3 Attributes to Look for When Building Your Inventory Management Team

The distribution space has changed a lot, especially in the past four years. Disruption has become the new normal, and demand has become harder to anticipate. As a result, distributors need to staff their inventory management teams with people with a knack for navigating uncertainty. Here are three qualities you should be looking for as you evaluate your current team and add new talent: 

1. Strong educational background

As the science of supply chain management has evolved, more universities have begun to offer supply chain management degrees, and those programs have become increasingly adept at producing talented new workers ready to hit the ground running.  

Industry experts, leaders and trade publications have discussed the ongoing wave of retirements in the distribution space. At first blush, it may appear that there isn’t anyone qualified to replace those extremely experienced employees. 

It’s true that people with dense inventory management resumes are harder to come by these days, but if you look for young candidates who thrived in high-quality, distribution-specific university programs, you’ll find a way to compensate for that lack of direct work experience with enthusiasm, energy and academic accomplishment.  

Whether you’re filling out your entry-level roles with people who just earned undergraduate degrees or replacing retired managers with people who went back to school to earn their master’s at a school like Texas A&M, you may find the learning curve won’t be nearly as steep as you thought.  

2. Analytical ability

The younger generations who have entered the workforce over the past 15 years or so are the first to truly grow up as high-tech natives. They’re incredibly comfortable with computers, the Internet, and the new, advanced analytical tools that continue to emerge.  

As a result, many distributors have begun creating and filling a new role to oversee inventory and performing root cause analyses. This team member dives into the reams of data that platforms like Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central make readily available to them to detect trends and analyze forecast errors.  

Having a dedicated inventory analyst can pay major dividends for any distributor. If the rest of your team also has an analytical skill set, those dividends will only grow bigger, as they’ll be able to understand and effectively utilize their analyses to improve their inventory management practices. The supply chain and customer demand certainly feel less predictable, but with employees who can take full advantage of the analytical solutions available to them, you can cut through the noise to keep carrying costs down and customers satisfied.  

3. Interpersonal skills

Any distribution company will have a lot of moving parts to keep track of, and so when people don’t communicate effectively, things can get tangled in a hurry. If your inventory management team is rostered with people who don’t make assumptions and always ensure that everyone has the information they need to do their next tasks, you’ll be better equipped to deal with disruptions.  

Of course, the occasional mistake is inevitable, so it’s also important to find people who will stay cool when there’s a fire to put out. When looking to hire for your inventory-related roles, try to get a sense of how they react to stress, especially as it pertains to their interactions with teammates. Will they take responsibility or look to deflect blame? Will they be able to learn from errors and avoid them moving forward? Are they eager to receive feedback that they can use to improve their skills and advance their career? These are good traits to have for just about any job, of course, but considering the volatility of the supply chain these days, they’re particularly important when managing inventory. If a candidate doesn’t have much experience but seems to have the right demeanor for the job, they may still be worthy of consideration.  

Elevate your inventory team’s performance with the right ERP 

With those three boxes checked, your inventory planners and managers will be primed to succeed. By implementing a Cloud-based ERP solution like Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, you’ll enhance their skills and see even greater efficiency and productivity. 

But that’s easier said than done, so consider seeking an ERP implementation partner that knows how to reap all the benefits. At Enavate, we understand the needs of distributors across industries and can tailor your BC solution to meet them. Reach out to our expert team today to learn more.