Founding Partner at GRA Supply Chain Consulting
Steve Bray
As a founding partner at GRA, Steve works with clients to identify supply chain opportunities and implement new business processes and tools that may be required to realise these opportunities. With a strong interest in aerospace and aftermarket automotive supply chains, Steve has specialised expertise in the areas of aviation supply chain design, analysis, and strategy.
He has led (or worked on) more than 100 supply chain projects for blue chip clients in Australia and overseas. He speaks regularly at industry conferences and writes articles for the supply chain media.
I originally studied engineering and ended up as an aircraft maintenance engineer. As a customer of a maintenance supply chain, I became interested in how to make the supply chain perform better. I then got involved in a supply chain project that got me excited about supply chain, so I went back to university to study logistics. That was 20 years ago and I haven't looked back.
Don't shy away from developing your quantitative skills. Strong analytical capabilities will set you apart from your supply chain peers.
1. An appreciation for the end-to-end supply chain.
2. Analytical skills .
3. Supply chain planning skills.
It takes three things:
1. Deliver value, not reports.
2. Hire the best people and develop them.
3. Establish a strong reputation in one area of the supply chain before diversifying to other areas.
Work/life balance is a challenge. I try to use my family to help me calibrate my work life balance.
Being aware of emerging trends whilst developing a depth of understanding in the trends that allows you to assess their applicability.