Regardless of if you’re exploring further training, or simply looking to pivot into the logistics sector, further study such as a Master of Supply Chain Logistics online can open doorways into the transport and logistics sector that may not have seemed previously accessible.
However, further study can seem difficult to fathom from the outset, particularly if you’ve got no prior knowledge of the transport and logistics sectors. Let’s explore how further study may be able to get you ready for a role in this fast-moving industry.
Gain Advanced Training in Logistics Management
The first thing to consider is some of the skills and techniques that you may learn when pursuing further study. It’s true that learning is a constant and evolving process – with learning being done in all facets of the professional and practical environment.
Further study can provide an avenue and some pointers as to what previous experts in the field have found through research and thorough analysis. Understanding what strategies worked for previous logistics teams can help you avoid pitfalls and difficulties that management faces when initially jumping into a role.
Applying Meaningful Data to Supply Chain Processes
The logistics and warehousing sector is a multi-billion dollar sector in Australia, contributing approximately $40 billion dollars to the Australian economy in the 2019/20 financial year, according to industry body the Australian Industry and Skills Committee.
Overall, it’s a significant contributor to the economic core of this country, with a mass of data available, from vehicle GPS data to freight management tools. Understanding what data is most appropriate for a particular use case can seem a bit difficult to determine at first, especially given the problems that modern data teams have in interpreting large volumes of data. Fortunately, there are significant experiences and insights that you can gain by learning about the way data is applied in the supply chain cycle.
As new data types come online, being able to interpret the data into the method that’s most appropriate for it. Modern, meaningful data methods, such as the total cost of ownership (TCO) provide a holistic approach to understanding the costs that need to be managed, and the research behind this is explored in an educational environment.
Implementing the Latest Strategies to be Just-In-Time
As roles change, the skills necessary to get the most out of a role naturally change. Since the inclusion of modern computing in the workplace in the mid-20th century, roles have become more tech-driven, and understanding the strategies that are used in modern workforces is a great way to enhance your skill set for the workforce.
Modern logistics strategies take advantage of best practice skills such as just-in-time shipping, a practice pioneered by the Toyota Motor Corporation in the 1970s and 1980s.
Further education will allow you to understand the benefits and pitfalls of different strategic management activities, such as strategic sourcing and just-in-time. As a manager, it may also assist in providing additional context when deciding what’s the most effective way to run your own logistics teams.
Learn Ways to Develop Best Practice Relationships
Something to consider is that best-practice relationships are not simply strategies on a piece of paper. When pursuing further education, you have the capacity to network and develop personal connections throughout the logistics industry.
Whether working on group projects such as a strategic supply plan for a theoretical business, to practical experience embedded in a group with logistics teams, there are opportunities available to further your own experience and make potentially find new employment opportunities along the way.
Optimize Your Strategy and Bring It To Work
One final, important consideration is the ability to take the strategies learned in further education and take them back to the workplace. Being able to learn in a safe, supported and flexible environment is a great way to bring more back to the team while limiting the number of risks that you may take when trying to apply strategies based on a hunch or anecdotal information.
Further study in logistics and supply chain management is an excellent way to expand your domain expertise with new skills and strategies, while also honing your craft to bring back new and innovative strategies to your team.
