FMCG sector demanding more of SC managers

Singapore - FMCG companies in Singapore are demanding their supply chain managers become more strategic, with the more able of those earning S$100-S$150K annually, said a new study.

Robert Walter's latest study on the FMCG market found that with the need to reduce overheads, there has been a heightened need for supply chains to be flexible enough to scale up or down depending on demand and supply, which calls for more contract opportunities.

The intense competition in the Asia FMCG market has also called on the need for more optimal and cost competitive supply chain management improvements, the study said. "This has led to an increase in strategic roles within the FMCG areas of process improvement, change management and process re-engineering, with salaries in the range of S$100K-S$150K."

There is also an increase in demand for supply chain professionals skilled in data management and analytical work, the report said, in response to more companies in the FMCG market integrating their supply chain information systems to achieve optimal supply chains and faster response to supply chain changes and disruptions.

"In an increasingly volatile environment, the supply and demand planning environment is challenged, making it harder to balance demand and supply," the report said. "Planning becomes erratic, making it harder to gauge forecast numbers."

Further, supply chain management within the sector has evolved to also focus on revenue and profit contribution. "Companies are now concentrating not just on sales for revenue generation, but also on supply chains to initiate cost savings that can be pumped back into marketing and other expenses," the report said.