Check these skills that are critical to delivering a successful supply chain.

Technical prowess - This one is nearly a given.  You need to understand the tech that enables your supply chain. That includes not just the EDI and fields that make it up, but the networking, software, computing devices, cloud services, mobile deployment, RFID, IoT, and on, and on. Keeping up with tech means not just maintaining the underlying components of your network but knowing what may be on the technology horizon.

Enterprise empowerment - Supply chain leaders understand that their role in the company extends beyond their role as technician and extends to include their responsibilities to build great teams. They take on the leadership of their group and become role models for new hires as well as staff beyond their own department.

Digital transformation - The enterprise may be focused on digital transformation but nowhere is the change more important than in the supply chain. Moving from outdated manual systems to modern digital systems can mean the difference between simply surviving and outpacing the competition to win new markets and extend the customer base.

Outreach - Supply chains are notorious for hiding behind the digital workflow. But most problems are solved by personal interaction. Supply chain professionals who know how to connect with both their suppliers and their customers are able to form connections much stronger than the data that flows between them.

As you move through your career, whether you choose a vertical path that keeps you within the supply chain or move horizontally to another set of responsibilities, these skills will help you be successful at every level.