Skill requirements and levels within the supply chain management field in South Africa

Abstract

Supply chain integration (SCI) has received attention within the supply chain/logistics community because of its positive influence on financial performance. Studies have confirmed that organisations which implement external supply chain integration need to ensure that internal integration is implemented successfully because it promotes external integration. Organisations need to ensure that they acquire and appoint the correct set of skills in order to achieve successful supply chain integration. This research study explores the skill requirements and current skill levels within the South African context. The researcher collected data through 20 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with supply chain experts across various industries. The research results show that the current skill requirements are aligned with the American production and inventory control society (APICS) supply chain manager competency model. Also, the research results showed that, through training and development, organisations are actively improving their supply chain skill levels; as a result, most organisations confirmed that the majority of their employees meet the skill requirements in place. This study contributes to the supply chain/logistics literature in that it identifies current skill requirements within supply chain/logistics in the South African context. It also contributes to the supply chain literature, focusing on the involvement of human resources. This study confirms the active involvement of human resources within South African organisations.