The adjustments the supply chain went through after the new demands imposed by the pandemic and the new consumer trends derived from technology have highlighted the need to develop professionals who are able to deal with the logistics operations imposed by this new reality, not only in the supply chain operations, but also in managing issues and specialized strategic decision-making. Thus, large companies now understand they need to give professional status to logistics matters by profiling logistics specialists, which shall be responsible for analyzing, optimizing and coordinating the logistics and supply chain processes of a company or organization. In other words, it has been required to develop a strategic player who is responsible for the entire product cycle, from the materials or components acquisition, to distribution and delivery, making sure that all time and requested aspects are fulfilled, quickly solving any problem that may cross the path. This profile is also known in many organizations as Customer Service Administrator, Production Planner, or Management Specialist, among others. There are other related careers such as Logistics Analysts, Supply Chain Managers, Project Management Specialists, Transport, Warehousing and Distribution Managers, and Logistics Engineers. It is a fast-growing and highly specialized profession, which often requires particular and specific certifications related to the general context, and the logistics processes specific to each industry. However, for a few years now, it has been considered as a university degree as such by the educational and academic fields, and now it is included in several academic offerings. Fast growth of the logistics career In this regard, Mauricio Méndez, coordinator of the Master's in Logistics at Anahuac University's CADIT (Center for Senior Management in Engineering and Technologies) in Mexico, highlights that the professionalization of logistics must have a clear idea of where to take the industries' supply chains and a more strategic than operational approach. He assured that as the chains have evolved because of the technological developments, the automation of certain processes has been integrated. Under this concept, new professionals need to know how to integrate this supply chain, "first through the flow of information, because it is essential that the entire supply chain be fully communicated and visible at any time, so this generates prompt and accurate decision-making", he said. He stated that, although technology is an important ally, problem solving is not enough and strategies to solve all the needs throughout the supply chain must be combined. A university career in logistics is now possible In Mexico, important offerings in higher education and technical private or public institutions can be found, meeting the companies' logistical needs. There are, for example, careers and university degrees in Logistics Engineering dedicated to studying the concepts that underpin and organize the distribution of goods and services. It is located within the supply chain of a product, works on concepts related to the administrative economy and on technological aspects that make the distribution of production easier. People interested in this type of university program should focus on resource management, planning and coordination of activities, production work, and task management. The occupational field that gathers these professionals operates on the distribution of goods and services that can be delivered by land, air or sea using different means. This can be carried out for the food industry, for companies, in the transport of dangerous substances, etc. But what does a logistics professional do? Among the activities that a professional in this field can carry out on a daily basis, are:
- Fostering and developing business relationships.
- Supervising.
- Preparing and coordinating activities related to compliance with regulatory documentation.
- Continuously analyze and optimize logistics processes and their data.
- Find ways to reduce costs and time without renouncing quality in processes.
- Assigning physical resources.
- Coordinating the logistics of business operations.
- Managing logistics operations.
- Generating valuable information and reports for managers.
- Updating your personal and the team's professional knowledge
- Developing business plans.
- Analyzing the business and its financial reports.
- Measuring the effectiveness of the strategies and practices implemented.
- Finding areas of opportunity.
- Preparing training materials. To complete these activities, these professionals require a specialized profile, starting from their education and experience. In this regard, people in this area tend to have mostly bachelor's or engineering degrees, and even master's degrees. It is especially recommended that they take programs such as Business Administration and Management, Supply Chain Management, and Operations Supervision and Management, for example. Logistics professionals must have a deep understanding of:
- Transport, its principles, ways, methods, costs, and benefits.
- The language, its structure, meanings, spelling and grammar.
- Business administration and management, its principles, strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, technical management, production methods, and people and resources coordination.
- The service, understanding the client's needs, and the evaluation of their satisfaction.
- Mathematics, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculation, statistics, and their applications. ● Computers and electronics, specifically circuit boards, transformers, electronic equipment, hardware, and software knowledge, including applications and programming. The importance of logistics training within companies Managing and investing in logistics talent has never been as important as it is today for organizations and professionals. According to José Luis Galiana, executive director of the Ibero-American Logistics Forum (FIALOG), basic strategies are required to help reduce the existing gap of logistics talents and to attract and retain not only the young professionals of new generations in the logistics profession, but also experienced professionals. One of these strategies is to focus on mentoring programs in logistics aspects of the company, through the implementation of internal programs that support logistics professionals to develop their talent. Logistics mentoring programs focus on collaboration and help retain talents, responding to the specific demands of each company, in terms of flexibility, well-being, benefits, a sense of belonging, training, diversity, inclusion, sustainability and applied technology. The Solistica's talents who work in our operations throughout Latin America count on the required logistics experience to operate our different Intelligence, Monitoring and Security centers, within our Business Analytics department. In short, we have alert, innovative, efficient, and highly organized personnel who make things happen, from start to finish, in the supply chain, seeking greater productivity and client satisfaction.
