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Supply chain planner vs supply chain consultant

The differences between supply chain planners and supply chain consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a supply chain planner and a supply chain consultant. Additionally, a supply chain consultant has an average salary of $88,400, which is higher than the $80,668 average annual salary of a supply chain planner.

The top three skills for a supply chain planner include supply chain, customer service and supply chain planning. The most important skills for a supply chain consultant are supply chain, logistics, and supply chain planning.

Supply chain planner vs supply chain consultant overview

Supply Chain PlannerSupply Chain Consultant
Yearly salary$80,668$88,400
Hourly rate$38.78$42.50
Growth rate28%28%
Number of jobs36,14542,265
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age4747
Years of experience66

What does a supply chain planner do?

The job of supply chain planners, or logisticians, is to plan, develop, and schedule project management tools in support of an organization's operations. They are responsible for managing and monitoring inventories, forecasting production and sales levels, and tracking response time and delivery performance. Other duties include analyzing the levels of finished products, developing and monitoring production plans, and generating reports. Supply chain planners are also responsible for supervising other team members and ensuring that customer service best practices are followed.

What does a supply chain consultant do?

A supply chain consultant specializes in performing research and analysis to develop strategies for optimal services. Typically working in the manufacturing industry, their responsibilities revolve around monitoring the inventory and supply flow of materials, liaising with vendors and suppliers, coordinating with different departments to gather necessary data, identifying strengths and weaknesses in the operations, and suggesting actions on areas needing improvement. Furthermore, as a supply chain consultant, it is essential to create and recommend business plans, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.

Supply chain planner vs supply chain consultant salary

Supply chain planners and supply chain consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Supply Chain PlannerSupply Chain Consultant
Average salary$80,668$88,400
Salary rangeBetween $58,000 And $110,000Between $69,000 And $112,000
Highest paying CityRichmond, CASeattle, WA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaWashington
Best paying companyMicrosoftCordis
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between supply chain planner and supply chain consultant education

There are a few differences between a supply chain planner and a supply chain consultant in terms of educational background:

Supply Chain PlannerSupply Chain Consultant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Supply chain planner vs supply chain consultant demographics

Here are the differences between supply chain planners' and supply chain consultants' demographics:

Supply Chain PlannerSupply Chain Consultant
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 55.0% Female, 45.0%Male, 77.8% Female, 22.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between supply chain planner and supply chain consultant duties and responsibilities

Supply chain planner example responsibilities.

  • Manage communication among freight forwarders, trucking companies, and warehouse representatives.
  • Manage the preparation and analysis of material forecasts, interpreting MRP output and negotiating purchases.
  • Maintain the accuracy of BOM, inventory and other product attributes as identified with SAP/MDM/Impulse (ERP systems).
  • Administer ERP data for manufacturing, shipping, materials and quality control; run variance reports and reconcile variances.
  • Monitor and analyze all opportunities to reduce logistics costs and improve efficiency.
  • Select applicant will analyze technicaldata and reports to determine spares and support equipment provisioning requirements.
  • Show more

Supply chain consultant example responsibilities.

  • Manage any procurement activities including RFP s
  • Manage production and warehouse teams ensuring DOD policies and corporate rules and regulations compliance while exceeding government nuclear facility audit standards.
  • Consult clients on efficient use of their ERP and SCM methods to effectively plan all the resources in the business enterprise.
  • Assist transition from existing legacy ERP applications to PeopleSoft by investigating and troubleshooting errors.
  • Create implementation strategy to improve supply chain logistics and supplier relationships for largest pieces of equipment.
  • Drive lead time reduction KPIs, data generation and review.
  • Show more

Supply chain planner vs supply chain consultant skills

Common supply chain planner skills
  • Supply Chain, 17%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Supply Chain Planning, 7%
  • Logistics, 7%
  • Continuous Improvement, 5%
  • Demand Planning, 4%
Common supply chain consultant skills
  • Supply Chain, 22%
  • Logistics, 7%
  • Supply Chain Planning, 7%
  • Project Management, 6%
  • Order Management, 6%
  • Prototyping, 5%

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