Cosmos Bondzie, a Logistics, Supply Chain and Marketing Consultant, has advised Supply Chain practitioners to upgrade their knowledge and be abreast of modern operations in the sector.

He said the sector was evolving and it was imperative for practitioners to be abreast of modern trends in report writing and be proficient in local and foreign languages, especially in French and Chinese, to make them competitive on the local and international markets.

Mr Bondzie gave the advice at a networking event for Supply Chain Professionals in Accra, christened: “Supply Chains Connect”. The event was supported by Corban Logistics, Freight Consult, Pekason Investment, Attache, Istephens Designs and Pro Insight.

Mr Bondzie said with the introduction of the One District, One Factory, and the paperless/electronic processes, practitioners and students needed to upgrade their skills and take advantage of the initiatives for employment.

“As logistics and supply chain professionals and students, we should keep on building our capacity by reading and researching on food factories, electronic waste, automobile, Planting for Food and Jobs, and the Maritime Industry among others,” he said.

Mr Bondzie said supply chain cut across all sectors of the economy and urged practitioners and students to take advantage of government’s policies and interventions to maximise benefits.

“International trade cannot be complete without logistics and supply chain professionals,” he said, and urged the professionals to network and make good use of the benefits the industry brought.

Mr Samuel Akrofi, the Procurement Manager, Stanbic Bank, touching on Supply Chain in the Banking Sector, said world class supply chain management was built on category and supplier relationship management.

He advised practitioners to demonstrate integrity and align their department and individual goals to the organisation’s strategy and sell the transformation agenda for positive impact.

Mr Akrofi said it was necessary for management of organisations to encourage and reward team work and good individual behaviours, as well as demonstrate fairness and consistency for optimum performance.

He advised the professionals to review existing policies and ensure that procedures agree with those of relevant stakeholders to improve activities in the industry.

Major Eunice Asantewaa Koranteng, the Assistant Director, Supplies and Transport, in charge of Training and Organisations, Ghana Armed Forces, said the industry was dominated by men and urged the authorities to encourage women to take up courses in the sector.

She urged companies to nurture young talents, especially those of women, to take up positions that test their leadership qualities in the supply chain field.

Major Koranteng called for graduate training programmes for students in the field to ensure orientation and mentorship to guide and shape their knowledge and skills.

Mr Felix Bani, the Site Leader, Cummins West Africa Regional Distribution, Tema, said statistics reveal that the supply chain industry was a 1.3 trillion-dollar one, which continues to grow each year, with jobs and opportunities increasing by 25 per cent every 10 years.

He urged practitioners to be innovative in addressing sector challenges urging the leaders to carry the people along and let them buy into their ideas instead of being autocratic.

“Every problem is solvable. Approach the problem with efficiency while being effective,” he added.

Some of the participants commended the organisers for the event and called for more of such networking sessions to interact with peers, learn and improve on the job.

They called for an association of women in the field to serve as mentorship to the young ones and encourage others to venture into the profession.