A Day in the Life of a Sourcing Manager at a Food Tech Company
A sourcing manager's day blends "quantitative and qualitative analysis," involving data-driven decisions on sourcing ("why do you buy something? Who do you buy it from?") alongside relationship management with suppliers. This necessitates constant communication and collaboration across departments and external partners, adapting to dynamic market conditions like the recent sunflower oil shortage and its impact on supply chains.
Quantitative Analysis, Qualitative Analysis, Relationship Management, Supply Chain Management, Problem-Solving
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Zack Reilly
Sourcing Manager
Food-Tech Company
University of California, Berkeley
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Economics
Food, Beverages & Alcohol
Operations and Project Management
Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. A sourcing manager's day involves a mix of quantitative and qualitative analysis, using data to understand sourcing decisions while also building and maintaining relationships with external suppliers.
2. The role requires working with various internal teams (R&D, QA, etc.) and external suppliers to manage the entire lifecycle of ingredients, from initial sourcing to potential supply chain disruptions.
3. Geopolitical events and supply chain issues significantly impact a sourcing manager's work, necessitating quick thinking and adaptability in sourcing strategies and supplier relationships.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of a sourcing manager look like?
In sourcing, it depends on the company you work for. What I like about the role is it's a nice mixture of quantitative and qualitative analysis, so you're not head-down in spreadsheets all day.
There's an analytical piece where you take a fact-based approach to questions like: Why do you buy something? Who do you buy it from? How much should it cost? How much of it are we going to buy over the next couple of years? You're answering all those sorts of questions and looking at data to find the answers.
But then there's the whole qualitative piece where every day you're working with external suppliers and managing those relationships. At the end of the day, it's a relationship-driven business.
For example, with sunflower oil, if there's a war that affects the supply chain, why should a supplier give you oil when they only have enough for two out of three customers?
I'm constantly on calls with sales and account managers from large ingredient manufacturers, as well as having internal discussions with R&D, QA, and others involved in the lifecycle of an ingredient in our business. This might be during production, running a bid for next year, dealing with a QA issue, or sending out a forecast. It can also involve finding an alternative to sunflower oil because it's not functionally working in a new product they're looking to launch.
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