business backgrounder | employment & workplace
Ramos is the guy who gets the phone call saying an airline has
“Technology is radically changing supply chain management,”
a plane in Australia that is stranded on the ground and can’t fly
said Meg Ryan, director of the Center of Excellence for Global
until it gets a crucial part. They need it delivered yesterday. Oh,
Trade & Supply Chain Management. With so many baby boomers
and it’s packaged in a crate that’s 67 inches tall — but the cargo
retiring, “they’re talking about a crisis. Almost every industry is
hold in the delivery plane can’t take anything over 63 inches.
looking for talent.”
It’s all in a day’s work for Ramos and the nation’s
thousands of global supply chain and logistics
professionals. These are the people who ensure
the international flow of goods to American store
what exactly is logistics & supply chain management?
shelves — or from Washington factories and fields
to consumers around the world — make it across
Logistics management is like the travel agent for goods being shipped. It
oceans and through miles of red tape on time and in
plans, implements and controls the efficient flow of goods between the
perfect condition.
point of origin and the destination.
Employment in this field is expected to grow at a
Supply chain management is the strategic planning — calculating the costs
breakneck 15 percent pace in the Puget Sound region
of working with different suppliers. It links major business functions within
over the next few years.
and between companies into a cohesive business model.
To help keep the talent pipeline full, Washington
has the Center of Excellence for Global Trade
& Supply Chain Management, which is based at
Highline College in Des Moines but works with
in place to help
community and technical colleges around the state to coordinate
Jack Bermingham, president of Highline College, said his Des
mentoring, education and ongoing training in this important
Moines-based campus is a perfect place to house this globallyand growing field.
minded center of excellence. With its proximity to Sea-Tac
Ramos, a father of three who serves on the college’s business
Internation