A supply chain is basically the system that moves a product from its supplier to the customer. The chain can be a combination of people, information, resources, or activities that are involved in the transformation of the product from its beginning to the end result that will ultimately end up in the hands of the customer. Supply chain jobs include manufacturing as well as management. The management oversees not only the materials used in production but also the information and finances needed to create the item or items being manufactured.
Supply chain recruiting and supply chain staffing is the hiring of executives and manufacturing employees for a corporation. Some industries where these types of positions are common are the food processing equipment industry, the life sciences industry, and thermoplastics, just to name a few. The pharmaceutical industry is also an immense enterprise into which millions of people are incorporated to become a part of its supply chain. The drug packaging industry, worldwide, is worth a good $66 billion. The second largest packaging industry in the United States is flexible packaging, which takes up about 18% of the market, and is worth $145 billion. Food, both institutional and retail, makes up the largest market of flexible marketing at 58%. Flexible packaging has provided jobs for 79,000 people in different industries.
Many people who are chosen to become part of the supply chain of any industry are veterans. Many employers find that veterans are the ideal employees because of the self discipline they demonstrate, as well as their ability to work with others as a team. In addition to these positive traits are the vets’ attention to detail, the respect that they transmit to those in authority, and their sense of leadership.
Logistics recruiters will place workers in the production and distribution aspects of the supply chain, while supply chain management are the suppliers, the manufacturers, and the retailers of the end product. Many corporations work with others throughout the world to distribute their product. This global supply chain works together to produce, handle, and distribute their products.
Food manufacturing jobs, as mentioned earlier, is largest in the flexible marketing industry. The food supply chain is the process by which food goes from the farm to the customer. From beginning to end, the process consists of production, processing, distribution, consumption, and disposal. Every step along the supply chain involves either some type of natural resource or is handled through human input. The money paid for food by customers goes back into the supply chain to the people who do their job along the way. When anything happens that affects the food supply chain, either positively or adversely, the whole chain is affected, which is evidenced as a domino affect.
When referring to those who work with the distribution of products at the end of the food supply chain, it is interesting to know that, these days, many corporations are buying their own farms to produce the food they sell. It is essential for the ultimate supplier to be able to trace the food back to its origin, so that they know that their product comes from someplace where safety and a clean environment are paramount. Owning their own farms is one way that insures that corporations have control of the quality of the foods they offer to the public. Knowing the in’s and out’s of every step of their own supply chain is almost a fool proof way to provide the best for their customers.
If it is not possible to own the farm that produces the food to be distributed, corporation management must work with locations that they know and trust. Any supplier will typically need to go through a vendor evaluation before entering into an agreement to work with a retailer. This evaluation will include sanitation procedures, food safety criteria, recall programs, record keeping processes, environmental monitoring, and food defense programs. Every step of the supply chain must be examined for the safety of both the retailer and the customer who ends up with the finished product. The product can be sold at any number of venues; for instance, farmers markets and supermarkets, or through community supported agricultural programs.
