Stress in the supply chain

Are purchasing and manufacturing hotspots for artery clogging?

By -- Purchasing, 2/22/2001

When asked if they would again choose purchasing if they could start their careers over, nearly one-quarter (23%) of purchasing professionals said "no" when responding to a recent PURCHASING Magazine survey. That is a significant number and clearly indicates that purchasing is not a good fit for everyone. It takes a specific kind of person to succeed in a function that is many times stressful and more often than not goes without proper recognition for performance.

According to the survey, the two main reasons for staying in purchasing were the challenging nature of the function (30%) and the fact that it is always changing and there is constant variety (23%). Coincidentally, those same characteristics make the function too stressful for the disillusioned professionals who reported that they would take another path if given the choice. Thirty-three percent of the purchasing pros who say that they would choose a different career path cite the "thanklessness" of the function while almost 20% say that excessive stress is the reason for their decision.

Purchasing, a demanding profession by any benchmark, is not even close to being the most stressful link in the supply chain. In a comprehensive study of 369 manufacturing executives, conducted by TR Cutler Inc., nearly two-thirds (62%) say that a high level of job stress is the primary cause of job attrition. Inadequate benefits, insufficient salaries and conflicts with co-workers were far distant reasons for leaving a manufacturing employer.

The survey reveals that seventy-two percent of the CEO's and presidents questioned expect a strong or very strong production slowdown in 2001 and that shouldn't help anybody's stress levels. On a more positive note, the manufacturers were asked if they felt President Bush's idea of a tax reduction would directly impact their business and 84% say it would have a positive or very positive impact. The midsize manufacturers surveyed employed from one hundred to one thousand employees with annual revenue in excess of $25 million.