administration’s goal of strengthening trade relationships and creating fair and favorable terms for America,” NRF Executive Vice President of Government Relations David French said in a release. “But imposing steep tariffs on three of our closest trading partners is a serious step. We strongly encourage all parties to continue negotiating to find solutions that will strengthen trade relationships and avoid shifting the costs of shared policy failures onto the backs of American families, workers and small businesses.”
In a statement, DCA airport officials said they would open the facility again today for flights after planes were grounded for more than 12 hours. “Reagan National airport will resume flight operations at 11:00am. All airport roads and terminals are open. Some flights have been delayed or cancelled, so passengers are encouraged to check with their airline for specific flight information,” the facility said in a social media post.
An investigation into the cause of the crash is now underway, being led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and assisted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Neither agency had released additional information yet today.
First responders say nearly 70 people may have died in the crash, including all 60 passengers and four crew on the American Airlines flight and three soldiers in the military helicopter after both aircraft appeared to explode upon impact and fall into the Potomac River.
Editor's note:This article was revised on February 3.
GE Vernova today said it plans to invest nearly $600 million in its U.S. factories and facilities over the next two years to support its energy businesses, which make equipment for generating electricity through gas power, grid, nuclear, and onshore wind.
The company was created just nine months ago as a spin-off from its parent corporation, General Electric, with a mission to meet surging global electricity demands. That move created a company with some 18,000 workers across 50 states in the U.S., with 18 U.S. manufacturing facilities and its global headquarters located in Massachusetts. GE Vernova’s technology helps produce approximately 25% of the world’s energy and is currently deployed in more than 140 countries.
The new investments – expected to create approximately 1,500 new U.S. jobs – will help drive U.S. energy affordability, national security, and competitiveness, and enable the American manufacturing footprint needed to support expanding global exports, the company said. They follow more than $167 million in funding in 2024 across a range of GE Vernova sites, helping create more than 1,120 jobs. And following a forecast that worldwide energy needs are on pace to double, GE Vernova is also planning a $9 billion cumulative global capex and R&D investment plan through 2028.
The new investments include:
almost $300 million in support of its Gas Power business and build-out of capacity to make heavy duty gas turbines, for facilities in Greenville, SC, Schenectady, NY, Parsippany, NJ, and Bangor, ME.
nearly $20 million to expand capacity at its Grid Solutions facilities in Charleroi, PA, which manufactures switchgear, and Clearwater, FL, which produces capacitors and instrument transformers.
more than $50 million to enhance safety, quality and productivity at its Wilmington, NC-based GE Hitachi nuclear business and to launch its next generation nuclear fuel design.
nearly $100 million in its manufacturing facilities at U.S. onshore wind factories in Pensacola, FL, Schenectady, NY and Grand Forks, ND, and its remanufacturing facilities in Amarillo, TX.
more than $10 million in its Pittsburgh, PA facility to expand capabilities across its Electrification segment, adding U.S. manufacturing capacity to support the U.S. grid, and demand for solar and energy storage
almost $100 million for its energy innovation research hub, the Advanced Research Center in Niskayuna, NY, to strengthen the center’s electrification and carbon efforts, enable continued recruitment of top-tier talent, and push forward innovative technologies, including $15 million for Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) work.
“These investments represent our serious commitment and responsibility as the leading energy manufacturer in the United States to help meet America’s and the world’s accelerating energy demand,” Scott Strazik, CEO of GE Vernova, said in a release. “These strategic investments and the jobs they create aim to both help our customers meet the doubling of demand and accelerate American innovation and technology development to boost the country’s energy security and global competitiveness.”