What a Global Supply Manager at Relativity Space Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Supply Chain Industry
Alexander wishes one knew how "tactical" the Global Supply Manager role can be, especially regarding invoice management; while appreciating the strategic aspects like "data analysis" and "supply planning," managing invoices, ensuring parts conformity, and timely payments are crucial but less enjoyable, highlighting the importance of maintaining supplier relationships to avoid downstream effects. Ultimately, handling invoices could be "taken off [one's] plate to make this almost a perfect role".
Supply Chain Management, Tactical Operations, Vendor Relationships, Data Analysis, Negotiation
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Alexander Jassemidis
Global Supply Manager
Relativity Space
Arizona State University
Masters of Business Analytics, Arizona State University (ASU) - W. P. Carey
Industrial, Supply Chain Management
Aerospace, Aviation & Defense, Technology
Operations and Project Management
Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. The role can be very tactical, especially early in your career, and may involve tasks like managing invoices and ensuring accurate payments to suppliers.
2. Paying vendors on time is crucial for maintaining partnerships and ensuring a consistent supply of parts, which can have significant downstream effects on operations.
3. While some aspects of the role, like invoice management, may not be enjoyable, other parts such as data analysis, supply planning, and negotiations can be very rewarding.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before you entered the industry?
I wish I knew more about how tactical this role could be. As you move up the ladder, it often becomes more strategic and less tactical. However, there are some aspects of my daily work that I don't find enjoyable.
One of those aspects involves invoices. It's about ensuring we've received all the parts, conforming them to inventory, and then paying invoices. I feel like this can sometimes be a bottleneck.
This includes paying invoices and ensuring they match what we've actually received. If you don't pay your vendors on time or at all, you risk losing those partnerships and future commitments for parts.
Neglecting the invoicing side can have significant downstream effects. It's one of those tactical operations that I don't particularly enjoy in my daily work.
Everything else, especially data analysis, supply planning, and negotiations, I really enjoy. If invoices could be taken off my plate, this would be an almost perfect role.