The document analyzes 200 job listings for supply chain managers. It finds that employers typically want candidates with 7+ years of experience and experience with ERP software like SAP. Employers also prefer candidates who have certification from APICS over ISM. About a third of listings require travel, averaging around 30% of the time spent traveling.

1. Software Advice IndustryView:
SCM Job Listings Analysis

2. Abstract
We analyzed 200 job listings for supply chain managers from firms ranging from
e-commerce giant Amazon to synthetic rubber manufacturer Zeon Corporation.
Here’s what we found:
• On average, employers want supply chain managers with at least seven years
of experience, with the range being two to 20 years.
• Forty-one percent of employers want supply chain managers who have
experience with enterprise resource planning (ERP) software.
• Employers are most likely to prefer certification from the American Production
and Inventory Control Society (APICS).

3. Employers Require Seven-Plus Years of Work Experience
2 to 3
4 to 5
6 to 7
8 to 9
10+
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
Percent of sample
On average, employers want supply chain managers who have at least seven
years of experience in the field.

4. Employers Want Well-Educated Supply Chain Managers
11%
17%
72%
Bachelor's degree required
Master's degree preferred
Experience in lieu of degree
The vast majority of job listings (72 percent) required a bachelor’s degree, with 11
percent stating a preference for a master’s degree.

5. Employers’ Undergraduate Majors Preferences
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Percent of sample
SCM
Business
Engineering
Finance
Science
SCM and business were the most most frequently specified undergraduate majors,
though engineering was specified almost 21 percent of the time.

6. Employers’ Preferences for Software Skills
0% 15% 30% 45%
Percent of sample
ERP
MRP
SAP
Oracle
Forty-one percent of the job listings specified proficiency in enterprise resource
planning (ERP) software. SAP was the most frequently mentioned platform.

7. Employers Prefer APICS Certification
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
Percent of sample
Any certification
APICS
ISM
Employers have more preference for certification from the American Production and
Inventory Control Society (APICS) over the Institute for Supply Management (ISM).

8. One-Third of Employers Require Travel
33%
67%
Travel not required
Travel required
One-third of the job listings we analyzed indicated that candidates could expect to
spend a significant amount of time traveling, either domestically or internationally.

9. Breakdown of Travel Time Percentages
7%
15%
5%
39%
15%
20%
Less than 10%
11 to 20%
21 to 30%
31 to 40%
41 to 50%
51% or more
On average, candidates for supply chain manager positions that required travel can
expect to travel nearly 30 percent of the time.

10. Read Report Read about our findings in more detail.
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