their supply chain operations, according to the survey.
Meanwhile, a survey of 100 executives of global companies across multiple industries found that nearly half
of the respondents were having trouble attracting and
retaining qualified employees to meet the demands of a
growing field. Unless the trends change, within the next few
years there will be six available supply chain jobs for every
one person qualified to fill them, according to the 19th
Annual Third-Party Logistics Study produced by Capgemini
Consulting, Penn State University, recruiter Korn/Ferry
International, and Penske.
One of the reasons for the talent imbalance is the rapid
and significant change in the role of the typical supply
chain professional. The study forecast that three out of
four current supply chain jobs will not exist in their current form by the end of 2015. Shanton J. Wilcox, vice
president, North America, and lead for logistics and fulfillment at Capgemini as well as one of the study’s primary
authors, said many so-called tactical jobs will be replaced
by positions requiring more interpersonal and relationship
management skills. Technology and data flow management positions, many of them not yet created, will absorb
more of the overall employment pie, Wilcox said. Finally,
a broadening of the supply chain professional’s role to
encompass more parts of the overall organization will
render many current “siloed” positions irrelevant, Wilcox
said. Most of the talent gap is found in the middle and
senior management ranks, according to the survey.
—Mark Solomon and Toby Gooley
First the good news: Third-party logistics service providers
(3PLs) expect the next three years to be better than they’ve
been in recent memory. The not-so-good news: The industry may have trouble finding folks to service the growing
demand.
That was the yin-and-yang of two bellwether studies
released at the Council of Supply Chain Management
Professionals’ (CSCMP) annual global meeting in
September. An annual survey of 3PL CEOs on three continents conducted by Dr. Robert Lieb of Northeastern
University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business and Dr.
Kristin Lieb of Emerson College found that three-quarters
of the 27 respondents forecast considerably higher growth
through the 2016–2017 period than in past years. Even
CEOs from recession-battered Europe forecast growth of
8. 33 percent over the next three years, according to the
21st annual survey, which was sponsored by 3PL provider Penske Logistics. The CEOs’ optimism was fueled by
growth in e-commerce demand and an increasing need for
specialized logistics services to help customers optimize
Expanding industry, tight labor market to pose
challenges for 3PLs, studies say
Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. has opened a new
267-door service center in Memphis, Tenn. … Cargo
Integrated Logistics has acquired the former Lane
Venture distribution warehouse located in Conover,
N.C. The 75,000-square-foot warehouse has 15 loading doors, heated space, and room to expand. …
Kuehne + Nagel has begun construction of a build-to-suit logistics center in the west of Singapore. …
Scannell Properties has bought 22 acres at Paramount
Logistics Park in Shafter, Calif., on behalf of one of
the largest global delivery companies. Scannell will
develop a new 210,000-square-foot ground sort hub,
with a scheduled completion date of mid-2015. …
Egemin Automation will build and automate a new
deep-freeze warehouse for frozen foods specialist
Crop’s in Belgium.
ground breakers
