About This Career

Directs or coordinates production, purchasing, warehousing, distribution, or financial forecasting services or activities to limit costs and improve accuracy, customer service, or safety. Examines existing procedures or opportunities for streamlining activities to meet product distribution needs. Directs the movement, storage, or processing of inventory.

This career is part of the Business Management and Administration cluster General Management pathway.

A person in this career:

• Determines appropriate equipment and staffing levels to load, unload, move, or store materials.
• Manages activities related to strategic or tactical purchasing, material requirements planning, controlling inventory, warehousing, or receiving.
• Selects transportation routes to maximize economy by combining shipments or consolidating warehousing and distribution.
• Defines performance metrics for measurement, comparison, or evaluation of supply chain factors, such as product cost or quality.
• Develops procedures for coordination of supply chain management with other functional areas, such as sales, marketing, finance, production, or quality assurance.
• Implements new or improved supply chain processes to improve efficiency or performance.
• Analyzes inventories to determine how to increase inventory turns, reduce waste, or optimize customer service.
• Confers with supply chain planners to forecast demand or create supply plans that ensure availability of materials or products.
• Negotiates prices and terms with suppliers, vendors, or freight forwarders.
• Analyzes information about supplier performance or procurement program success.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would sit most of the time. There's some walking and standing. You may have to lift and carry things like books, papers or tools weighing 10 lbs. or less.
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Irregular hours
• Overnight travel
• Overtime work
• Weekend work