Transportation management professionals are responsible for directing, controlling and supervising transportation and facilities, along with many other functions. Skills in procurement, asset management, logistics and traffic management are essential to success as a transportation manager. Understanding all aspects of this complex field is essential in a management position.
A master’s degree in transportation management opens up a variety of career opportunities, including acquisition and contract manager, human resource manager, logistics manager, information systems manager, and transportation manager. Florida Institute of Technology offers an online Master of Science (MS) in Management in transportation management program for those seeking a leadership role in this field.
What Are Key Procurement Management Skills?
According to Order.co, “Procurement professionals manage the process of obtaining goods or services for an organization.” Daily tasks include:
- Sourcing new products
- Vetting and contracting with suppliers
- Negotiating procurement contracts
- Enabling contract management
- Authorizing purchasing and payments
- Tracking delivery, stock levels, costs and vendor performance
- Reducing excess procurement costs
- Performing category management and analysis
- Developing strategies for sustainable procurement
The essential skills needed to be an effective procurement manager start with sourcing and contracting with reliable, cost-effective suppliers for your organization’s needs. When contracting with suppliers, due diligence helps avoid reputational and supply chain management concerns before they become an issue.
Budget management is the control and allocation of financial resources. This skill is closely linked to the core research skills necessary to find opportunities, produce accurate estimates and stay on top of changes that could impact the budget. Time and supply chain management requires building redundancy into planning to avoid disruptions from the supply chain or time delays.
The procurement manager must have excellent team leadership skills. Ensuring your employees have the right tools for success creates productivity and visibility in user/supplier relationships. The procurement manager provides reporting that includes key performance indicators, cost efficiencies, cost savings and team productivity. It’s essential to show upper management you are efficiently handling all aspects of procurement.
Challenges in Transportation Procurement
Ensuring your business has a smooth supply and delivery of products involves a range of factors. The first steps are identifying your organization’s specific transportation needs and creating a comprehensive procurement strategy. However, even the best plans and strategies run into challenges. Here are five potential issues impacting procurement efforts:
- Supply change disruption: In recent years, pandemic-driven disruptions caused sudden supply chain imbalances. Border closures, personnel shortages and shipping delays put substantial pressure on sourcing teams.
- Managing time and assets: Ensuring fleets and deliveries can adapt when faced with natural calamities, accidents and route deviations helps achieve cost and resource optimization.
- Cost hikes: Fluctuations in fuel prices, driver salaries, warehousing and storage can all cause significant cost increases. Firm contracts with suppliers can mitigate the impact of these increases, and having backup suppliers can help keep materials from becoming too costly.
- Technology and communication challenges: Outdated and manual procurement processes are prone to errors and can result in scheduling conflicts and delays in delivery, impacting the entire supply chain. Effective communication and innovative technologies can optimize logistics operations.
- Sustainability risk assessment: Regulatory pressures and climate concerns have caused procurement teams to rethink supply chain sustainability. Ensuring that internal and supply base processes are environmentally and socially sustainable has become a key responsibility.
Benefits of a Career in Procurement Management
With a skill shortage in the procurement market, this is a promising career path for those with relevant skills and insights. Strategic response management provider Responsive references findings that almost 80% of organizations were impacted by this skill shortage in 2022. With salaries for the procurement and supply profession continuing to increase globally, this profession is on an upward trajectory with extensive potential.
According to Responsive, the field of procurement offers room for advancement, with positions ranging from entry-level to executive. Procurement managers can build relationships and a strong support system by working with key departments like finance, legal and information technology (IT).
Pursue a Leadership Role in Transportation Management Online With Florida Tech
Professionals who want specialized transportation management expertise can gain the skills needed from Florida Tech’s online MS in Management – Transportation Management program. Courses like Management of Assets, Management of Transportation Systems and Material Acquisition Management give graduates the tools to succeed in a competitive job market.
This program includes a comprehensive capstone project, through which students solve a real-world management challenge, giving them practical experience to prepare them for leadership scenarios. Students can apply with a bachelor’s degree in any area and finish the program in as few as 15 months, putting them on an accelerated pathway to a rewarding career in transportation management.
Learn more about Florida Tech’s online MS in Management with a concentration in Transportation Management program.
