Biggest Challenges for a Supply Chain Subcontract Specialist at Northrop Grumman
Marissa's biggest challenge as a Principal Supply Chain Subcontract Specialist at Northrop Grumman is dealing with "things that I cannot control," such as natural disasters or system failures impacting delivery, requiring creative problem-solving to ensure timely product delivery in a volatile industry. This highlights the unpredictable nature of supply chain management and the need for adaptability in the face of external factors.
Problem-Solving, Supply Chain Management, Risk Mitigation, Overcoming Challenges, Industry Volatility
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Marissa Simone
Principal Supply Chain Subcontract Specialist
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Pepperdine University
Arizona State University (ASU) - W. P. Carey, MBA in Supply Chain
Political Science, American Studies
Aerospace, Aviation & Defense
Operations and Project Management
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient
Video Highlights
1. External factors significantly impact supply chain roles. Unexpected events such as natural disasters or system failures can disrupt operations, highlighting the need for adaptability and problem-solving skills.
2. The inability to control external factors is a major challenge in supply chain management. Professionals must develop strategies to mitigate risks and find workarounds for unforeseen circumstances.
3. Supply chain professionals play a crucial role in ensuring timely delivery and product availability. Problem-solving skills are essential for navigating unexpected challenges and maintaining operational stability.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
My biggest challenge in my role, and probably in most supply chain roles, are the things I cannot control. There could be a natural disaster impacting one of our plants or a supplier.
There could be a system outage, preventing you from receiving or invoicing. So many things can happen that are beyond our individual control.
It's about how you deal with that in the moment, how you mitigate it, and how you try to work around it. I like to be in control, so that's really hard.
There's been a lot of focus on the supply chain industry in recent years due to so much volatility. Many people rely on supply chain professionals for guaranteed delivery.
It's really interesting to problem-solve for those things we can't control, to try to get our product delivered on time.