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Supply Chain Manager

Logistics

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

Logistics & Supply ChainBusiness

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Determine appropriate equipment and staffing levels to load, unload, move, or store materials.
  2. 2Manage activities related to strategic or tactical purchasing, material requirements planning, controlling inventory, warehousing, or receiving.
  3. 3Select transportation routes to maximize economy by combining shipments or consolidating warehousing and distribution.
  4. 4Define performance metrics for measurement, comparison, or evaluation of supply chain factors, such as product cost or quality.
  5. 5Develop procedures for coordination of supply chain management with other functional areas, such as sales, marketing, finance, production, or quality assurance.
  6. 6Implement new or improved supply chain processes to improve efficiency or performance.
  7. 7Confer with supply chain planners to forecast demand or create supply plans that ensure availability of materials or products.
  8. 8Analyze inventories to determine how to increase inventory turns, reduce waste, or optimize customer service.
  9. 9Negotiate prices and terms with suppliers, vendors, or freight forwarders.
  10. 10Analyze information about supplier performance or procurement program success.
  11. 11Meet with suppliers to discuss performance metrics, to provide performance feedback, or to discuss production forecasts or changes.
  12. 12Design or implement supply chains that support business strategies adapted to changing market conditions, new business opportunities, or cost reduction strategies.
  13. 13Monitor suppliers' activities to assess performance in meeting quality or delivery requirements.
  14. 14Monitor forecasts and quotas to identify changes and predict effects on supply chain activities.
  15. 15Participate in the coordination of engineering changes, product line extensions, or new product launches to ensure orderly and timely transitions in material or production flow.
  16. 16Design or implement plant warehousing strategies for production materials or finished products.
  17. 17Identify or qualify new suppliers in collaboration with other departments, such as procurement, engineering, or quality assurance.
  18. 18Design, implement, or oversee product take back or reverse logistics programs to ensure products are recycled, reused, or responsibly disposed.
  19. 19Develop or implement procedures or systems to evaluate or select suppliers.
  20. 20Document physical supply chain processes, such as workflows, cycle times, position responsibilities, or system flows.
  21. 21Forecast material costs or develop standard cost lists.
  22. 22Diagram supply chain models to help facilitate discussions with customers.
  23. 23Evaluate and select information or other technology solutions to improve tracking and reporting of materials or products distribution, storage, or inventory.
  24. 24Identify opportunities to reuse or recycle materials to minimize consumption of new materials, minimize waste, or to convert wastes to by-products.
  25. 25Design or implement supply chains that support environmental policies.
  26. 26Review or update supply chain practices in accordance with new or changing environmental policies, standards, regulations, or laws.
  27. 27Locate or select biodegradable, non-toxic, or other environmentally friendly raw materials for manufacturing processes.
  28. 28Appraise vendor manufacturing capabilities through on-site observations or other measurements.
  29. 29Conduct or oversee the conduct of life cycle analyses to determine the environmental impacts of products, processes, or systems.
  30. 30Investigate or review the carbon footprints and environmental performance records of current or potential storage and distribution service providers.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Parts Manager
  • Inventory Manager
  • Materials Manager
  • Materials Planner
  • Auto Parts Manager
  • Inventory Supervisor
  • Logistics Supervisor
  • Supply Chain Manager
  • Replenishment Manager
  • Supply Chain Director

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. Typical entry

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationBachelor's degree

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

BusinessDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Principles of AccountingDraws directly on Economics and Accounting — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Production and Processing — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Transportation90%
  • Administration and Management87%

    BusinessEconomics

  • English Language81%

    English

  • Economics and Accounting76%

    Principles of AccountingEconomics

  • Customer and Personal Service75%
  • Production and Processing75%

    Design & Technology (RBT)Mechanical Engineering Studies

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsAlmost never
  • Contact with other peopleNo contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicNot at all
  • Leading or coordinating othersNot at all
  • Handling conflict situationsAlmost never
  • Indoors, air-conditionedAlmost never
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentAlmost never

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Direct the use of drones and autonomous vehicles for efficient and cost-effective delivery of goods and inventory management.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

15%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Growing role in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.

On Malaysia's official shortage list

TalentCorp and ILMIA's Critical Occupations List — evidence of a real hiring shortage in Malaysia right now.

Supply, Distribution, and Related Managers · Shortage indicators met: 3/10

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Supply Chain Managers

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org