Why are soft skills so important for supply chain management jobs?

As roles adapt to business trends, soft skills such as problem-solving and negotiation become crucial in supply chain management. 

Here, we explore what soft skills a procurement and supply chain management career requires and why they are crucial.

What soft skills are required to work in supply chain management jobs?

A 2019 study by Dr Ozlem Bak, Christine Jordan and James Midgley discovered that 15 soft skills are in demand in supply chain management.

Those skills are problem-solving, planning, flexibility, organisational, communication, time management, motivation and enthusiasm, stress management, initiative, people management, collaborative learning, teamwork, leadership, management of complexity and change and negotiation.

The study found that behavioural skills such as communication, planning, initiative and negotiation were of utmost importance. This is not to say that hard skills are to be disregarded, but these particular soft skills are held in high esteem.

Flexibility and creativity have also been identified as critical soft skills for procurement and supply chain management professionals, enabling them to think more innovatively and manoeuvre problems to find a solution.

Lastly, collaboration and effective communication have been recognised as the top competencies required for successful supply chain management and procurement teams, highlighting how the role has developed into a much more people-focused job.

Why are these soft skills so important for the profession?

Although these soft skills do not outweigh the importance of formal and technical knowledge, they should sit in balance for procurement teams to succeed in an ever-changing world.

The globalisation of supply chains has prompted a shift towards the need for soft skills, as effective communication and negotiation are paramount to transcend cultural differences and language barriers, wherever they may occur.

Furthermore, many supply chain professionals now spend most of their time interacting with others, so good communication and collaboration skills are required.

Advancements in technology have allowed for some procurement processes to be automated while offering additional tools to professionals. This means that individuals have had to take on a more analytical, problem-solving role to provide further insight into the business.

And it’s not just about the technology that currently exists. With disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence likely to alter supply chains in the coming years, having the soft skills to manage such change will be an essential asset for procurement professionals.

How can you improve your soft skills?

It isn’t always easy to learn soft skills, but thankfully, there are many things you can do to work on them and develop your skillset over time. A simple online search brings up several courses to improve soft skills across all disciplines.

But for supply chain management-focused soft skills training, explore the CIPS website, where you can find the qualifications, e-learning and short courses to help you develop your soft skills. Plus, the Knowledge Hub has valuable content that can help direct your learning.

If you’re considering a new job in the profession, look at the current vacancies available on CIPS Procurement and Supply Jobs.