Will technology replace supply chain jobs?
https://lnkd.in/eu7ANq6
No, not if you develop your soft skills & learn how to use the technology to do your job better, faster, & cheaper (with a focus on strategic issues). My first SCM job was very tactical & has been replaced by technology & automation. Over half of our SCM students also minor in Business Analytics (e.g., big data/analytics, database management, data mining, project management, SQL, Python, PMO, Tableau, Power BI). We try to not only teach them how to use the technology, but also create the technology. Also, we gradually shifted our curriculum towards developing strategic skill sets (rather than tactical) combined with soft skills (i.e., problem solving, leadership, negotiation, project management, etc.).
Other skills include: 1) Gather and organize information about the problem to be solved or the procedure to be improved. 2) Interview personnel and conduct onsite observations to determine the methods, equipment, and personnel that will be needed. 3) Analyze financial and other data, including revenue, expenditure, and employment reports. 4) Develop solutions or alternative practices. 5) Recommend new systems, procedures, or organizational changes 6) Make recommendations to management through presentations or written reports. 7) Confer with managers to ensure changes are working.
So, future SCM managers will need to become consultants to their own organization. They in essence will evolve into management analysts in a niche area (SCM), but they will also need a strong general business acumen. Note, employment of management analysts is projected to grow 14 percent from 2020 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. The average growth rate for all occupations is 5 percent. Demand for the services of these workers should grow as organizations continue to seek ways to improve efficiency & control costs. The median annual wage for these types of skill sets was $83,610 in 2018. The median annual wage for all workers was $38,640. Use/create the technology to do your job better or the technology will take your job.
How much Python do I need to know in order to excel in supply chain data analytics?
https://lnkd.in/e6Rmzpw
I have had several people ask me about “Industry 4.0” or “Supply Chain 4.0” or “Digitization” of the Supply Chain.
https://lnkd.in/eK7yQiRD
Do you know how to use Power BI or Tableau? Do not be a victim of technology.
https://lnkd.in/epHAQNDF
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) replaced my first SCM job.
https://lnkd.in/eQYrHUM
_____
Also, other skill sets required of supply chain professionals:
Project management, Technical understanding, Cost accounting skills, Ability to understand financial statements, Understanding of e-business / e-procurement systems, Troubleshooting, problem solving, Understanding of cross-cultural / global issues, Business ethics, Understanding of the legal issues involved in managing contracts, etc.
Another thought…Sell your soft skills. Note skill sets required of supply chain professionals: Solid skills required in future supply chain managers include:
Project management, Technical understanding, Cost accounting skills, Ability to understand financial statements, Understanding of e-business / e-procurement systems, Troubleshooting, problem solving, Understanding of cross-cultural / global issues, Business ethics, Understanding of the legal issues involved in managing contracts
Soft skills and personality attributes required in future supply managers include:
Ability to communicate effectively through presentations, email, one-on-one, and team discussion, Ability to logically organize thoughts, Ability as a natural facilitator to enable team-based decisions, Time management Leadership Understanding of customer’s expectations, Vision – creating the environment, Desire to learn, Ability to present oneself with confidence, Ability to think on one’s feet, Ability to pass on knowledge and mentoring.
_________
Do you know how to use Power BI or Tableau? Do not be a victim of technology.
https://lnkd.in/epHAQNDF
In our CIS 3640 class we focus on three major areas: (1) Advanced excel functions, Power Query, Power Pivot , and Data Models, (2) Excel Macros, and (3) Visualization.
We do our best to go in-depth in all these three areas. Based on the feedback we received from students (especially ISM majors), they are interested in learning about all three areas and found them helpful during their job search. However, it is not possible to talk about both Tableau and Power BI visualization because of the time limitation. Therefore, we decided to cover Power BI in one section and Tableau and Tableau data prep in the other section. As you know, ETL is one of the most important skills they need for visualization. Therefore, we always teach Power Pivot and Query, which are foundations for Power BI in both sections. There are 8 assignments in the class. At least two are about Power Query and Power Pivot and two about Visualization in Tableau or Power BI.
I personally would encourage students to have an open mind on tool usage. The whole reason of teaching both Tableau and Power BI in our curriculum is backed by industry evidence, rather than by one or two individual companies. Both visualization tools have been in the best quadrant (i.e., leaders-visionaries quadrant) of Gartner’s “magic quadrant” survey for analytics and business intelligence platforms for years. So, it is not true that Tableau is not used at many companies. Kellogg’s, for example, is basically a Tableau shop.
The bottom line is that it really doesn’t matter which tool students learned (as long as there is industry evidence to support the tool selection). The two tools share so many similarities. Usually one should be able to transition from one tool to another with minimal learning. It seems that the student’s experience in the email confirms that.
I think one way going forward is probably this:
If ISM students already know what tools they are going to be using at the internship or job, they might want to talk to us first before taking CIS 3640. This will help them pick the desired course section. Otherwise, it is hard for us to predict what analytics & visualization tools each student will be using and which company they will end up working.
What if you are a student that wishes to learn both Power BI and Tableau, but your instructor only covers one? Unfortunately covering both in one single class will not give either one a fair coverage. In the end, students won’t have good skills in visualization. This is the reason we offer two sections, one for each tool. The good news is that Power BI is a free download. Here is what I recommend students do:
- Download Power BI
- Go through the video tutorials of Power BI online (e.g., https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/powerplatform/power-bi)
- Work on class exercises and assignments in both Tableau and Power BI. Many things are available in both tools. That makes it possible to replicate certain parts of class exercises and assignments in Power BI.
__________
How much Python do I need to know in order to excel in supply chain data analytics?
https://lnkd.in/e6Rmzpw
A while back, we made these points about CIS 2650 and the BA minor in general. Do these points still largely apply?…
CIS 2650 is not just a Python class, but instead a Python class for analytics. There is a difference there. In a traditional Python class, people teach Python straight for the whole semester with so much of syntax, data structure, software development, etc. That type of class is mostly designed for CIS and CS. What we do is different. It is Python in a popular analytics platform (more technically speaking, it is Python in Jupyter, which is an analytics platform that data science and business analytics programs do).
- We studied the top skills in analytics jobs & Python was among the top skills.
- The visualization libraries in Python can produce the kind of visualizations not available in Tableau & Power BI. Students will be able to differentiate themselves from other schools.
- Tableau & Power BI recently added Python or Python+Jupyter because certain Python analytics & visualization are not available in Tableau and Power BI. Using them together makes it a powerful analytics solution (e.g., the ability to transform visualization into implementable actions).
- All data scientists stress the importance of Python in analytics programs. Note, “data scientist” is one of the fastest growing career paths with escalating salaries because not enough people are good at this stuff.
- Python are “R” are both number one & two in analytics, but Python is easier to learn compared to R.
- Past experience in our SCM program (3+ semesters of experience in CIS 2650) shows that non-technical students (SCM, marketing, accounting, etc.) are able to handle the content that we designed.
- Python + Jupyter (or its variant) are used in Big Data (Hadoop, Microsoft Azure, Amazon AWS, etc.). It can also be used with/on SAP HANA, IoT, AI, Blockchain, and smart contracts to implement supply chain visibility, and other SC related solutions, etc.
We believe the above points are still valid. Here are some evidences:
- We studied the top skills in analytics jobs & Python was among the top skills.
- Python is among the top skills for data analysts (Skill number 4 in the list): https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/skills-for-data-analyst
- https://www.coursera.org/articles/in-demand-data-analyst-skills-to-get-hired
- The visualization libraries in Python can produce the kind of visualizations not available in Tableau & Power BI. Students will be able to differentiate themselves from other schools.
- Python graphing libraries that help in creating live and highly customized plots. It is possible to use Python or R in Tableau and Power BI to develop advanced plots. To use Python and R in Tableau and Power BI, students should first learn Python syntax and libraries.
- Tableau & Power BI recently added Python or Python+Jupyter because certain Python analytics & visualization are not available in Tableau and Power BI. Using them together makes it a powerful analytics solution (e.g., the ability to transform visualization into implementable actions).
- Here are some examples:
- TabPy makes it possible to use Python scripts in Tableau calculated fields.: https://www.tableau.com/about/blog/2017/1/building-advanced-analytics-applications-tabpy-64916
- PyCaret makes it possible to use machine learning in Tableau: https://towardsdatascience.com/machine-learning-in-tableau-with-pycaret-166ffac9b22e
- Python can create machine learning modules and create the visualization based on the predicated result.
- All data scientists stress the importance of Python in analytics programs. Note, “data scientist” is one of the fastest growing career paths with escalating salaries because not enough people are good at this stuff.
- Python are “R” are both number one & two in analytics, but Python is easier to learn compared to R.
- I believe learning python is easier. Also, because python is a multi-purpose language compared to R, students could benefit more from learning Python.
- Past experience in our SCM program (3+ semesters of experience in CIS 2650) shows that non-technical students (SCM, marketing, accounting, etc.) are able to handle the content that we designed.
- I believe it’s still valid.
- Python + Jupyter (or its variant) are used in Big Data (Hadoop, Microsoft Azure, Amazon AWS, etc.). It can also be used with/on SAP HANA, IoT, AI, Blockchain, and smart contracts to implement supply chain visibility, and other SC related solutions, etc.
- It’s still completely valid. https://towardsdatascience.com/why-is-python-programming-a-perfect-fit-for-big-data-5ac54ee8f95e
To make sure students see Python’s benefits and applications, we added applications of Python in Tableau/Power BI to the course content and offer some examples.
___________
I have had several people ask me about “Industry 4.0” or “Supply Chain 4.0” or “Digitization” of the Supply Chain.
https://lnkd.in/eK7yQiRD